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I never said that Rhys wasn't the original spelling, just that it isn't the most common one.

It is "unpopular" in the states, actually. I have gleaned from BTN that it's a pretty standard name in other English-speaking countries but here my impression is that It's almost unknown. Reese/Reece are way more common. I had never heard of Rhys before I came to BTN and I thought it was totally ridiculous.

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I sort of agree with Rainbow Dash that it's unreasonable to expect people to be familiar with a spelling counterintuitive to what they're culturally accustomed to. But I don't think the OP should have named their kid Reese instead. However, not being a name specialist a few years ago, when I would have said Rhys incorrectly, does not mean that I was a "moron" despite living in the south, and I basically think OP should suck it up and get over it. Suffer for beauty, right?

This message was edited 8/13/2011, 9:54 PM

To be fair, I think Rainbow Dash meant to say that choosing a spelling that's unusual in certain locations and then getting upset when people don't pronounce it right (because they're unfamiliar with it) can be a bit absurd.

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I'm sorry, but I agree (not saying this to Haeri specifically, but in general). I don't know where Haeri lives, but if it's the southern US, or US in general, I'm not surprised. Rhys is not a common name here, especially in that spelling, when most people are familiar with the name because of Reese Witherspoon.