Rhea Girl

Popularity: #533 · Trend: ↗ Rising

Name Meaning & Origin Pronunciation: REE-uh /ˈriːə/

Origin: Greek; Roman

Meaning: Greek: flowing; Roman: to flow

Historical & Cultural Background

The name Rhea has its roots in ancient Greek, derived from the name Ῥέα (Rhea), which is believed to mean 'flowing' or 'ease.' In Greek mythology, Rhea was a Titaness, the daughter of Gaia and Uranus, and the mother of several major Olympian gods, including Zeus, Hera, and Poseidon. This mythological significance contributed to the name's endurance through centuries, as Rhea was often associated with fertility and motherhood, embodying the nurturing aspects of the earth and nature.

The name Rhea entered the Latin lexicon as 'Rhea,' maintaining its form and meaning, and it was used in various classical texts throughout the Roman Empire. The adoption of Rhea into Latin literature helped solidify its presence in the Western cultural consciousness.

During the Renaissance, interest in classical antiquity revived many ancient names, including Rhea, as scholars and writers sought to reconnect with the heritage of Greek and Roman traditions. In addition to its mythological roots, Rhea has been associated with various cultural symbols, such as the nurturing aspects of nature and the cyclical patterns of life, which resonate with agricultural societies.

The name has also been linked to the Roman goddess Cybele, who was often depicted with a lion and represented fertility and the earth. This connection further emphasizes the name's enduring significance in various cultural contexts.

Rhea has a diminutive form, Rhea-Ann, which has been used in some cultures, though the name itself has remained relatively stable in its original form. Overall, Rhea's historical and cultural significance, stemming from its mythological origins and associations with fertility and motherhood, has allowed it to persist through the ages.

Famous people named Rhea

In this section, you will find notable people named Rhea. We include individuals across a wide range of fields, including actors known for their work in film, television, and stage productions. You'll also find musicians, directors, and other public figures named Rhea who have made a significant impact on popular culture.

We also feature individuals named Rhea who have made meaningful contributions to science, politics, athletics, literature, and other areas of public interest.

Please note that not every baby name in our database currently has a famous namesake listed. If you would like to suggest a name we may have missed or submit a correction, feel free to contact us. We review and finalize additions and corrections within 24 hours.

Rhea Perlman is an actress best known for Cheers, Matilda, and The Mindy Project.

Rhea Seehorn is an actress best known for Better Call Saul, Whitney, and I'm With Her.

Fictional characters named Rhea

The following list of fictional characters named Rhea is a work in progress. If you would like to suggest an additional character, please send us the character's name along with a brief, one-sentence description of what they are best known for.

You may also submit corrections, which we will review and update as quickly as possible.

Rhea is a fictional character from the comic book series Wonder Woman. She is the mother of the titular character and a significant figure in the lore of the Amazons.

Sibling suggestions

If you're looking for sibling name ideas that pair well with Rhea, the following options are frequently chosen as complementary choices by parents.

MayaNinaLilaZoeClaraSophie

Similar names

Based on our extensive baby names database, several names share stylistic or phonetic similarities with Rhea. These names can serve as alternatives to the sibling suggestions listed above and may help you find the perfect complementary name for your growing family.

LeahMiaTiaNiaKiraRinaCleaGia

U.S. Historical Usage

The name Rhea was first seen in the United States in 1882.

Rhea has ranked as high as #1039 nationally, which occurred in 2023, and has been most popular in California, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Texas.

In the past 5 years the name Rhea has been trending up compared to the previous 5 years.

Popularity Over Time (National)

The name Rhea is part of our comprehensive baby names database, which includes Social Security Administration (SSA) data dating back to 1880—the first official year of state and national tracking. The chart below shows when Rhea was first recorded in the United States and illustrates how its popularity has risen and fallen over time.

Popularity Over Time (National) — Table

We track the national popularity of each baby name annually. The table below displays each year along with the number of births reported by the Social Security Administration. This data combines all state-level reporting from the SSA's baby names database to provide a comprehensive view of overall birth counts for Rhea.

Year Total Births Boy Girl
2025 452 0 452
2024 487 0 487
2023 577 0 577
2022 500 0 500
2021 485 0 485
2020 464 0 464
2019 411 0 411
2018 360 0 360
2017 318 0 318
2016 289 0 289
2015 271 0 271
2014 233 0 233
2013 219 0 219
2012 225 0 225
2011 202 0 202
2010 208 0 208
2009 214 0 214
2008 201 0 201
2007 223 0 223
2006 208 0 208
2005 170 0 170
2004 271 5 266
2003 195 0 195
2002 217 0 217
2001 176 0 176
2000 172 0 172
1999 139 0 139
1998 111 0 111
1997 130 0 130
1996 83 0 83
1995 112 0 112
1994 96 0 96
1993 136 0 136
1992 134 0 134
1991 109 0 109
1990 124 0 124
1989 126 0 126
1988 103 0 103
1987 121 0 121
1986 113 0 113
1985 130 0 130
1984 132 0 132
1983 141 0 141
1982 109 0 109
1981 140 0 140
1980 129 0 129
1979 111 0 111
1978 134 0 134
1977 120 0 120
1976 108 6 102
1975 109 5 104
1974 83 0 83
1973 85 0 85
1972 76 0 76
1971 92 0 92
1970 83 0 83
1969 91 0 91
1968 113 0 113
1967 89 0 89
1966 108 6 102
1965 99 0 99
1964 106 6 100
1963 120 0 120
1962 120 6 114
1961 114 0 114
1960 120 7 113
1959 133 0 133
1958 150 0 150
1957 144 6 138
1956 122 8 114
1955 136 5 131
1954 112 0 112
1953 133 7 126
1952 128 8 120
1951 121 8 113
1950 120 9 111
1949 130 7 123
1948 152 6 146
1947 137 7 130
1946 135 8 127
1945 94 7 87
1944 107 9 98
1943 119 9 110
1942 129 8 121
1941 109 0 109
1940 94 8 86
1939 101 0 101
1938 97 13 84
1937 125 7 118
1936 121 5 116
1935 100 0 100
1934 110 6 104
1933 106 0 106
1932 117 0 117
1931 134 13 121
1930 135 10 125
1929 147 8 139
1928 164 13 151
1927 140 15 125
1926 175 13 162
1925 176 16 160
1924 169 14 155
1923 149 14 135
1922 190 13 177
1921 191 12 179
1920 200 16 184
1919 191 14 177
1918 181 7 174
1917 191 10 181
1916 178 9 169
1915 180 8 172
1914 123 0 123
1913 115 0 115
1912 92 0 92
1911 89 0 89
1910 60 0 60
1909 64 0 64
1908 55 0 55
1907 63 0 63
1906 58 0 58
1905 49 0 49
1904 49 0 49
1903 46 6 40
1902 55 0 55
1901 58 0 58
1900 51 0 51
1899 61 0 61
1898 54 0 54
1897 53 0 53
1896 61 5 56
1895 41 0 41
1894 48 0 48
1893 56 0 56
1892 44 0 44
1891 24 0 24
1890 39 0 39
1889 31 0 31
1888 20 0 20
1887 14 0 14
1886 13 0 13
1885 11 0 11
1884 13 0 13
1883 8 0 8
1882 7 0 7

Top States for Rhea (2024)

We track the most popular states for each baby name every year and highlight the locations where the name appears most frequently. The table below shows the five states with the highest number of births for this name in the selected year. Use the toggle to expand the list to every state with reported births.

State Births Share
CA 66
15%
NY 41
9%
TX 35
8%
FL 33
8%
PA 24
5%
GA 21
5%
MI 18
4%
NC 17
4%
MA 16
4%
VA 15
3%
NJ 14
3%
CO 12
3%
OH 11
3%
AZ 11
3%
MN 10
2%
IL 10
2%
WA 10
2%
CT 9
2%
SC 9
2%
WI 6
1%
ME 6
1%
TN 6
1%
IA 6
1%
UT 6
1%
NV 6
1%
MD 5
1%
HI 5
1%
MO 5
1%
IN 5
1%