Fun Facts About the Name Rhea
- More than 20 thousand babies named Rhea: U.S. records list 20,141 babies given the name Rhea from 1880 through 2025. Even 408 boys received the name Rhea - about 1 boy for every 48 girls.
What Does the Name Rhea Mean?
Rhea is a name of Greek origin, the name of a Titaness in Greek myth. Its Greek form is Ῥέα, which passed into Latin as Rhea. The meaning is not securely known. The explanation most often given connects it to the Greek verb ῥέω (rheō), "to flow," so that the name would mean something like "flowing" or "stream." A second, smaller strand of commentary links the name to the Greek word ῥέα (rhea), "easily" or "lightly." Because the name is attested in Greek poetry long before any explanation of it survives, neither derivation can be confirmed, and the safest reading is that the etymology is uncertain.
Rhea Name History & Origins
Rhea stands in the oldest layer of Greek myth. In Hesiod's Theogony she is a Titan, one of the children of Gaia (Earth) and Uranus (Sky), and the wife of her brother Cronus. She is the mother of Hestia, Demeter, Hera, Hades, Poseidon, and Zeus; when Cronus swallowed each newborn to prevent a prophecy, Rhea hid the infant Zeus and gave Cronus a wrapped stone instead. Greek religion later identified her closely with the Phrygian mother goddess Cybele, a pairing that became common in the Roman world under the title Magna Mater.
The name entered Latin as Rhea and appears in Roman myth in Rhea Silvia, the vestal virgin who was the mother of the twins Romulus and Remus. Through the classical tradition the name was carried into modern European languages, including English, where it is used as a given name. A moon of Saturn, discovered in 1672, also bears the name of the Titaness.
How Popular is the Name Rhea?
Rhea recorded its highest annual U.S. birth count in 2023. Its best rank was #363 in 1893.
U.S. name popularity from 1880-2025, based on SSA data. Rank shows how the name compares with other names - lower numbers mean greater popularity. Births shows how many babies received the name each year.
| Year | Rank | Births | % |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #639 | 452 | 0.0281% |
| 2024 | #616 | 484 | 0.0300% |
| 2023 | #526 | 577 | 0.0360% |
| 2022 | #600 | 500 | 0.0305% |
| 2021 | #615 | 484 | 0.0295% |
| 2020 | #625 | 464 | 0.0287% |
| 2019 | #705 | 411 | 0.0245% |
| 2018 | #757 | 360 | 0.0212% |
| 2017 | #863 | 318 | 0.0184% |
| 2016 | #948 | 289 | 0.0163% |
| 2015 | #996 | 271 | 0.0152% |
| 2014 | #1,098 | 233 | 0.0130% |
| 2013 | #1,115 | 219 | 0.0125% |
| 2012 | #1,103 | 225 | 0.0128% |
| 2011 | #1,193 | 202 | 0.0115% |
| 2010 | #1,174 | 208 | 0.0117% |
| 2009 | #1,178 | 214 | 0.0117% |
| 2008 | #1,254 | 201 | 0.0106% |
| 2007 | #1,148 | 223 | 0.0116% |
| 2006 | #1,171 | 208 | 0.0109% |
| 2005 | #1,305 | 170 | 0.0092% |
| 2004 | #911 | 266 | 0.0145% |
| 2003 | #1,131 | 195 | 0.0107% |
| 2002 | #1,010 | 217 | 0.0121% |
| 2001 | #1,174 | 176 | 0.0098% |
| 2000 | #1,169 | 172 | 0.0095% |
| 1999 | #1,307 | 139 | 0.0078% |
| 1998 | #1,524 | 111 | 0.0063% |
| 1997 | #1,332 | 130 | 0.0075% |
| 1996 | #1,788 | 83 | 0.0047% |
| 1995 | #1,448 | 112 | 0.0064% |
| 1994 | #1,589 | 96 | 0.0054% |
| 1993 | #1,261 | 136 | 0.0075% |
| 1992 | #1,282 | 134 | 0.0073% |
| 1991 | #1,461 | 109 | 0.0058% |
| 1990 | #1,315 | 124 | 0.0065% |
| 1989 | #1,255 | 126 | 0.0068% |
| 1988 | #1,381 | 103 | 0.0058% |
| 1987 | #1,196 | 121 | 0.0070% |
| 1986 | #1,221 | 113 | 0.0066% |
| 1985 | #1,116 | 130 | 0.0076% |
| 1984 | #1,065 | 132 | 0.0078% |
| 1983 | #1,007 | 141 | 0.0084% |
| 1982 | #1,226 | 109 | 0.0064% |
| 1981 | #1,031 | 140 | 0.0084% |
| 1980 | #1,088 | 129 | 0.0078% |
| 1979 | #1,190 | 111 | 0.0069% |
| 1978 | #1,020 | 134 | 0.0087% |
| 1977 | #1,085 | 120 | 0.0078% |
| 1976 | #1,147 | 102 | 0.0070% |
| 1975 | #1,124 | 104 | 0.0071% |
| 1974 | #1,296 | 83 | 0.0057% |
| 1973 | #1,236 | 85 | 0.0058% |
| 1972 | #1,333 | 76 | 0.0050% |
| 1971 | #1,226 | 92 | 0.0055% |
| 1970 | #1,301 | 83 | 0.0047% |
| 1969 | #1,173 | 91 | 0.0054% |
| 1968 | #982 | 113 | 0.0069% |
| 1967 | #1,115 | 89 | 0.0054% |
| 1966 | #1,029 | 102 | 0.0060% |
| 1965 | #1,059 | 99 | 0.0056% |
| 1964 | #1,094 | 100 | 0.0053% |
| 1963 | #972 | 120 | 0.0062% |
| 1962 | #1,006 | 114 | 0.0058% |
| 1961 | #1,020 | 114 | 0.0056% |
| 1960 | #1,013 | 113 | 0.0056% |
| 1959 | #908 | 133 | 0.0066% |
| 1958 | #831 | 150 | 0.0075% |
| 1957 | #867 | 138 | 0.0067% |
| 1956 | #946 | 114 | 0.0057% |
| 1955 | #849 | 131 | 0.0067% |
| 1954 | #911 | 112 | 0.0058% |
| 1953 | #827 | 126 | 0.0067% |
| 1952 | #840 | 120 | 0.0065% |
| 1951 | #845 | 113 | 0.0063% |
| 1950 | #831 | 111 | 0.0065% |
| 1949 | #780 | 123 | 0.0072% |
| 1948 | #688 | 146 | 0.0086% |
| 1947 | #754 | 130 | 0.0073% |
| 1946 | #717 | 127 | 0.0081% |
| 1945 | #815 | 87 | 0.0067% |
| 1944 | #773 | 98 | 0.0074% |
| 1943 | #741 | 110 | 0.0079% |
| 1942 | #678 | 121 | 0.0090% |
| 1941 | #675 | 109 | 0.0090% |
| 1940 | #749 | 86 | 0.0075% |
| 1939 | #677 | 101 | 0.0092% |
| 1938 | #761 | 84 | 0.0076% |
| 1937 | #626 | 118 | 0.0111% |
| 1936 | #614 | 116 | 0.0111% |
| 1935 | #662 | 100 | 0.0095% |
| 1934 | #659 | 104 | 0.0100% |
| 1933 | #638 | 106 | 0.0105% |
| 1932 | #611 | 117 | 0.0110% |
| 1931 | #604 | 121 | 0.0114% |
| 1930 | #620 | 125 | 0.0111% |
| 1929 | #585 | 139 | 0.0124% |
| 1928 | #576 | 151 | 0.0131% |
| 1927 | #647 | 125 | 0.0105% |
| 1926 | #559 | 162 | 0.0137% |
| 1925 | #566 | 160 | 0.0131% |
| 1924 | #595 | 155 | 0.0124% |
| 1923 | #633 | 135 | 0.0112% |
| 1922 | #532 | 177 | 0.0147% |
| 1921 | #534 | 179 | 0.0145% |
| 1920 | #518 | 184 | 0.0154% |
| 1919 | #511 | 177 | 0.0157% |
| 1918 | #532 | 174 | 0.0150% |
| 1917 | #491 | 181 | 0.0167% |
| 1916 | #498 | 169 | 0.0162% |
| 1915 | #470 | 172 | 0.0175% |
| 1914 | #504 | 123 | 0.0162% |
| 1913 | #469 | 115 | 0.0184% |
| 1912 | #500 | 92 | 0.0165% |
| 1911 | #432 | 89 | 0.0213% |
| 1910 | #531 | 60 | 0.0151% |
| 1909 | #472 | 64 | 0.0184% |
| 1908 | #492 | 55 | 0.0165% |
| 1907 | #454 | 63 | 0.0198% |
| 1906 | #451 | 58 | 0.0196% |
| 1905 | #487 | 49 | 0.0168% |
| 1904 | #472 | 49 | 0.0178% |
| 1903 | #513 | 40 | 0.0153% |
| 1902 | #419 | 55 | 0.0208% |
| 1901 | #387 | 58 | 0.0242% |
| 1900 | #476 | 51 | 0.0170% |
| 1899 | #372 | 61 | 0.0262% |
| 1898 | #421 | 54 | 0.0209% |
| 1897 | #404 | 53 | 0.0226% |
| 1896 | #382 | 56 | 0.0235% |
| 1895 | #450 | 41 | 0.0175% |
| 1894 | #406 | 48 | 0.0215% |
| 1893 | #363 | 56 | 0.0263% |
| 1892 | #404 | 44 | 0.0207% |
| 1891 | #538 | 24 | 0.0129% |
| 1890 | #409 | 39 | 0.0205% |
| 1889 | #437 | 31 | 0.0174% |
| 1888 | #568 | 20 | 0.0112% |
| 1887 | #626 | 14 | 0.0096% |
| 1886 | #653 | 13 | 0.0090% |
| 1885 | #691 | 11 | 0.0083% |
| 1884 | #609 | 13 | 0.0101% |
| 1883 | #747 | 8 | 0.0071% |
| 1882 | #798 | 7 | 0.0065% |
| Year | Rank | Births | % |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2004 | #12,820 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1976 | #5,463 | 6 | 0.0004% |
| 1975 | #6,135 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1966 | #3,856 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 1964 | #3,947 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 1962 | #3,947 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 1960 | #3,593 | 7 | 0.0003% |
| 1957 | #3,898 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 1956 | #3,150 | 8 | 0.0004% |
| 1955 | #4,287 | 5 | 0.0002% |
| 1953 | #3,370 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 1952 | #3,055 | 8 | 0.0004% |
| 1951 | #3,021 | 8 | 0.0004% |
| 1950 | #2,731 | 9 | 0.0005% |
| 1949 | #3,244 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 1948 | #3,598 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 1947 | #3,307 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 1946 | #2,865 | 8 | 0.0005% |
| 1945 | #2,946 | 7 | 0.0005% |
| 1944 | #2,603 | 9 | 0.0007% |
| 1943 | #2,701 | 9 | 0.0006% |
| 1942 | #2,902 | 8 | 0.0006% |
| 1940 | #2,827 | 8 | 0.0007% |
| 1938 | #2,072 | 13 | 0.0012% |
| 1937 | #3,119 | 7 | 0.0007% |
| 1936 | #3,963 | 5 | 0.0005% |
| 1934 | #3,597 | 6 | 0.0006% |
| 1931 | #2,190 | 13 | 0.0013% |
| 1930 | #2,751 | 10 | 0.0009% |
| 1929 | #3,192 | 8 | 0.0007% |
| 1928 | #2,366 | 13 | 0.0012% |
| 1927 | #2,178 | 15 | 0.0013% |
| 1926 | #2,405 | 13 | 0.0012% |
| 1925 | #2,067 | 16 | 0.0014% |
| 1924 | #2,325 | 14 | 0.0012% |
| 1923 | #2,309 | 14 | 0.0013% |
| 1922 | #2,459 | 13 | 0.0012% |
| 1921 | #2,604 | 12 | 0.0011% |
| 1920 | #2,114 | 16 | 0.0015% |
| 1919 | #2,238 | 14 | 0.0014% |
| 1918 | #3,639 | 7 | 0.0007% |
| 1917 | #2,696 | 10 | 0.0011% |
| 1916 | #2,891 | 9 | 0.0010% |
| 1915 | #3,015 | 8 | 0.0009% |
| 1903 | #1,106 | 6 | 0.0050% |
| 1896 | #1,233 | 5 | 0.0042% |
Name popularity over more than a century, based on Social Security Administration data. Gaps in the chart indicate years when the name does not appear in the published records.
