Rhenda
A feminine name with uncertain origins, possibly derived from "Rhein" (river).
Name Census estimates that about 124 living Americans carry the first name Rhenda. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Rhenda today is around 66 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Rhenda births was 1964 (13 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Rhenda. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
Key insights
- • The typical person named Rhenda is about 66 years old today, placing it firmly among the names of earlier generations. Most living Rhendas were born before 1970.
People living today
124
~ 1 in 2,764,148 Americans
Peak year
1964
13 babies that year
Average age
66
years old
1973 SSA rank
#6,514
Tracked since 1945
Popularity
Rhenda: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Rhenda from the 1940s through to the 1970s, spanning 4 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1950s, with 71 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1950s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Rhenda by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Rhenda during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Origin
Meaning and history of Rhenda
The name Rhenda is believed to have its origins in the ancient Celtic languages of Britain and Ireland. It is thought to derive from the Proto-Celtic word "rindo," meaning "mighty" or "strong." This linguistic root can also be found in the Old Irish name "Rindal" and the Welsh name "Rhynddyn."
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Rhenda appears in the 9th century Annals of Ulster, an ancient Irish chronicle. Here, a warrior chieftain named Rhenda mac Conchobair is mentioned as leading a rebellion against the High King of Ireland in 845 AD.
In the 11th century, a noblewoman named Rhenda of Gwynedd is noted in Welsh genealogies as the daughter of Gruffydd ap Cynan, a prominent ruler of the Kingdom of Gwynedd. Her existence provides evidence of the name's use among the Welsh aristocracy during this period.
Moving forward to the 13th century, we find record of a Rhenda de Vescy, who was an English heiress and landowner in Northumberland. She inherited vast estates from her father, William de Vescy, upon his death in 1253.
A notable bearer of the name in more recent history was Rhenda Vaughan, a 16th century English courtier and lady-in-waiting to Queen Elizabeth I. Born in 1551, she served the Queen faithfully and was known for her intelligence and wit.
Finally, we have Rhenda Astor, an American socialite and philanthropist who lived from 1879 to 1957. As a member of the wealthy Astor family, she was known for her charitable work and patronage of the arts, supporting numerous cultural institutions in New York City.
While the name Rhenda is relatively uncommon today, these historical examples demonstrate its long-standing presence across various cultures and time periods, from ancient Celtic warriors and Welsh nobility to English courtiers and American high society.
People
Rhenda + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Rhenda as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with R
Other first names starting with R with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Rhenda: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Rhenda?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 124 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Rhenda going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 2,764,148 US residents.
Is Rhenda a common name?
We classify Rhenda as "Very Rare". It ranks above 67.6% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 167 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Rhenda most popular?
The single biggest year for Rhenda was 1964, when 13 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Rhenda is about 66 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Rhenda a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Rhenda in the SSA data are female. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.