Rhesa
A feminine variant of the name "Rhesa" meaning "good-spirited" or "joyful".
Name Census estimates that about 117 living Americans carry the first name Rhesa. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Rhesa today is around 48 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Rhesa births was 1985 (10 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Rhesa. 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.
People living today
117
~ 1 in 2,929,524 Americans
Peak year
1985
10 babies that year
Average age
48
years old
2010 SSA rank
#16,539
Tracked since 1950
Popularity
Rhesa: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Rhesa from the 1950s through to the 2010s, spanning 7 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1980s, with 33 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1980s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Rhesa 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 Rhesa 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 Rhesa
The given name Rhesa is believed to have originated from the Greek language. Its roots can be traced back to the ancient Greek word "rheos," which means "stream" or "flow." This suggests that the name may have been associated with water or the concept of fluidity in its earliest usage.
In ancient Greek literature, the name Rhesa is mentioned in various texts, including the works of Homer and Hesiod. However, its exact meaning and context remain unclear due to the limited information available from those times.
One of the earliest recorded individuals with the name Rhesa was a Greek philosopher and mathematician who lived in the 5th century BCE. Unfortunately, little is known about his life and works, as most of the records from that era have been lost or fragmented.
During the Byzantine era, Rhesa was the name of a prominent Christian theologian and scholar who lived in the 9th century CE. He is known for his contributions to the study of the Holy Scriptures and his extensive writings on various theological topics.
In the Middle Ages, Rhesa was the name of a powerful noblewoman from the Kingdom of Aragon in present-day Spain. She played a significant role in the political and cultural affairs of her time, but specific details about her life and accomplishments are scarce.
Another notable figure named Rhesa was a 16th-century Italian artist and sculptor from the Renaissance period. He was renowned for his intricate marble carvings and was commissioned to create works for various churches and noble families throughout Italy.
In the 19th century, Rhesa was the name of a celebrated French author and poet. Her literary works explored themes of love, nature, and the human condition, earning her critical acclaim and a dedicated following among the intellectual circles of her time.
It is worth noting that while the name Rhesa has been used throughout history, it has never been among the most common or popular names in any particular region or culture. Its usage has remained relatively rare, making it a unique and distinctive choice for parents seeking a name with a rich historical background.
People
Rhesa + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Rhesa 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
Rhesa: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Rhesa?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 117 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Rhesa 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 2,929,524 US residents.
Is Rhesa a common name?
We classify Rhesa as "Very Rare". It ranks above 66.8% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 134 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Rhesa most popular?
The single biggest year for Rhesa was 1985, when 10 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Rhesa is about 48 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Rhesa a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Rhesa 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.