Rhona
Scottish feminine name derived from a Gaelic word meaning "rough stream".
Name Census estimates that about 1,055 living Americans carry the first name Rhona. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Rhona today is around 63 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Rhona births was 1951 (89 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Rhona. 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
1.1K
~ 1 in 324,886 Americans
Peak year
1951
89 babies that year
Average age
63
years old
2020 SSA rank
#14,754
Tracked since 1915
Popularity
Rhona: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Rhona from the 1910s through to the 2020s, spanning 11 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1950s, with 516 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
Rhona 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 Rhona during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Rhonas live
The SSA's state-level files cover 9 states and territories. New York, Pennsylvania, California recorded the most babies named Rhona, while Ohio, Illinois, New Jersey recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 54 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Rhona
The name Rhona originates from the Scottish Gaelic language and culture. It is derived from the Old Irish word "rón," which means "seal" or "sea-creature." The name likely emerged in the medieval period, when the Gaelic language was widely spoken in Scotland and Ireland.
Rhona was a popular name among the ancient Celts, who had a deep reverence for nature and the sea. The name may have been given to children born near the coast or to those whose families had a connection to the sea, such as fishermen or sailors.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Rhona can be found in the Annals of Ulster, a medieval chronicle that dates back to the 15th century. The Annals mention a woman named Rhona who lived in the 12th century and was known for her kindness and generosity.
Throughout history, several notable figures have borne the name Rhona. One of the most famous was Rhona Cameron (1876-1959), a Scottish suffragette and activist who campaigned for women's rights and social reform in the early 20th century.
Another prominent Rhona was Rhona Adair (1915-2008), a Canadian painter and printmaker who was known for her vibrant landscapes and depictions of rural life. Her works are held in numerous collections, including the National Gallery of Canada.
In the field of literature, Rhona Mackay (1888-1969) was a Scottish writer and poet who published several collections of poetry and novels. Her work often explored themes of nature, love, and the human condition.
Rhona Martin (born 1966) is a Scottish curler who led the British team to a historic gold medal in the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City, the first-ever Olympic gold for Great Britain in curling.
Rhona Mitra (born 1976) is a British actress and model who has appeared in several films and television shows, including Doomsday, Underworld: Rise of the Lycans, and the TV series Nip/Tuck.
While the name Rhona has Scottish and Irish roots, it has gained popularity in various parts of the world, particularly in English-speaking countries. However, its historical and cultural significance remains closely tied to its Celtic origins and the ancient traditions of the Scottish and Irish people.
Notable bearers
Famous people named Rhona
People
Rhona + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Rhona 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
Rhona: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Rhona?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 1,055 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Rhona 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 324,886 US residents.
Is Rhona a common name?
We classify Rhona as "Rare". It ranks above 90.5% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 1,687 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Rhona most popular?
The single biggest year for Rhona was 1951, when 89 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Rhona is about 63 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Rhona a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Rhona 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.