Find out how popular the last name Rho is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Rho.

Rho, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Rho surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Rho in America

Rho is the 28856th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Rho surname appeared 824 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Rho.

We can also compare 2010 data for Rho to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Rho

The surname Rho is thought to have originated in Greece, deriving from the Greek letter 'rho' (ρ), which in turn comes from the Phoenician letter 'res'. The name likely emerged during the Byzantine period, between the 5th and 15th centuries AD, when Greek culture and language were prevalent in the region.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Rho can be found in the Codex Sinaiticus, a manuscript of the Greek Bible dating back to the 4th century AD. This ancient text contains a list of scribes and copyists, one of whom is named 'Rho'.

In the 9th century, a monk named Rho is mentioned in the chronicles of the Monastery of St. Catherine on Mount Sinai. This Rho is believed to have been a scholar and scribe, contributing to the preservation of ancient Greek texts during the Byzantine era.

The name Rho may also be connected to the Greek island of Rhodes, which was an important center of trade and learning in ancient times. Some historians suggest that the surname could have originated from the island's name or from individuals who hailed from Rhodes.

During the Middle Ages, a notable figure bearing the surname Rho was Rho of Ephesus, a Byzantine scholar and theologian who lived in the 12th century. He was renowned for his writings on philosophy and his defense of Orthodox Christianity against Western theological influences.

In the 15th century, a Greek physician named Rho Philaretos gained recognition for his medical treatises and contributions to the study of anatomy and physiology. He is believed to have been born in Constantinople (modern-day Istanbul) around 1420.

Another prominent individual with the surname Rho was Rho Kavafis, a Greek poet and writer who lived in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Born in Alexandria, Egypt, in 1863, Kavafis is considered one of the most influential poets of modern Greek literature, known for his unique style and themes exploring historical and philosophical subjects.

Throughout history, the surname Rho has maintained its connection to Greek culture and language, appearing in various contexts, from religious texts and scholarly works to literary and artistic circles. While its exact origins may be obscured by time, the name continues to carry the legacy of its Greek roots and the intellectual traditions of the Byzantine era.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Rho

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Rho.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Rho was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Rho has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Rho was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Rho, please contact us.

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