Rhea
Rhea was given to 452 girls in 2025, #639 among girls’ names; 20,145 Americans have been recorded with it since 1882 (Social Security Administration, published May 2026).
An estimated 13,900 Americans named Rhea and born in the U.S. are alive in 2026 (69% of everyone recorded); the median is 23 years old and half are between 8 and 50.
Girls and boys together; gaps are years SSA did not record (fewer than 5 births).
Births of Rhea by year: SSA national baby-name file, 1880-2025, published May 8, 2026. SSA’s notes on the data.
What does Rhea mean?
Wiktionary, English section
Rhea is “a female given name from Ancient Greek in occasional use.”
From Ancient Greek Ῥέα (Rhéa).
/ˈɹiː.ə/
Meaning: Wiktionary, English section, as of Sep 25, 2026 (CC BY‑SA 4.0).
How popular is Rhea?
#639 among girls’ names, 2025
Rhea rose from #996 in 2015 to #639 in 2025 among girls’ names; its share of girls born rose from 0.15 to 0.28 per 1,000.
577 babies in 2023, the peak
Rhea peaked in 2023, when 577 girls were given it, #527 among girls’ names. The 452 births of 2025 are 78% of that peak.
Births by sex.
| Year | Births | Rank | Per 1,000 girls |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 452 | #639 | 0.28 |
| 2024 | 487 | #614 | 0.30 |
| 2023 | 577 | #527 | 0.36 |
| 2022 | 500 | #601 | 0.30 |
| 2021 | 485 | #615 | 0.30 |
| 2020 | 464 | #625 | 0.29 |
| 2019 | 411 | #705 | 0.24 |
| 2018 | 360 | #757 | 0.21 |
| 2017 | 318 | #863 | 0.18 |
| 2016 | 289 | #948 | 0.16 |
Every recorded year (144)
| Year | Births | Rank | Per 1,000 girls |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 | 271 | #996 | 0.15 |
| 2014 | 233 | #1,099 | 0.13 |
| 2013 | 219 | #1,115 | 0.12 |
| 2012 | 225 | #1,103 | 0.13 |
| 2011 | 202 | #1,193 | 0.11 |
| 2010 | 208 | #1,175 | 0.12 |
| 2009 | 214 | #1,178 | 0.12 |
| 2008 | 201 | #1,254 | 0.11 |
| 2007 | 223 | #1,148 | 0.12 |
| 2006 | 208 | #1,171 | 0.11 |
| 2005 | 170 | #1,305 | 0.09 |
| 2004 | 266 | #911 | 0.14 |
| 2003 | 195 | #1,130 | 0.11 |
| 2002 | 217 | #1,009 | 0.12 |
| 2001 | 176 | #1,173 | 0.10 |
| 2000 | 172 | #1,167 | 0.09 |
| 1999 | 139 | #1,305 | 0.08 |
| 1998 | 111 | #1,522 | 0.06 |
| 1997 | 130 | #1,330 | 0.07 |
| 1996 | 83 | #1,786 | 0.05 |
| 1995 | 112 | #1,445 | 0.06 |
| 1994 | 96 | #1,584 | 0.05 |
| 1993 | 136 | #1,259 | 0.08 |
| 1992 | 134 | #1,279 | 0.07 |
| 1991 | 109 | #1,457 | 0.06 |
| 1990 | 124 | #1,311 | 0.07 |
| 1989 | 126 | #1,252 | 0.07 |
| 1988 | 103 | #1,379 | 0.06 |
| 1987 | 121 | #1,197 | 0.07 |
| 1986 | 113 | #1,221 | 0.07 |
| 1985 | 130 | #1,116 | 0.08 |
| 1984 | 132 | #1,065 | 0.08 |
| 1983 | 141 | #1,007 | 0.08 |
| 1982 | 109 | #1,226 | 0.06 |
| 1981 | 140 | #1,031 | 0.08 |
| 1980 | 129 | #1,088 | 0.08 |
| 1979 | 111 | #1,190 | 0.07 |
| 1978 | 134 | #1,020 | 0.09 |
| 1977 | 120 | #1,085 | 0.08 |
| 1976 | 102 | #1,147 | 0.07 |
| 1975 | 104 | #1,124 | 0.07 |
| 1974 | 83 | #1,296 | 0.06 |
| 1973 | 85 | #1,236 | 0.06 |
| 1972 | 76 | #1,333 | 0.05 |
| 1971 | 92 | #1,226 | 0.06 |
| 1970 | 83 | #1,301 | 0.05 |
| 1969 | 91 | #1,174 | 0.05 |
| 1968 | 113 | #982 | 0.07 |
| 1967 | 89 | #1,115 | 0.05 |
| 1966 | 102 | #1,029 | 0.06 |
| 1965 | 99 | #1,059 | 0.06 |
| 1964 | 100 | #1,094 | 0.05 |
| 1963 | 120 | #972 | 0.06 |
| 1962 | 114 | #1,006 | 0.06 |
| 1961 | 114 | #1,020 | 0.06 |
| 1960 | 113 | #1,012 | 0.06 |
| 1959 | 133 | #907 | 0.07 |
| 1958 | 150 | #830 | 0.07 |
| 1957 | 138 | #866 | 0.07 |
| 1956 | 114 | #945 | 0.06 |
| 1955 | 131 | #848 | 0.07 |
| 1954 | 112 | #910 | 0.06 |
| 1953 | 126 | #826 | 0.07 |
| 1952 | 120 | #839 | 0.06 |
| 1951 | 113 | #844 | 0.06 |
| 1950 | 111 | #830 | 0.06 |
| 1949 | 123 | #779 | 0.07 |
| 1948 | 146 | #687 | 0.09 |
| 1947 | 130 | #753 | 0.07 |
| 1946 | 127 | #719 | 0.08 |
| 1945 | 87 | #815 | 0.07 |
| 1944 | 98 | #773 | 0.07 |
| 1943 | 110 | #741 | 0.08 |
| 1942 | 121 | #678 | 0.09 |
| 1941 | 109 | #675 | 0.09 |
| 1940 | 86 | #749 | 0.08 |
| 1939 | 101 | #677 | 0.09 |
| 1938 | 84 | #761 | 0.08 |
| 1937 | 118 | #626 | 0.11 |
| 1936 | 116 | #614 | 0.11 |
| 1935 | 100 | #662 | 0.10 |
| 1934 | 104 | #659 | 0.10 |
| 1933 | 106 | #638 | 0.11 |
| 1932 | 117 | #611 | 0.11 |
| 1931 | 121 | #604 | 0.11 |
| 1930 | 125 | #620 | 0.11 |
| 1929 | 139 | #585 | 0.12 |
| 1928 | 151 | #576 | 0.13 |
| 1927 | 125 | #647 | 0.10 |
| 1926 | 162 | #559 | 0.14 |
| 1925 | 160 | #566 | 0.13 |
| 1924 | 155 | #595 | 0.12 |
| 1923 | 135 | #633 | 0.11 |
| 1922 | 177 | #532 | 0.15 |
| 1921 | 179 | #534 | 0.15 |
| 1920 | 184 | #518 | 0.15 |
| 1919 | 177 | #511 | 0.16 |
| 1918 | 174 | #532 | 0.15 |
| 1917 | 181 | #491 | 0.17 |
| 1916 | 169 | #498 | 0.16 |
| 1915 | 172 | #470 | 0.17 |
| 1914 | 123 | #504 | 0.16 |
| 1913 | 115 | #469 | 0.18 |
| 1912 | 92 | #500 | 0.16 |
| 1911 | 89 | #432 | 0.21 |
| 1910 | 60 | #531 | 0.15 |
| 1909 | 64 | #472 | 0.18 |
| 1908 | 55 | #492 | 0.16 |
| 1907 | 63 | #454 | 0.20 |
| 1906 | 58 | #451 | 0.20 |
| 1905 | 49 | #487 | 0.17 |
| 1904 | 49 | #472 | 0.18 |
| 1903 | 40 | #513 | 0.15 |
| 1902 | 55 | #419 | 0.21 |
| 1901 | 58 | #387 | 0.24 |
| 1900 | 51 | #476 | 0.17 |
| 1899 | 61 | #372 | 0.26 |
| 1898 | 54 | #421 | 0.21 |
| 1897 | 53 | #404 | 0.23 |
| 1896 | 56 | #382 | 0.24 |
| 1895 | 41 | #450 | 0.18 |
| 1894 | 48 | #406 | 0.22 |
| 1893 | 56 | #363 | 0.26 |
| 1892 | 44 | #404 | 0.21 |
| 1891 | 24 | #538 | 0.13 |
| 1890 | 39 | #409 | 0.20 |
| 1889 | 31 | #437 | 0.17 |
| 1888 | 20 | #568 | 0.11 |
| 1887 | 14 | #626 | 0.10 |
| 1886 | 13 | #653 | 0.09 |
| 1885 | 11 | #691 | 0.08 |
| 1884 | 13 | #609 | 0.10 |
| 1883 | 8 | #747 | 0.07 |
| 1882 | 7 | #798 | 0.06 |
Ranks and shares: girls’ names in each year’s SSA file; share of all girls SSA recorded that year.
Is Rhea a boy’s or a girl’s name?
Of the 20,145 Americans recorded as Rhea, 98% are girls and 2% boys. In 2025 it went to 452 girls; SSA lists no boys with it that year (fewer than 5, or none).
Years with fewer than 20 babies given the name are left blank.
Girls and boys named Rhea: the SSA national file counts each sex separately.
How many people are named Rhea, and how old are they?
13,900 alive in 2026, estimated
That is 69% of the 20,145 Americans ever recorded as Rhea. The median Rhea alive today is 23 years old; half are between 8 and 50.
The 2020 Census counted 12,677 people named Rhea (12,483 women and girls, 194 men and boys). SSA’s births carried forward to Census day, April 1, 2020, predict 11,756 born in the U.S. The Census count is 8% above that prediction.
Alive today, by age
Alive today, by generation
| Generation | Born | Alive |
|---|---|---|
| Silent Generation | 1928-1945 | 577 |
| Baby Boomers | 1946-1964 | 1,870 |
| Generation X | 1965-1980 | 1,510 |
| Millennials | 1981-1996 | 1,860 |
| Generation Z | 1997-2012 | 3,030 |
| Generation Alpha | 2013-2025 | 5,040 |
An estimate, not a count. SSA’s files count people born in the United States who received a Social Security number, so anyone born abroad is not in them; before 1937 most people got a number as adults, and their survival is counted from that age.
Living estimate: SSA births carried forward with the survival rates in SSA’s cohort life tables (2024 Trustees Report) for each birth year and sex. How the estimate is made. Count: Census Bureau, first names in the 2020 Census (released April 14, 2026; names reported 100 or more times, with the Bureau’s disclosure-avoidance adjustment).
Where are babies named Rhea born?
The states with the most babies named Rhea are California, Texas and Ohio, with 32% of its births recorded by state in 2025.
| State | Births 2025 | Rank, girls | vs. national |
|---|---|---|---|
| California | 64 | #525 | 1.0× |
| Texas | 40 | #759 | 0.6× |
| Ohio | 24 | #470 | 1.2× |
| New York | 21 | #785 | 1.1× |
| Florida | 21 | #793 | 0.7× |
| Pennsylvania | 20 | #553 | 0.9× |
| Georgia | 17 | #641 | 0.4× |
| Massachusetts | 16 | #372 | 0.9× |
| Michigan | 15 | #542 | 1.1× |
| North Carolina | 15 | #680 | 0.3× |
Where Rhea is more common than its national share predicts
Relative to its national share, Rhea is most over-represented in Utah: since 1910 it was given 1.6 times as often there as its national share each year would predict.
States: SSA state file, 1910-2025, published May 8, 2026; births count girls and boys together, and the rank is among girls’ names in the state in 2025. The file leaves out any state and year with fewer than 5 babies of the name, so small states are undercounted; each ratio compares the state’s births of Rhea with the births its national share predicts year by year, for states with at least 100 births of the name.
Names spelled alike
Of these 8 names spelled alike, given to 27,734 babies since 1880, Rhea is the most given (73% of them). In 2025 it was given to 452 of their 854 babies (53%), again the most given.
Spelled alike: names in the SSA national file with the same pattern of letters and sounds and at most two letters apart, and Wiktionary’s listed forms; births since 1880 and in 2025, and each name’s peak year, from the SSA national file, published May 8, 2026. Some are separate names, not spellings of one.
Names that rose and fell in the same decades as Rhea
Names whose births rose and fell across the same decades, measured on each decade’s share of births.
Similar histories: each decade’s share of births, from the SSA national file, 1880-2025, published May 8, 2026. SSA’s notes on the data.
More about Rhea and names like it
- Compare Rhea and ReyaBirths, ranks, peak and the living estimate side by side.
- The most given names of the 2020sRhea peaked in 2023.
- California’s most given namesThe state where SSA recorded the most babies named Rhea since 1910.
- Ancient Greek namesWiktionary’s origin for Rhea: every such name, by how often it is given.
- The top names of 2023The year the most babies were named Rhea.
- The names of Generation AlphaMost people named Rhea alive today were born 2013-2025.
- Names starting with RMost given first.