Home › Baby Names Directory › Rhoda

Rhoda

♀ Girl

Pronounced ROH-duh /ˈɹoʊ.də/Medium

Meaning: RoseMedium

In 30 seconds: Rhoda is a girl's name meaning 'rose', drawn from the Greek of the New Testament.

💕 Browse more names

Origin MediumBiblical, English

MeaningRose

U.S. rank (2025)#3338 ↘ Falling

2025 U.S. births47 girls (0.00% of U.S. girls)

Peak year1926

Total births (all-time)≈ 26,056

Popularity in the U.S. · SSA data

U.S. births per year (Social Security Administration, 1880–present). Pink marker = peak year.

SSA data updated May 2026. How we source & verify this data.

History & Origin

Rhoda comes from a Greek word for the rose, and it appears in the Book of Acts as the name of a servant girl. That biblical mention is what carried it into later Christian use, especially among English-speaking families. The closely linked form Rhode shares the same floral root.

The name has a soft, short sound that ends on an open vowel. Its scriptural origin gave it steady appeal in Protestant naming traditions long after many flower-meaning names came and went.

Did you know? Rhoda appears in the Old Testament, which helped preserve it across centuries of Jewish and Christian naming traditions.

Overall data confidence 78%

Behind the Name - Rhoda — etymology, usage, pronunciation, and related formsU.S. Social Security Administration — 2024 popularity rank and count supplied in the batch input CSV

Variations

Rhode

Nicknames

—

Famous Bearers

★Rhoda Rennie (1905–1963)
Female public figure listed on Behind the Name.

If you like Rhoda…

Rosa— Carries the same 'rose' meaning as Rhoda through a Latin route.

Jaida— a fellow English choice

Koda— shares the -da ending

Maida— shares the -da ending

Rowen— a fellow English choice

Explore names like Rhoda

By themeenglish biblical nature

By meaningFlower Rose

All themes →All meanings →All origins →

Frequently Asked

What does the name Rhoda mean?

Rhoda is usually explained as meaning 'rose' and is most often linked with Biblical tradition.

How do you pronounce Rhoda?

It's commonly said ROH-duh /ˈɹoʊ.də/.

Is Rhoda a boy or girl name?

In this batch and in recent U.S. usage data, Rhoda is used as a girl name.

How popular is Rhoda?

In 2024, Rhoda ranked #2870 in the U.S. for girls, with 58 births recorded.