Rhelda
A feminine name likely derived from the Germanic name Rihild meaning "powerful battle".
Name Census estimates that about 14 living Americans carry the first name Rhelda. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Rhelda today is around 75 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Rhelda births was 1939 (6 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Rhelda. 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.
Key insights
- • The typical person named Rhelda is about 75 years old today, placing it firmly among the names of earlier generations. Most living Rheldas were born before 1961.
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Rhelda. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
14
~ 1 in 24,482,453 Americans
Peak year
1939
6 babies that year
Average age
75
years old
1958 SSA rank
#6,812
Tracked since 1915
Popularity
Rhelda: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Rhelda from the 1910s through to the 1950s, spanning 4 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1930s, with 16 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 1930s peak, Rhelda remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Rhelda 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 Rhelda during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Rheldas live
Origin
Meaning and history of Rhelda
The name Rhelda is believed to have originated from the ancient Germanic language, with roots tracing back to the 5th or 6th century AD. It is derived from the Old Germanic word "hrēlid," which means "fame" or "renowned." The name was likely a combination of the root words "hrē" (fame) and "lida" (to go or travel).
In the early Middle Ages, the name Rhelda was relatively common among Germanic tribes, particularly in regions that are now parts of modern-day Germany, Austria, and Switzerland. It was often given to girls born into noble families, as it carried connotations of prestige and honor.
While there are no definitive records of the name appearing in ancient texts or religious scriptures, some historians believe it may have been mentioned in old Germanic sagas or epic poems, which were passed down orally for generations before being written down.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Rhelda dates back to the 9th century AD, when a noblewoman named Rhelda von Aachen was mentioned in a chronicle documenting the reign of Charlemagne, the King of the Franks.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the name Rhelda. One of the most famous was Rhelda von Hohenzollern (1185-1249), a German princess and heiress to the Hohenzollern dynasty, which later became one of the most influential royal houses in Europe.
Another prominent figure was Rhelda von Andechs (1207-1254), a Bavarian noblewoman and a member of the illustrious House of Andechs, who was renowned for her piety and charitable works.
In the 15th century, Rhelda von Rosenberg (1430-1492) was a notable Bohemian noblewoman and landowner, known for her patronage of the arts and her support of the Hussite religious movement.
During the Renaissance period, Rhelda Tornabuoni (1476-1536) was an Italian noblewoman and poet, celebrated for her intellectual pursuits and her contributions to the cultural renaissance in Florence.
In more recent times, Rhelda von Bülow (1856-1924) was a German writer and activist, known for her advocacy of women's rights and her work in promoting education for girls.
People
Rhelda + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Rhelda 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
Rhelda: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Rhelda?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 14 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Rhelda 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 24,482,453 US residents.
Is Rhelda a common name?
We classify Rhelda as "Very Rare". It ranks above 34% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 37 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Rhelda most popular?
The single biggest year for Rhelda was 1939, when 6 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Rhelda is about 75 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
What does the SSA popularity chart show?
The chart tracks births, not the number of people alive with the name today. Each point shows how many babies were given the name Rhelda in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Rhelda a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Rhelda 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.
Is Rhelda still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Rhelda in 2024, and the page above shows its latest-year rank where available. A name can be well past its peak and still remain in steady use, especially if it built up a large population over earlier decades.
Why can a name have a lot of living bearers even if it is not trendy now?
Because living-bearer counts and current baby-name popularity measure different things. A name like Rhelda can build up a very large population over many decades, even if fewer parents are choosing it now than they did at its peak.
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.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only covers names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files do not have a published Census demographic snapshot. In those cases, the page still shows the SSA trend, gender history, and state data.
How many people have the name Rhelda?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.