Rhodie
A feminine name derived from the name of the flower, the rhododendron.
Name Census estimates that about 9 living Americans carry the first name Rhodie. It is a predominantly female name (96.4% of registrations). The average person named Rhodie today is around 50 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Rhodie births was 1903 (9 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Rhodie. 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
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Rhodie. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
9
~ 1 in 38,083,815 Americans
Peak year
1903
9 babies that year
Average age
50
years old
2016 SSA rank
#4,812
Tracked since 1890
Gender
Gender distribution for Rhodie
Rhodie leans heavily female at 96.4% of total registrations, but 5 boys have also been registered with the name over the years, giving it a small but present crossover presence.
Rhodie as a male name
- Ranked #13,762 in 2016
- 5 male births in 2016
- Peak: 2016 (5 births)
Rhodie as a female name
- Ranked #4,812 in 1939
- 5 female births in 1939
- Peak: 1903 (9 births)
Popularity
Rhodie: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Rhodie from the 1890s through to the 2010s, spanning 6 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1910s, with 61 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1910s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Rhodie 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 Rhodie during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Origin
Meaning and history of Rhodie
The given name Rhodie is a diminutive form of the name Rhoda, which has its origins in the Greek language. Derived from the ancient Greek word "rhodon," meaning "rose," the name Rhoda was initially used to refer to the beautiful flowering plant. This connection to the rose likely symbolized beauty, grace, and delicacy.
In the New Testament of the Bible, the name Rhoda appears as a servant girl who recognized the apostle Peter's voice and opened the door for him after his miraculous release from prison. This biblical reference may have contributed to the name's popularity among early Christian communities.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Rhodie dates back to the late 16th century. Rhodie Chandler, born in 1595 in England, was a notable figure in the early colonial period of North America. She was among the first English settlers in the Massachusetts Bay Colony and played a significant role in the establishment of the town of Newbury.
In the 19th century, Rhodie Brannan (1814-1890) was an influential figure in the American West. Born in Missouri, she was a pioneer woman who traveled the Oregon Trail and settled in Oregon City, where she became a successful businesswoman and landowner.
Another notable bearer of the name was Rhodie Linn (1857-1936), an American educator and activist. She was a prominent figure in the women's suffrage movement and worked tirelessly to promote education for women and girls in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
In the realm of literature, Rhodie Trent was the pseudonym used by American writer Mary Wilhelmine Williams (1859-1944). She was a prolific author of novels, short stories, and children's books, and her works often explored themes of rural life and the experiences of women.
Additionally, Rhodie Hendry (1885-1974) was a Scottish artist and sculptor who gained recognition for her portraiture and figurative works. Her sculptures can be found in public collections across Scotland, including the National Galleries of Scotland.
These are just a few examples of notable individuals who have borne the name Rhodie throughout history. While the name may have its roots in ancient Greek language and culture, it has been embraced across various regions and time periods, reflecting its enduring appeal and symbolic association with beauty and grace.
People
Rhodie + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Rhodie 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
Rhodie: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Rhodie?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 9 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Rhodie 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 38,083,815 US residents.
Is Rhodie a common name?
We classify Rhodie as "Very Rare". It ranks above 25.5% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 139 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Rhodie most popular?
The single biggest year for Rhodie was 1903, when 9 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Rhodie is about 50 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 Rhodie in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Rhodie a female name?
Yes, 96.4% of people registered as Rhodie 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 Rhodie still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Rhodie 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 Rhodie 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 are named Rhodie?
Find out how many Americans are named Rhodie on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.