Rhonna
An Anglicized feminine form of Rhona, a Scottish name derived from Gaelic meaning a "rougher".
Name Census estimates that about 124 living Americans carry the first name Rhonna. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Rhonna today is around 64 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Rhonna births was 1955 (15 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Rhonna. 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.
People living today
124
~ 1 in 2,764,148 Americans
Peak year
1955
15 babies that year
Average age
64
years old
1980 SSA rank
#11,698
Tracked since 1946
Census
Rhonna in the 2020 Census
The 2020 Census recorded 224 people with the first name Rhonna, which placed it at #35,741 in the published first-name tables. This is a snapshot of people who already had the name at the time of the Census.
The SSA sections elsewhere on this page answer a different question: how often parents gave the name to babies over time. The "people living today" figure on this page is different again: it is a current estimate built from SSA birth records and age-based survival rates, so the two numbers are not expected to match exactly.
2020 Census rank
#35,741
National first-name rank
People counted
224
224 in the published race/origin table
Per 100,000
0.1
People with this name in 2020
Largest reported group
White
72.3% of people with this name
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Rhonna
In the 2020 Census race and Hispanic-origin table, the largest reported group for people named Rhonna is White at 72.3%. The next largest groups are Black (7.6%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (6.3%). These figures describe the people who had the name in 2020, not any inherent property of the name itself.
The bar chart below shows how people with the first name Rhonna described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given name, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown so the breakdown is easy to read across every published category. Because the 2020 Census first-name file also includes raw headcounts for each group, Name Census can show those alongside the percentages in the legend and hover tooltip.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A first name does not determine a person's race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the name Rhonna at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White72.3% · 162
- Black or African American7.6% · 17
- Asian and Pacific Islander6.3% · 14
- Hispanic or Latino5.4% · 12
- American Indian and Alaska Native5.4% · 12
- Two or more races3.1% · 7
Popularity
Rhonna: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Rhonna from the 1940s through to the 1980s, spanning 5 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1960s, with 75 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1960s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Rhonna 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 Rhonna during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Rhonnas live
Origin
Meaning and history of Rhonna
The given name Rhonna has its origins in the Welsh language, with roots dating back to the medieval period. It is believed to be derived from the Welsh word "rhonnen," meaning a spinning wheel or distaff, symbolizing industriousness and diligence.
Interestingly, the name Rhonna appears to have been more prevalent in certain regions of Wales, particularly in the southern counties, where it held cultural significance. Some scholars suggest that the name may have been associated with certain Welsh clans or families, although concrete historical records are scarce.
The earliest documented reference to the name Rhonna can be traced back to the 14th century, where it was recorded in a Welsh genealogical record, albeit with a slightly different spelling variation, "Rhonwen." This document mentions a woman named Rhonwen ferch Rhys, who lived in Pembrokeshire during that time period.
Throughout history, there have been several notable individuals who bore the name Rhonna. One such person was Rhonna Goch (c. 1520-1585), a Welsh noblewoman known for her involvement in local politics and her patronage of the arts. She was a prominent figure in the cultural renaissance of Wales during the 16th century.
Another historically significant Rhonna was Rhonna Jones (1727-1798), a Welsh writer and poet who contributed significantly to the preservation of Welsh literature and language. Her works, including poetry collections and essays, were widely acclaimed during her lifetime and influenced subsequent generations of Welsh writers.
In the realm of religion, Rhonna Lloyd (1839-1914) was a renowned Welsh nun who dedicated her life to charitable works and the establishment of orphanages in Wales. Her selfless efforts earned her widespread admiration, and she is still revered by many in the Welsh community.
Moving into the modern era, Rhonna Fenwick (1923-2008) was a Welsh actress and stage performer who gained recognition for her roles in several British television series and films. Her versatile acting skills and dedication to her craft made her a beloved figure in the entertainment industry.
Lastly, Rhonna Byrne (born 1945) is a contemporary Australian author and motivational speaker best known for her book "The Secret," which became an international bestseller and sparked a significant interest in the law of attraction and positive thinking.
People
Rhonna + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Rhonna 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
Rhonna: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Rhonna?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 124 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Rhonna 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 2,764,148 US residents.
Is Rhonna a common name?
We classify Rhonna as "Very Rare". It ranks above 67.6% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 159 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Rhonna most popular?
The single biggest year for Rhonna was 1955, when 15 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Rhonna is about 64 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
How common was Rhonna in the 2020 Census?
The published 2020 Census first-name tables recorded 224 people with the name Rhonna, or 0.07 per 100,000 residents. That placed it at #35,741 in the national Census ranking for first names.
Why is the Census count different from the living estimate?
Because they measure different things. The Census figure is a count of people who had the name Rhonna in 2020. The living estimate aims to answer a current question instead: how many people with the name are alive today, based on SSA birth records and age-based survival rates. Since one number is a 2020 snapshot and the other is a present-day estimate, they are not expected to be identical.
What does the Census say about the gender split for Rhonna?
In the 2020 Census sex table, Rhonna appears almost entirely female. Of the 221 people counted with this name, 99.1% were female and only a very small share were male. The Census view is a snapshot of people living with the name in 2020, while the SSA section above tracks births across time.
What does the Census say about the background of people named Rhonna?
In the 2020 Census race and Hispanic-origin table, the largest reported group for people named Rhonna is White at 72.3%. The next largest groups are Black (7.6%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (6.3%). These figures describe the people who had the name in 2020, not any inherent property of the name itself. The percentages in the chart above come from self-reported race and Hispanic-origin responses in the 2020 Census.
Which group reports the name Rhonna most often in the Census?
White is the largest reported group for people named Rhonna in the 2020 Census, accounting for 72.3% (162 people in the published table).
Why can the Census sex total and race total differ slightly?
The Census Bureau published separate 2020 tables for sex and for race/Hispanic origin, and the released figures can differ slightly because of privacy protection in the public files. That is why this page treats the gender section and the race/origin section as two related snapshots instead of forcing them into one identical total.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only includes names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files have no Census demographic snapshot. When that happens, the SSA trend, gender history, and state sections still appear, but the 2020 Census demographic sections are omitted.
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 Rhonna in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Rhonna a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Rhonna 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 Rhonna still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Rhonna 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 Rhonna 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.
How many people are called Rhonna?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.