Rhonda
Masculine
Rhonda is given to girls far more often — 208,069 girls against 589 boys since 1880. See Rhonda as a girl name
Rhonda is an American girl's name with a Welsh look, one of the defining names of its generation. It was carried to fame by an actress whose red hair made her the star of color film.
How old is the name Rhonda?
Rhonda first appears in US birth records in 1932 — 93 years ago. The typical Rhonda alive today was born around 1966, making them about 59 years old. About 500 people named Rhonda are estimated to be alive in the US today.
When was the name Rhonda most popular?
Rhonda peaked in 1967, reaching #1165 nationally. See the whole 1967 chart.
Where it comes from
Origin, sound and short forms
Our story of Rhonda
Born Marilyn Louis in Hollywood, Rhonda Fleming was given her screen name by her agent and became the Queen of Technicolor, because her red hair, green eyes and fair skin photographed so vividly in the new color process. The meaning often given for Rhonda, a Welsh 'good lance', joins two real Welsh words, but nothing shows the Welsh ever used them as a name. Rhonda is bright, friendly and easy to say.
Meaningnot established
Not established
Baby-name books gloss Rhonda as Welsh rhon, 'lance', and da, 'good', but no Welsh given name stands behind it; it seems to have been built in America from Welsh-looking parts.
Pronouncing Rhonda
RON-duh
Two syllables with the stress on the first.
Nicknames for Rhonda
Moderate
What the data says
146 years of official birth records
The long climb, and where it stands now
The same years in position rather than babies
- First recorded
- 1932
- Most boys named
- 196741 — the highest on record
- Peak rank
- #1165reached in 1967
- Change vs 1984
- −28.6%5 in 1989, from 7
Rank is a position, a count is a headcount, and they move independently — a name can hold its rank while the number of babies behind it falls. Source: U.S. Social Security Administration.
Rhondas among us
people named Rhonda are estimated to be alive in the US today
Estimated from SSA birth records and published actuarial life tables. Method
Is it right for you
Questions parents actually ask
Fashion outlook
Rhonda sits outside the current charts, and that is its own kind of answer: naming cycles can only date the names they carried up. A name this rare has no decade stamped on it — it cannot go out of fashion, because it was never in.
Based on 146 years of naming cycles. How we read them
The trade-off
- Familiar and easy to say.
- Rare in classrooms now, so a Rhonda is unlikely to share her name.
- Comes with Ronnie as a ready pet form.
- It reads as a name of a particular generation.
- Ronda and Rhondda are likely guesses.
- The spelling is recorded for a few boys, but nearly every Rhonda is a girl.
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Rhonda
Masculine
Frequently asked
- How many Rhondas are there in the world?
- No country counts the world's names, so there is no worldwide figure — anyone quoting one is estimating. About 500 people named Rhonda are estimated to be alive in the US today.
- How popular is the name Rhonda in 2025?
- Rhonda is rarely given in the US today — it does not rank in the top 2000 boy names.
- Will my child share the name Rhonda with classmates?
- Rhonda will almost certainly be the only one in school.
More R names
The most-given names starting with R, all years combined.
Robert#92 · Richard#234 · Ronald#637 · Ryan#99 · Raymond#394 · Roger#832 · Ralph#1046 · Roy#525
Looking for what else is popular rather than what resembles Rhonda? See the current top 100.
Choosing between Rhonda and another name?
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US figures from the Social Security Administration. 1880–2025. Data & methodology
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