Rhesus as a Baby Name. Meaning and Origin of Rhesus

What is the meaning of the name Rhesus ?

The baby name Rhesus is a Male name , 2 syllables long and is pronounced /ˈriːsəs/ (REE-səs).

Rhesus is Greek in Origin.

Rhesus is the Latinized form of Ancient Greek Rhêsos (Ῥῆσος), the name of a Thracian king in Greek myth. The underlying language is likely Thracian rather than Greek, so the meaning remains uncertain and no secure etymology has been established. Scholarly variants include Rhesos (direct transliteration) and Resos in some modern Greek renderings; Rhesus is the standard English and classical Latin form. The name is unrelated to the biblical Rhesa.

In literature, Rhesus appears in the Iliad’s Doloneia as a late-arriving ally of Troy, famed for his magnificent horses, and is the title figure of the Euripidean play Rhesus. As a given name in modern times it is extremely rare, with usage largely confined to classical revival contexts. Most people meet the word through science: the rhesus macaque and the Rh blood group factor, both named after the species, which can overshadow its mythic pedigree.

⚙ Rhesus is exceptionally rare. There are only 2 recorded uses on record, spread over 2 countries.