Rhoda as a Baby Name. Meaning and Origin of Rhoda

What is the meaning of the name Rhoda ?

The baby name Rhoda is a Female name , 2 syllables long and is pronounced /ˈroʊdə/ (ROH-duh).

Rhoda is Greek in Origin.

Rhoda is a feminine given name of Greek origin, from Rhódē (Ῥόδη), a byname meaning “rose” and also “woman of Rhodes,” the Aegean island famed for roses; it ultimately derives from rhódon “rose.” Variants and related forms include Rhode/Rhodé (transliterations), Rhodia, and the simplified Roda; cognate flower names include Rose, Rosa, and Rosalie, though Rhonda is etymologically unrelated.

The name appears in the New Testament (Acts 12:13) borne by a young maid who recognizes Peter at the gate, which commended it to early Christians and later English Nonconformists. It entered regular use in Britain by the 16th–17th centuries, traveled to colonial America with Puritan settlers, and enjoyed Victorian favor alongside other botanical names, with smaller revivals in the early 20th century. Today Rhoda feels vintage and distinctive: familiar through Valerie Harper’s 1970s sitcom “Rhoda” yet relatively rare in current registers, appealing to parents seeking a succinct biblical-floral choice.