Rhoda is a feminine given name, originating in both Greek and Latin. Its primary meaning is "

rose A rose is either a woody perennial plant, perennial flowering plant of the genus ''Rosa'' (), in the family Rosaceae (), or the flower it bears. There are over three hundred Rose species, species and Garden roses, tens of thousands of cultivar ...

", from the Greek "rhodon", but it can also mean "from

Rhodes Rhodes (; ) is the largest of the Dodecanese islands of Greece and is their historical capital; it is the List of islands in the Mediterranean#By area, ninth largest island in the Mediterranean Sea. Administratively, the island forms a separ ...

", from the Greek Rhodos, signifying the Greek island originally named for its roses. A woman named

Rhoda ''Rhoda'' is an American sitcom television series created by James L. Brooks and Allan Burns starring Valerie Harper that originally aired on CBS for five seasons from September 9, 1974 to December 9, 1978. It was the first spin-off of ''The ...

is mentioned once in the Bible in

Acts The Acts of the Apostles (, ''Práxeis Apostólōn''; ) is the fifth book of the New Testament; it tells of the founding of the Christian Church and the spread of its message to the Roman Empire. Acts and the Gospel of Luke make up a two-par ...

. Rhoda has been used as a feminine form of

Roderick Roderick, Rodrick or Roderic (Proto-Germanic , from , + , ) is a Germanic name, recorded from the 8th century onward.Förstemann, ''Altdeutsches Namenbuch'' (1856)740 Its Old High German forms are , , , , , ; in Gothic language ; in Old English ...

in the

Scottish Highlands The Highlands (; , ) is a historical region of Scotland. Culturally, the Highlands and the Scottish Lowlands, Lowlands diverged from the Late Middle Ages into the modern period, when Scots language, Lowland Scots language replaced Scottish Gae ...

. The Greek form of the name is Rhode or Rhodé, pronounced RO-dee. Numerous phonetic spelling variants are in use in the

Anglosphere The Anglosphere, also known as the Anglo-American world, is a Western-led sphere of influence among the Anglophone countries. The core group of this sphere of influence comprises five developed countries that maintain close social, cultura ...

, including Rhodee, Rhodey, and Rhodie.

People

Actresses

Rhoda Gemignani Rhoda Gemignani ( Rhoda Barbara Cohan; born October 21, 1939) is an American actress, best known for her recurring role as Mrs. Carmela Rossini in the American television sitcom ''Who's the Boss?''. She appeared frequently on television betwe ...

(born 1940), American actress *

Rhoda Griffis Rhoda Griffis (born January 9, 1965) is an American actress who has played supporting roles both in independent and mainstream films and television. Life and career Griffis appeared onstage in ''Angels in America'', ''Proof'', '' Collected Stor ...

(born 1965), American actress * Rhoda Jordan (born 1979), African-American actress *

Rhoda Roberts Rhoda Ann Roberts (born 1960) is an Australian theatre and arts director, arts executive, television presenter, and actor. She was head of Indigenous programming at the Sydney Opera House from 2012 until 2021, among many other roles. She is a ...

(born 1960), Australian actress and director *

Rhoda Williams Rhoda Elaine Williams (July 19, 1930 – March 8, 2006) was an American actress who voiced Drizella Tremaine in Walt Disney's ''Cinderella''. Early life and education Rhoda Williams was born in Denver, Colorado. She learned to read at age three ...

(1930 - 2006), American actress

Politicians

* Rhoda Moy Crawford (born 1989), Jamaican politician *

Rhoda Grant Rhoda Grant (born 26 June 1963) is a Scottish politician who has served as a Member of the Scottish Parliament (MSP) for the Highlands and Islands region since 2007, having previously represented the same region from 1999 to 2003. A member of t ...

(born 1963), Scottish Labour Member of the Scottish Parliament * Rhoda Fox Graves (1877–1950), American suffragist, woman's rights activist, and pioneering female Republican politician * Rhoda S. Jacobs (born 1937), American member of the New York State Assembly *

Rhoda Perry Rhoda Perry (born July 16, 1943) is an American politician who was formerly a Democratic member of the Rhode Island Senate, representing the 3rd District (Providence's East Side). Perry was the chairwoman of the Senate Committee on Health & H ...

(born 1943), member of the Rhode Island Senate

Singers and musicians

* Rhoda Chase (1914–1978), American blues singer *

Rhoda Dakar Rhoda Dakar (born 1959) is an English singer and musician, best known as the lead singer of The Bodysnatchers, who were signed to the 2 Tone record label. She also worked with The Specials/Special AKA, and also other 2-Tone artists. Career Daka ...

(born 1958), British singer and musician, lead singer of the Bodysnatchers * Rhoda Hutchinson, a member of the

Hutchinson Family Singers The Hutchinson Family Singers were an American family singing group who became the most popular American entertainers of the 1840s. The group sang in four-part harmony a repertoire of political, social, comic, sentimental and dramatic works, ...

, a group popular in the 1840s *

Rhoda Scott Rhoda Scott (born July 3, 1938) is an American soul jazz organist and singer. She is nicknamed "The Barefoot Lady". Biography and musical career Scott was born and raised in the Dorothy neighborhood of Weymouth Township, New Jersey, the first ...

(born 1938), African-American hard bop and soul jazz organist

Writers

Rhoda Broughton Rhoda Broughton (29 November 1840 – 5 June 1920) was a Welsh literature in English, Welsh novelist and short story writer.Robert Hadji, "Rhoda Broughton" in Jack Sullivan (literary scholar), Jack Sullivan (ed) (1986) ''The Penguin Encyclopedia ...

(1840–1920), Welsh novelist * Rhoda Lerman (1936–2015), American author *

Rhoda Shipman Rhoda Shipman (born January 30, 1968) is a comic book writer from the United States. Biography Shipman and her husband Gary Shipman created, wrote and edited the independent comic book series '' Pakkins' Land'', which tells the story of Paul, a y ...

(born 1968), American comic book writer * Rhoda Truax (1901–2000), American author

Others

* Rhoda Abbott (1873–1946), only female passenger to go down with the ''Titanic'' and survive *

Rhoda Anstey Rhoda Anstey (15 April 1865 – 27 February 1936) was an English suffragist, tax resister, Theosophist, and physical education teacher. She founded the Anstey College of Physical Education in Birmingham. Anstey was also an activist for dress refo ...

(1865–1936), British tax resister, suffragist and physical education teacher * Rhoda Billings (born 1937), American lawyer, former justice of the North Carolina Supreme Court * Rhoda Campbell Chase (died 1959), American artist and children's book illustrator *

Rhoda Haas Goldman Rhoda Haas Goldman (September 20, 1924 – February 17, 1996) was an American billionaire in San Francisco, California. She was a member of the board of directors of Levi Strauss & Co. from 1985 until her death in 1996. Biography Rhoda Gold ...

(1924–1996), American philanthropist and heiress * Rhoda

Lavinia Goodell Rhoda Lavinia Goodell (May 2, 1839 – March 31, 1880) was the first woman licensed to practice law in Wisconsin and the first woman admitted to the Supreme Court of Wisconsin. In 1880, she also became the first to litigate (and win) an appe ...

(1839–1880), the first woman licensed to practice law in Wisconsin *

Rhoda Pitchlynn Howell Rhoda Pitchlynn Howell (; January 31, 1814 – February 27, 1911) was a Choctaw rancher and community leader who played a role in developing the agricultural and educational infrastructure in Indian Territory. After becoming widowed in 1865, she ...

(1814–1911), Choctaw rancher and community leader *

Rhoda Bubendey Métraux ''Rhoda'' is an American sitcom television series created by James L. Brooks and Allan Burns starring Valerie Harper that originally aired on CBS for five seasons from September 9, 1974 to December 9, 1978. It was the first spin-off of ''The Ma ...

(1914–2003), anthropologist * Rhoda Holmes Nicholls (1854–1930), British-born American painter * Rhoda Pritzker (1914–2007), British-American philanthropist * Rhoda Richards (1784–1879), wife of Mormon leader Joseph Smith and, after his death, Brigham Young * Rhoda Wise (1888–1948), American alleged stigmatist

Fictional characters

* Rhoda Dendron, on the animated television series ''Darkwing Duck'' * Rhoda Henry, in the novels ''

The Winds of War ''The Winds of War'' is Herman Wouk's second book about World War II (the first being '' The Caine Mutiny''). Published in 1971, ''The Winds of War'' was followed up seven years later by '' War and Remembrance''; originally conceived as one vol ...

'' and ''

War and Remembrance ''War and Remembrance'' is a novel by Herman Wouk, published in October 1978 as the sequel to Wouk's '' The Winds of War'' (1971). ''The Winds of War'' covers the period 1939 to 1941, and ''War and Remembrance'' continues the story of the exten ...

'' and the two miniseries *

Rhoda Morgenstern Rhoda Faye Morgenstern, portrayed by Valerie Harper, is a fictional character on the television sitcom ''The Mary Tyler Moore Show''. The character was spun off to the show ''Rhoda'', in which she was the protagonist. Character background The ...

, title character of the television show ''Rhoda'' * Rhoda Penmark, in William March's novel ''The Bad Seed'' * Rhoda Swartz, in William Thackeray's novel '' Vanity Fair'' * Rhoda Williams, protagonist of the 2011 movie ''

Another Earth ''Another Earth'' is a 2011 American science fiction drama film directed by Mike Cahill and starring Brit Marling, William Mapother, and Robin Lord Taylor. It premiered at the 2011 Sundance Film Festival in January, and was given a limited the ...

'' * Rhoda, in Virginia Woolf's novel ''

The Waves ''The Waves'' is a 1931 novel by English novelist Virginia Woolf. It is critically regarded as her most experimental work, consisting of ambiguous and cryptic soliloquies spoken mainly by six characters: Bernard, Susan, Rhoda, Neville, Jinny an ...

'' * Rhoda, in '' 12 Oz. Mouse'', an American adult animated television series * Rhoda Nunn in the novel "The Odd Women" by

George Gissing George Robert Gissing ( ; 22 November 1857 – 28 December 1903) was an English novelist, who published 23 novels between 1880 and 1903. In the 1890s he was considered one of the three greatest novelists in England, and by the 1940s he had been ...

References

External links

Meaning of Rhoda
{{DEFAULTSORT:Rhoda English given names English feminine given names Feminine given names Given names derived from plants or flowers