Tracing the Rhea Family Name

Rhea began as a Welsh family name. Elsdon Smith's dictionary of American family names explains it as “dweller near the rapids; dweller near the river Rea (river), in Wales”.

Heraldry and the Rhea name

Heraldry follows families, not surnames. A Rhea coat of arms, where one exists, belonged to a specific line.

Where the name comes from

Landscape names of this kind told neighbours where a family's house stood. Smith also lists Rhay.

The 2010 US Census counted 8,219 people named Rhea, ranking it number 4,323 among American surnames. That puts it among the top 5,000 US surnames. For the full story, order the Rhea surname pack.