Boy · #172 in 2026

Rhett

Name: Popularity of the name Rhett in U.S. births, 1880–2026
Creator: U.S. Social Security Administration
License: https://www.ssa.gov/foia/
Keywords: Rhett, baby name, popularity, U.S., SSA, rankings

Rhett is both a given name and a surname that is an Anglicization of the Dutch surname de Raedt, meaning advice. It was popularized by the character Rhett Butler in the 1936 novel Gone with the Wind by American author Margaret Mitchell and the 1939 film adaptation.

Current Rank

#172

Peak Rank

#149 (2021)

Total Babies

39K

5-Yr Trend

-6%

1995

First Year

2026

Last Year

2019

Peak Year

#5608

Peak Rank

262

Total Count

Years Active

Meaning & Origin of Rhett

What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.

Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →

The Story of Rhett

Rhett first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a baby boy name in 1917, with 5 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 2021, when 2,538 Rhetts were born — ranking #149 that year. As of 2026, Rhett ranks #172 for baby boys with 2,109 births, gradually falling (-6%). In total, more than 39K Rhetts have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1910s through the 2020s.

Popularity Over Time

Popularity by State

Top 10

11-50

51-100

101-500

500+

No data

Names that sound like Rhett

Phonetically similar names — useful when Rhett is the vibe but a different syllable count or letter feel might suit better. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.

Ret
Rette
Rett
Wret
Regt
Rut
Writ
Rit
Rutt
Ritt
Rhat
Ryt

Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.

Frequently Asked Questions about Rhett

What does the name Rhett mean?

How popular is Rhett in 2026?

In 2026, Rhett ranks #172 among boys' names in the U.S., with 2,109 babies given the name that year.

When was Rhett most popular?

Rhett reached its peak popularity in 2021, ranking #149 that year with 2,538 babies given the name.

In which U.S. states is Rhett most popular?

Rhett has historically been most popular in North Dakota, South Dakota, Montana. Rankings vary year to year, but these states show the strongest concentration of births named Rhett.

Is Rhett a unisex name?

In U.S. Social Security records, Rhett is primarily a boy's name. We don't have meaningful data for it as a girl's name.

What names go well with Rhett?

Names that share a similar style or popularity range with Rhett include Fernando, Javier, Wiley. These pairings are based on rank proximity and naming era in U.S. data.

About the name Rhett

Rhett is a boy baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1917 and has accumulated 39K births in the dataset. Rhett's peak popularity came in 2021 when it ranked #149. Use the chart and map above to compare Rhett's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.

Continue exploring

Data sources

Birth statistics (counts, ranks, years 1880–2026) — U.S. Social Security Administration . Predictions for years not yet released by SSA are computed by Peek a Name from historical trends; we update with official data as soon as it ships.
Etymology, cultural origins, and related forms — Behind the Name (used under their public API terms).
Meaning prose and editorial summary — Wikipedia article extracts, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 .
Predicted nationality distribution — Nationalize.io .
Phonetically similar names — Datamuse .

Peek a Name aggregates and presents the above data for informational purposes. Statistical predictions and external attributions are clearly labelled where shown; we make no guarantee of accuracy beyond what each source provides.