With a hearty congratulations to Sara Gilbert and Linda Perry, our Baby Name of the Day is Rhodes.
Back in the fourth century BC, the island of Rhodes had just warded off a massive invasion. In celebration, they commissioned statue of the son god, Helios. Some of the metal in the frame was melted down weaponry.
Helios was 30 meters high. For comparison, the Statue of Liberty is 46 meters – not counting her pedestal. Of course, Lady Liberty was designed and built in the late nineteenth century, two millennia later.
The statue stood somewhere near the harbor entrance, though there’s debate as to the exact placement. We know that the statue probably didn’t straddle the harbor, even though most depictions show Helios mid-water.
Suffice to say that the Helios statue, better known as the Colossus of Rhodes, was a marvel, and is considered one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World.
It stood for over fifty years, until the great earthquake of 226 BC, when the Colossus snapped at the knees. It could have been rebuilt, but the people decided that they might have displeased Helios with their tribute, and decided against reconstruction.
The pieces remained where they’d fallen for centuries, until the 600s, when an Arab army captured Rhodes and carted away the bronze and other materials as the spoils of war.
Plenty of people have answered to Rhodes as a surname.
There’s no connection to the statue. Instead, it comes from the Old English rod or Middle German rode, all words used to mean a clearing in the woods. So it’s a place name turned last name.
It’s also no relation to the English word road, which didn’t come along until the 1500s. But there have been plenty of people called Dusty Rhodes, along with authors and athletes, politicians and military commanders answering to Rhodes.
Two famous bearers take this name in more directions.
British businessman Cecil Rhodes made a fortune mining diamonds in South Africa. The African region Rhodesia is named in his honor. But he’s best remembered for the scholarship fund created in his will.
Rhodes scholarships allow foreign students to study at Oxford University. It’s a highly competitive process, and “Rhodes scholar” signals significant academic achievement – a colossus of the classroom.
Here’s another twist: Iron Man’s BFF is James Rhodes, also known as Rhodey. He’s got his own Stark Industries-designed suit, and fights the good fight as War Machine. Don Cheadle has played the role in recent movie adaptations of Iron Man and The Avengers. There have been rumors of a War Machine-centered movie, but so far, they’re just that.
Even without a starring role, Cheadle has raised the profile of the name – and that great nickname Rhodey.
Let’s call Rhodes one to watch.
41 boys were given the name in 2013 – a new high. With place name style, ties to the ancient world, and that great ends-in-s sound, it’s easy to imagine parents embracing this name. A celebrity birth announcement can only help make us even more aware of Rhodes’ rich potential.
What do you think of Rhodes? Will it take off as a baby name in the next few years?