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Help[Facts] A Theory on the Name Rhett
I've been researching this one because my fiance is named Rhett. What I've learned is no one is sure where it came from or what it means but all agree the first person to ever use it was Margaret Mitchell and her novel Gone With The Wind was certainly the first place I ever saw it. Well after looking into the life of this woman I've come up with a theory of where it came from: if you pronounce every syallable of her name the last one sounds like Rhett. There was a man she was very close to named Henry Love Angel so that would explain where she got the H added to the syllable. Maybe she combined his first intial with the last syllable of her own name to form Rhett. It could have even been some kind of message to this guy. I'd love to get some feedback on this theory.
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this page is three years old now and I expect no response, but I would like to say thank you for the information on my name. I've never met another person named rhett and it is good to here that there others out there.
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The name of Rhett was a Welsh surname name that died out in the early 1800's. An Aristocratic South Carolina famliy revived the name by changing their name from Smith to Rhett in honor of their mothers famliy and their last known male survivor Colonel Arnold Rhett. In addition it should be noted that the father of succession was named Robert Barnwell Rhett whom was at one time a good friend of John C Calhoun. Robert Barnwell Rhett served as Attorney General for the State Of South Carolina as well as a U.S. Senator. It is also believed that his apology for his role in slavery in a book written shortly before his death inspired a good friend and admirer to write the Gospel Song Amazing Grace. Last but not least, the State of South Carolina use to be joking be referred to as Rhettsylvania because of the influence Robert B. Rhett had because of his ownership of newspapers at the time, and that he was the man whom most considered would replace Jefferson Davis as President of the Confedarcy had the motion to impeach Jefferson Davis succedded.
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I love your theory on the name Rhett. Your post caught my eye because I used to have a crush on a guy named Rhett. Anyway, it's very impressive.
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An interesting theory! As another possibility, the website www.20000-names.com shows "Rhett" as a variant of the Welsh name "Rhys", meaning "ardor, fiery; impetuous; zealous".
This is my first encounter with that site so I can't vouch for any information thereon, but it looks pretty legitimate.
This is my first encounter with that site so I can't vouch for any information thereon, but it looks pretty legitimate.
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The first place anyone ever saw the name Rhett was in Gone With The Wind, published in either 1936 or 1937. It was the first name of a character called Rhett Butler who was created by Maragret Mitchell . While David 's theory on it being a variation of Rhys is possible the surname theory doesn't float.
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Sorry, Raven, but the theory that the name "Rhett" may have sprung from the Welsh surname "Rhys" is entirely plausible. Even had Margaret Mitchell invented the name, the author was familiar enough with the surnames of Great Britain to have selected the Irish surname of "Scarlett" for her heroine. (Which sounds a lot better than the author's original consideration of "Pansy O'Hara".)
The following is a quote from Loreto Todd, Reader in International English at the University of Leeds, and worldwide lecturer:
"Reece, Rees, Rhett, Rhys -- these names seem to be derived from the Welsh 'rhys' and to mean 'ardour, passion'. The first two forms are anglicisations of Rhys and Rhett is probably a pet form of the name... It is, of course, possible that Margaret Mitchell made up the name, but the use of 'Rh' suggests a Welsh link."
In addition, considering the meaning of the name "Rhys", one can see that this would be an entirely fitting name (in whatever form) for the character of Rhett Butler.
Margaret Mitchell carefully crafted her novel *Gone with the Wind*. I don't believe that she would have named her characters (along with some input from her editor, Harold Latham) without these names having a significance of some sort. Even the title of her novel was significant in having come from a line in Ernest Dowson's poem "Cynara".
-- Nanaea
The following is a quote from Loreto Todd, Reader in International English at the University of Leeds, and worldwide lecturer:
"Reece, Rees, Rhett, Rhys -- these names seem to be derived from the Welsh 'rhys' and to mean 'ardour, passion'. The first two forms are anglicisations of Rhys and Rhett is probably a pet form of the name... It is, of course, possible that Margaret Mitchell made up the name, but the use of 'Rh' suggests a Welsh link."
In addition, considering the meaning of the name "Rhys", one can see that this would be an entirely fitting name (in whatever form) for the character of Rhett Butler.
Margaret Mitchell carefully crafted her novel *Gone with the Wind*. I don't believe that she would have named her characters (along with some input from her editor, Harold Latham) without these names having a significance of some sort. Even the title of her novel was significant in having come from a line in Ernest Dowson's poem "Cynara".
-- Nanaea
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P.S.
Also enjoyed your own theory on how Margaret Mitchell may have derived the name. :)
-- Nanaea
Also enjoyed your own theory on how Margaret Mitchell may have derived the name. :)
-- Nanaea
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FYI: have you read gregory's posting? Or mine for that matter? I specifically said David's theory WAS possible. And if Margaret Mitchell was close to, and as the biographer and family believes, in love with Henry Love Angel wouldn't that make him significant?
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More theories on the name of Rhett...
I've been inspired by this one, because Raven's fiance is named Rhett and what can be more self-indulgently fascinating than to project one's own sentimentality into speculation regarding why an author may have selected a certain name for her character?
I have carefully consider Raven's painstakingly thought-out theory as to how Margaret Mitchell may have derived the name of Rhett. See, if you pronounce every syllable of her name the last one sounds like Rhett! Or maybe even Ghrett! And there was a man she was very close to named Henry Love Angel so that would explain where she got the H added to the last syllable! It could have been some kind of "message" to this guy! Cleeeeever, no?
So the following are possible names which Margaret Mitchell may have first considered for her character of Rhett Butler, but which may have been discarded by that stinker of an editor of hers -- Harold Latham -- who probably had NO romantic streak in himself AT ALL.
1. Ghee Butler (derived from "Peggy", the nickname by which Margaret went)
2. Lhynn Butler (derived from MM's middle name of "Munnerlyn")
3. Chhell Butler (derived from MM's professional surname)
4. Mharshh Butler (derived from MM's married surname. Hey, wait a minute... MM was married to John Marsh at the time, wasn't she? Whoa, I wonder what "secret message" she may have been sending *him*?)
But, getting back to MM's "secret message" to Henry Love Angel... Don't you get girly chills all over, just thinking about it?
Daividh, Pavlos, Mike? Do you guys get girly chills, too, with all this secret love message stuff? I think Raven really hit on something here!
-- Nanaea
I've been inspired by this one, because Raven's fiance is named Rhett and what can be more self-indulgently fascinating than to project one's own sentimentality into speculation regarding why an author may have selected a certain name for her character?
I have carefully consider Raven's painstakingly thought-out theory as to how Margaret Mitchell may have derived the name of Rhett. See, if you pronounce every syllable of her name the last one sounds like Rhett! Or maybe even Ghrett! And there was a man she was very close to named Henry Love Angel so that would explain where she got the H added to the last syllable! It could have been some kind of "message" to this guy! Cleeeeever, no?
So the following are possible names which Margaret Mitchell may have first considered for her character of Rhett Butler, but which may have been discarded by that stinker of an editor of hers -- Harold Latham -- who probably had NO romantic streak in himself AT ALL.
1. Ghee Butler (derived from "Peggy", the nickname by which Margaret went)
2. Lhynn Butler (derived from MM's middle name of "Munnerlyn")
3. Chhell Butler (derived from MM's professional surname)
4. Mharshh Butler (derived from MM's married surname. Hey, wait a minute... MM was married to John Marsh at the time, wasn't she? Whoa, I wonder what "secret message" she may have been sending *him*?)
But, getting back to MM's "secret message" to Henry Love Angel... Don't you get girly chills all over, just thinking about it?
Daividh, Pavlos, Mike? Do you guys get girly chills, too, with all this secret love message stuff? I think Raven really hit on something here!
-- Nanaea
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The wife talked me into watching "Bridget Jones' Diary" the other night. Funny flick. Even tho Renee Zellweger was insufficiently zaftig to be true to the book, I still got girly chills. Even old Fascists have their sensitive side...
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Off topic fascist digression
You may have heard of Taki Theodoracopulos a snotty and obnoxious Greek columnist-cum-shipping-heir-gone-astray whose political leanings are a bit to the right of Caligula . Taki's only saving grace is his biting sense of humor (he currently writes for New York Press).
At a party, Taki met a left-wing french intellectual lady he hadnt seen for years.
"Bonjour Taki, toujours fasciste?" she said.
"Bonjour ma chere, toujours putain?" Taki replied.
You may have heard of Taki Theodoracopulos a snotty and obnoxious Greek columnist-cum-shipping-heir-gone-astray whose political leanings are a bit to the right of Caligula . Taki's only saving grace is his biting sense of humor (he currently writes for New York Press).
At a party, Taki met a left-wing french intellectual lady he hadnt seen for years.
"Bonjour Taki, toujours fasciste?" she said.
"Bonjour ma chere, toujours putain?" Taki replied.
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I really envy you and Pavlos, Daividh. I was only kidding about my own girly chills. The closest thing we Satanists experience to girly chills is the rush one gets when pulling on a new pair of black, leather boots. With chains on 'em. Mmmmm! (I'm not
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I sense a certain Corvus Corax's feathers are soon-to-be-plucked :P
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Gregory ,
What's your basis for saying "I wouldn't trust a word from it" re the 20000 site?
Like I said, I haven't any experience with 20000-names.com, but I did look up several name meanings there and they appeared to be pretty much right, altho no match in completeness for Mike C. 's. The "legitimate" referred to this and the overall look and setup of the site.
I tend to be a bit picky about posting name meanings without disclaimer unless I'm comfortable with the rep of the source. That's why the mild disclaimer in the previous posting.
So is there something about that site we should know? Not trying to be belligerent -- just wondering.
-- Da.
What's your basis for saying "I wouldn't trust a word from it" re the 20000 site?
Like I said, I haven't any experience with 20000-names.com, but I did look up several name meanings there and they appeared to be pretty much right, altho no match in completeness for Mike C. 's. The "legitimate" referred to this and the overall look and setup of the site.
I tend to be a bit picky about posting name meanings without disclaimer unless I'm comfortable with the rep of the source. That's why the mild disclaimer in the previous posting.
So is there something about that site we should know? Not trying to be belligerent -- just wondering.
-- Da.
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