Meaning & History
Possibly a variant of Rita, the spelling perhaps influenced by that of Rhea or Greek ῥήτωρ (rhetor) "public speaker, orator". This name was borne by American journalist and suffragist Rheta Dorr (1868-1948). It was brought to public attention by the 1933 murder of a 23-year-old Chicago woman named Rheta Wynekoop.