Variant of Rhea, the Greek Titan mother of the gods, meaning "flowing" or "ease."
Rea is a name of considerable ancient depth. In Greek mythology, Rhea (of which Rea is a simplified spelling) was the great Titaness, consort of Kronos and mother of the Olympian gods — Zeus, Hera, Poseidon, Demeter, Hestia, and Hades all sprang from her. Her name was associated by ancient etymologists with "rheo" (to flow) and with the earth itself, lending her an elemental, maternal gravity.
She was identified with Cybele, the Phrygian earth mother, reinforcing her role as a primordial fertility goddess. Beyond mythology, Rea exists as a living name in Italy and Portugal, where it carries associations both with the goddess and with more contemporary usage. In Italian, Rea also functions as an adjective meaning "guilty," lending the name an unexpected sharpness.
In modern pop culture, actress Rea Silvia (the mythological mother of Romulus and Remus) has kept the name in classical consciousness, and actress Rea Perlman briefly brought the variant "Rhea" to American television fame. As a given name, Rea is spare and strong — two letters that carry an enormous mythological load. It appeals to parents who want classical grounding without the weight of a long name. The streamlined spelling gives it a contemporary crispness while the meaning remains as old as the world's first gods.