Save Type Region Usage English Pronounced Pron. /ɹoʊ.ˈdiː.ʒə/ [key·simplify] Meaning & HistoryExpand Links From the surname Rhodes. This was a British-controlled region of the south of Africa, named after the politician and imperialist Cecil Rhodes (1853-1902). It is now the independent countries of Zimbabwe and Zambia. Related Names RootRhodes (surname)