The spelling of the name "Rod Hughes" is relatively simple, but it involves a few interesting features of English spelling. "Rod" is spelled phonetically, with the letter O representing the "aw" sound [ɔ]. "Hughes" has a silent H at the beginning and is spelled with the unusual digraph UE, which represents the "oo" sound [u], followed by the letter G, which represents the "j" sound [dʒ]. In IPA phonetic transcription, this name would be spelled [rɑd hjuʤəz].
The term Rod Hughes does not have an etymology as it is a combination of a given name, Rod, and a surname, Hughes. Rod is typically a short form of the name Rodney, derived from the Old English name Hroda meaning fame, renown or glory. Hughes is a patronymic surname of Welsh origin, derived from the given name Hugh, which itself comes from the Germanic name Hugo, meaning heart, mind, or spirit. The surname Hughes indicates son of Hugh.