Baby names starting with R
120 names beginning with R, each with an editorial meaning and origin note and its real popularity rank from the 2025 U.S. Social Security Administration data. Rank is U.S.-only and reflects how records are grouped in that source.
- Rachel from Hebrew Rachel = ewe, a female sheep
- Raegan modern respelling of Reagan, from the Irish surname O Riagain, from a personal name related to 'ri' = king
- Raelyn modern American blend of Rae, a short form of Rachel, with the -lyn suffix
- Raelynn modern American coinage joining Rae, a short form of Rachel (Hebrew = 'ewe'), to the popular suffix -lynn
- Rafael Spanish and Portuguese form of Raphael, from Hebrew Refa'el = 'God heals'
- Rafe English pronunciation spelling of Ralph, from Germanic 'rad' = counsel + 'wulf' = wolf
- Raiden from the Japanese thunder god Raiden: 'rai' = thunder + 'den' = lightning; known in the West largely through video games
- Rain English word name, from Old English 'regn' = rain
- Ralph from the Old Norse name Radulfr, from 'rad' = counsel, advice + 'ulfr' = wolf; brought to England by the Normans as Radulf
- Rami from Arabic 'rami' = archer, one who shoots or throws
- Ramiro Spanish, from the Visigothic name Ranimirus, from Germanic 'ragin' = counsel, advice + 'mers' = famous
- Ramona Spanish feminine of Ramon, the Spanish form of Raymond, from Germanic 'ragin' = counsel + 'mund' = protection
- Randy diminutive of Randall and Randolph, from Germanic 'rand' = rim of a shield + 'wulf' = wolf
- Raphael from Hebrew Refa'el = 'God heals'
- Raul Spanish and Portuguese form of Ralph, from Germanic 'rad' = counsel + 'wulf' = wolf
- Raven English word name, from the black bird; Old English 'hraefn' = raven
- Ray short form of Raymond, from Germanic 'ragin' = counsel + 'mund' = protection; also read as the English word ray
- Raya more than one source: Hebrew Ra'ya = friend, companion; Arabic Rayya = watered, satisfied; and in recent American use the heroine of Raya and the Last Dragon (2021)
- Rayan Arabic Rayyan = luxuriant, well-watered; in Islamic tradition the name of a gate of Paradise reserved for those who fast
- Rayden modern American coinage joining Ray- to the fashionable -den ending; also a respelling of the Japanese Raiden, 'rai' = thunder + 'den' = lightning
- Raylan modern American coinage joining a Ray- element to the -lan ending; popularized by the character Raylan Givens in Elmore Leonard's fiction and its television adaptation
- Raylee modern American coinage joining Ray, a short form of Raymond, to the -lee ending
- Raylynn modern American blend of Ray, a short form of Raymond, with the -lynn suffix
- Raymond from the Germanic Raginmund, 'ragin' = counsel, advice + 'mund' = protection
- Rayna either the Bulgarian Rayna, from 'rai' = paradise, or a respelling of Reina = queen; the Yiddish Reyna, meaning pure, also feeds the spelling
- Rayyan from Arabic 'rayyan' = well-watered, luxuriant; in Islamic tradition Ar-Rayyan is also the gate of Paradise reserved for those who fast
- Reagan transferred Irish surname, anglicized from O Riagain = 'descendant of Riagan'; the root is often linked to Irish 'ri' = king, though the derivation is uncertain
- Rebecca from Hebrew Rivqah, of uncertain sense, most often linked to a root meaning to tie or bind and glossed as 'snare' or 'joined'
- Reece variant spelling of the Welsh Rhys, from Old Welsh 'ris' = ardour, enthusiasm
- Reed surname from Old English 'read' = red, a byname for hair or complexion; a second source is 'hreod' = reed
- Reese anglicized form of the Welsh Rhys, from a root meaning ardour, enthusiasm
- Regina Latin 'regina' = queen; long used as a title of the Virgin Mary
- Reginald from the Latinized Reginaldus, from Germanic 'ragin' = counsel, advice + 'wald' = rule
- Reid Scottish and northern English surname from Old English 'read' = red, a byname for hair or complexion
- Reign from the English word for rule, through Old French from Latin 'regnum' = kingdom; a modern name, carried along by the sound of Raine
- Reina Spanish 'reina' = queen; also the Yiddish Reyna, from a root meaning pure, clean
- Remi French Remy, from Latin Remigius, from 'remex, remigis' = oarsman; St Remigius baptized Clovis, the first Christian king of the Franks
- Remington transferred surname from the Lancashire place Rimington, a stream name plus Old English 'tun' = settlement; familiar in America from the firearms and typewriter makers
- Remy French Remy, from Latin Remigius, from 'remex, remigis' = oarsman
- Renata Latin Renata, feminine of Renatus = 'born again', a Christian name marking baptism
- Rene French, from Latin Renatus = 'reborn'; an early Christian name referring to spiritual rebirth in baptism
- Renee French feminine of Rene, from Latin Renata = 'reborn'
- Rey Spanish 'rey' = king, from Latin 'rex'; also used as a short form of Reynaldo
- Reya variant spelling of Rhea, in Greek myth the Titan mother of Zeus, whose name is sometimes linked to 'rheo' = to flow; also used for the Indian name Riya
- Reyna Spanish spelling of Reina = queen
- Rhea Greek Rhea, the Titan mother of the Olympian gods; the sense is uncertain, sometimes tied to 'rheo' = to flow
- Rhett from the Dutch surname de Raedt, from 'raet' = advice, counsel; fixed in modern use by Gone with the Wind (1936)
- Rhiannon Welsh, from Old Celtic Rigantona = 'great queen'; a central figure in the medieval Welsh Mabinogi
- Rhodes surname for someone who lived by a clearing, from Old English 'rod'; also read as the Greek island
- Rhys Welsh, from a root meaning ardour, enthusiasm, a rush of feeling
- Rian Irish spelling of Ryan, from the surname O Riain, from a personal name related to 'ri' = king
- Ricardo Spanish and Portuguese form of Richard, from Germanic 'ric' = power, ruler + 'hard' = brave, hardy
- Richard from Germanic 'ric' = ruler, power + 'hard' = brave, hardy; 'strong ruler'
- Ridge from the English word for a crest of high ground, Old English 'hrycg' = back, spine
- Riggs surname for someone who lived on a ridge, from Old Norse 'hryggr' = ridge, back
- Riley either from the Irish surname O Raghallaigh, of debated root, or from an English place name, Old English 'ryge' = rye + 'leah' = wood, clearing
- Rio Spanish and Portuguese 'rio' = river, from Latin 'rivus'
- Riot English word name, from Old French 'riote' = dispute, quarrel; a modern American usage
- Ripley English place name and surname, from Old English 'ripel' = a strip of land + 'leah' = wood, clearing
- Rishi from Sanskrit 'rishi' = seer, sage; the inspired poet-sages to whom the Vedic hymns are ascribed
- Rita short form of Margarita (Margaret), from Greek 'margarites' = pearl
- River from the English word, through Old French 'riviere' from Latin 'riparia' = riverbank
- Rivka Hebrew form of Rebecca, of uncertain sense, most often linked to a root meaning to bind
- Robert from the Germanic Hrodebert, 'hrod' = fame + 'berht' = bright; carried into England by the Normans
- Roberto Italian, Spanish and Portuguese form of Robert, from Germanic 'hrod' = fame + 'berht' = bright
- Robin medieval pet form of Robert, from Germanic 'hrod' = fame + 'berht' = bright; the bird was named after the name, not the other way round
- Rocco Italian, from a Germanic root 'hrok' = rest, though a second element meaning crow is also argued; St Roch was invoked against plague
- Rocky from the English word, first as an Italian-American nickname; fixed in use by the boxer Rocky Marciano and the film of 1976
- Rodney transferred English surname from a place name in Somerset, probably from the Old English personal name Hroda + 'eg' = island
- Rodrigo Spanish and Portuguese form of Roderick, from Germanic 'hrod' = fame + 'ric' = power, ruler
- Rogelio Spanish name, either from the Latin Rogellus, a diminutive of Rogatus = 'asked for', or a form of Roger, from Germanic 'hrod' = fame + 'ger' = spear
- Rohan two names share the spelling: the Indian Rohan, from Sanskrit 'rohana' = ascending, growing, and the Irish surname O Ruadhain, from 'ruadh' = red
- Roland from the Germanic Hrodland, 'hrod' = fame + 'land' = land, territory; the paladin of the Song of Roland
- Roman from Latin Romanus = 'a Roman, man of Rome'
- Rome from the city of Rome (Latin Roma), a name of uncertain, probably Etruscan, origin
- Romeo Italian, from Latin 'romaeus' = a pilgrim to Rome; fixed in English by Shakespeare
- Romi either a modern Hebrew name from 'rom' = height, loftiness, or a short form of names such as Romina; root debated
- Romina of uncertain origin, generally taken as a Latinate elaboration of Roma, the city of Rome; spread through Italy and Latin America by the singer Romina Power
- Romy German and Dutch diminutive of Rosemarie or Rosemary; popularized by the actress Romy Schneider
- Ronald from Old Norse Rognvaldr, 'regin' = counsel, the gods + 'valdr' = ruler
- Ronan Irish Ronan, a diminutive of 'ron' = seal, the sea animal; borne by several early Irish saints
- Ronen from Hebrew 'ronen' = to sing, to rejoice
- Ronin Japanese 'ronin' = 'wave man', a masterless samurai; also used as a respelling of the Irish Ronan = 'little seal'
- Ronnie diminutive of Ronald, from Old Norse Rognvaldr, from 'regin' = counsel of the gods + 'valdr' = ruler
- Rory anglicized form of the Irish and Scottish Ruaidhri, from 'ruadh' = red + 'ri' = king
- Rosa Latin and Spanish 'rosa' = rose
- Rosalia Latin, from the Roman festival of roses; St Rosalia is the patron of Palermo
- Rosalie French form of Latin Rosalia, from the Roman festival of roses at which garlands were laid on graves
- Rosalina elaboration of Rosalind or Rosa, from Latin 'rosa' = rose; Rosalind itself is from Germanic 'hros' = horse + 'lind' = soft, tender
- Rosalyn variant of Rosalind, from Germanic 'hros' = horse + 'lind' = soft, or the lime-wood of a shield; later reinterpreted through Latin 'rosa' = rose
- Rose from the flower, Latin 'rosa'; reinforced by the Norman name Roese, from Germanic 'hrod' = fame + 'heid' = kind, sort
- Roselyn variant of Rosalind or Rosaline, from Germanic 'hros' = horse + 'lind' = soft, tender; later reshaped by association with Latin 'rosa' = rose
- Rosemary from the herb, Latin 'ros marinus' = dew of the sea; also read as a joining of Rose and Mary
- Rosie diminutive of Rose, from Latin 'rosa' = rose; the medieval English name may instead descend from Germanic 'hrod' = fame + 'heid' = kind, sort
- Rowan from the Irish surname O Ruadhain, from 'ruadh' = red-haired; also from the rowan tree, whose name came into English from Norse
- Rowdy from the English word rowdy = boisterous, unruly, an Americanism probably built on 'row' = a noisy quarrel
- Rowen variant of Rowan, either from the Irish surname O Ruadhain, from 'ruadh' = red-haired, or from the rowan tree
- Rowyn modern respelling of Rowan, either from the Irish surname O Ruadhain, from 'ruadh' = red-haired, or from the rowan tree
- Roy Scottish surname from Gaelic 'ruadh' = red, a byname for red hair; also read as French 'roi' = king
- Royal English word name, from Old French 'roial', from Latin 'regalis' = kingly
- Royalty from the English word, through Old French from Latin 'regalis' = kingly; a modern American virtue name
- Royce transferred surname from the medieval name Royse, a form of Rose, from Germanic 'hrod' = fame
- Ruben Spanish and Scandinavian form of Reuben, from Hebrew Re'uven, explained in Genesis as 'behold, a son'
- Rubi Spanish spelling of Ruby, from the gemstone, from Latin 'rubeus' = red
- Ruby from the gemstone, through Old French from Latin 'rubeus' = red
- Rudy short form of Rudolph, from Germanic 'hrod' = fame + 'wulf' = wolf
- Russell Norman surname from Old French 'rous' = red with a diminutive ending, a byname for red hair
- Ruth from Hebrew Rut, generally connected with 're'ut' = friendship, companionship
- Ruthie pet form of Ruth, from Hebrew Rut, linked to 're'ut' = friendship
- Ryan from the Irish surname O Riain, from a diminutive of 'ri' = king
- Ryatt modern American coinage blending the sound of Ryan and Wyatt; no older documented root
- Ryder transferred surname, an occupational name from Old English 'ridere' = rider, mounted warrior
- Ryker modern American name, probably from the Dutch surname Rijker, from 'rijk' = rich, powerful; helped along by its likeness to Ryder
- Rylan either from the English surname Ryland, a place name from Old English 'ryge' = rye + 'land', or a modern blend of Ryan and Dylan
- Ryland transferred English surname from a place name, from Old English 'ryge' = rye + 'land'
- Rylee modern respelling of Riley, either from the Irish surname O Raghallaigh or from an English place name meaning rye clearing
- Ryleigh modern respelling of Riley, from an English place name: Old English 'ryge' = rye + 'leah' = wood, clearing; also from the Irish surname O Raghallaigh
- Rylie modern respelling of Riley, either from an English place name = 'rye clearing' (Old English 'ryge' + 'leah'), or from the Irish surname O Raghallaigh
- Rylo modern American coinage built on the Ry- of Ryan and Riley; no older documented root
- Rynlee modern American coinage joining a Ryn- element to the -lee ending (compare Rylee, Brynlee); no older documented root
Only names carrying a meaning note are listed here. Popularity-only records exist for many more spellings and are reachable through the full directory search.
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