Boy names that start with R
These 188 R boy names run from Raanan to Ryunosuke, each with its meaning and origin. The most popular in the US in 2025 were Roman, Rowan and Robert.
Rene
Reborn (Latin). No. 1,092 in the US in 2025, 210 babies. Given to both: 6% girls.
UnisexFrench
Ryunosuke
Dragon helper (depends on characters) (Japanese)
BoyJapanese
From an Irish surname, traditionally little king (Irish Gaelic). No. 99 in the US in 2025, 3,532 babies. Given to both: 10% girls.
BoyEnglishFalling
Ruggero
Famous spear (Germanic)
BoyItalian
Rakesh
Lord of the full moon (Sanskrit)
BoyIndian
Ramiro
Famous counsel (Germanic). No. 1,074 in the US in 2025, 201 babies.
BoySpanish
Bright fame (Germanic). No. 705 in the US in 2025, 382 babies. Given to both: 51% girls.
BoyEnglish
Rainer
Counsel army (Germanic). No. 3,429 in the US in 2025, 34 babies.
BoyGerman
Raffaele
God heals (Hebrew). No. 5,002 in the US in 2025, 20 babies.
BoyItalian
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Most popular boy names starting with R in 2025
Ranked by the number of US babies given each name. Each spelling is counted on its own.
| US rank | Name | Babies | 10-year trend | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #42 | Roman | 6,162 | Rising | Roman, from Rome |
| #59 | Rowan | 5,212 | Rising | little red one |
| #92 | Robert | 3,772 | Steady | bright fame |
| #99 | Ryan | 3,532 | Falling | from an Irish surname, traditionally little king |
| #111 | River | 3,139 | Rising | flowing river |
| #133 | Ryder | 2,710 | Steady | mounted warrior |
| #183 | Ryker | 2,003 | Steady | possibly from the German surname Riker, from rike, rich |
| #188 | Rhett | 1,936 | Steady | advice, counsel |
| #199 | Rory | 1,768 | Rising | red king |
| #208 | Riley | 1,666 | Steady | from a surname meaning rye clearing |
| #218 | Rafael | 1,639 | Steady | God heals |
| #234 | Richard | 1,505 | Steady | brave ruler |
| #247 | Ronan | 1,406 | Steady | little seal |
| #293 | Reid | 1,150 | Steady | red-haired |
| #302 | Romeo | 1,129 | Steady | Roman, from Rome |
| #307 | Remington | 1,105 | Steady | – |
| #345 | Russell | 944 | Steady | little red one |
| #380 | Ricardo | 833 | Steady | brave ruler |
| #394 | Raphael | 807 | Steady | God heals |
| #395 | Raymond | 807 | Steady | counsel protector |
| #408 | Remy | 781 | Steady | oarsman, rower |
| #412 | Rhys | 778 | Steady | ardor, enthusiasm |
| #416 | Rylan | 771 | Steady | – |
| #419 | Reed | 770 | Steady | red-haired |
| #432 | Raiden | 739 | Steady | – |
Source: US Social Security Administration baby-name data, 2025. Trend compares the rank with ten years earlier.
R names by the numbers
How many US babies get a name starting with R, counted from Social Security records of names given to at least 5 babies.
Boys
- Share of boys, 2025
- 4.9%
- Place among 26 letters
- 9th
- Different R names
- 791
- In the top 1,000
- 63
Share of boys with an R name: 14.3% in 1950, 4.7% in 2000, and 4.9% in 2025.
R boy names used in many cultures
Names our database lists in the most languages and countries, easy to spell and say in several of them.
- Robertbright fame (Germanic)
- RaphaelGod heals (Hebrew)
- Renatoborn again (Latin)
- Richardbrave ruler (Germanic)
- Rioriver (Spanish)
- Robertobright fame (Germanic)
- Rolandfamous land (Germanic)
- RomanRoman, from Rome (Latin)
- Ronanlittle seal (Irish Gaelic)
- Roryred king (Irish Gaelic)
- Roryred king (Irish Gaelic)
- Rubenbehold, a son (Hebrew)
- RafaelGod heals (Hebrew)
- RafailGod heals (Hebrew)
- Raghnallcounsel ruler (Old Norse)
- Ramirofamous counsel (Germanic)
- Raymondcounsel protector (Germanic)
- Reaganlittle king (Irish Gaelic)
Where these names come from
- Germanic: 56
- Hebrew: 20
- Latin: 17
- Sanskrit: 14
- Japanese: 14
- Irish Gaelic: 12
- Old Norse: 11
- Old English: 10
All 188 boy names that start with R
| Name | Meaning | Origin | Gender |
|---|---|---|---|
| Raanan | fresh, invigorating | Hebrew | Boy |
| Rab | bright fame | Germanic | Boy |
| Rabbie | bright fame | Germanic | Boy |
| Radosław | happy glory | Slavic | Boy |
| Rafa | pet form of Rafael | Spanish | Boy |
| Rafael | God heals | Hebrew | Boy |
| Rafail | God heals | Hebrew | Boy |
| Rafał | God heals | Hebrew | Boy |
| Rafe | wolf counsel | Germanic | Boy |
| Raffaele | God heals | Hebrew | Boy |
| Ragab | respect, awe | Arabic | Boy |
| Raghnall | counsel ruler | Old Norse | Boy |
| Ragnar | warrior of counsel | Old Norse | Boy |
| Ragnvald | counsel and rule | Old Norse | Boy |
| Rahamim | mercy, compassion | Hebrew | Boy |
| Raibeart | bright fame | Germanic | Boy |
| Raimondo | counsel protector | Germanic | Boy |
| Raimundo | counsel protector | Germanic | Boy |
| Rain | rain | Old English | Unisex |
| Rainer | counsel army | Germanic | Boy |
| Raj | king, rule | Sanskrit | Boy |
| Rajani | night, darkness | Sanskrit | Unisex |
| Rajesh | lord of kings | Sanskrit | Boy |
| Rajiv | blue lotus, striped | Sanskrit | Boy |
| Rakesh | lord of the full moon | Sanskrit | Boy |
| Ralf | counsel wolf | Germanic | Boy |
| Ralph | counsel wolf | Old Norse | Boy |
| Ram | pleasing, charming | Sanskrit | Boy |
| Ramesh | lord of Rama (Lakshmi), a name of Vishnu | Sanskrit | Boy |
| Rami | archer or marksman | Arabic | Boy |
| Ramin | peace, joy | Persian | Boy |
| Ramiro | famous counsel | Germanic | Boy |
| Ramón | counsel protector | Germanic | Boy |
| Ramy | archer | Arabic | Boy |
| Ramzy | symbolic | Arabic | Boy |
| Ran | indigo | Japanese | Boy |
| Ranald | counsel ruler | Old Norse | Boy |
| Randall | shield-rim wolf | Germanic | Boy |
| Randolph | shield-rim wolf | Germanic | Boy |
| Raoul | counsel wolf | Old Norse | Boy |
| Raphael | God heals | Hebrew | Boy |
| Raphaël | God heals | Hebrew | Boy |
| Rashid | rightly guided | Arabic | Boy |
| Ratnakar | jewel mine, a name for the ocean | Sanskrit | Boy |
| Raúl | wolf counsel | Germanic | Boy |
| Raven | black bird | Old English | Unisex |
| Ravi | the sun | Sanskrit | Boy |
| Ravikiran | sunbeam, ray of the sun | Sanskrit | Boy |
| Ravindra | lord of the sun | Sanskrit | Boy |
| Raviv | rain shower | Hebrew | Boy |
| Ray | counsel protector | Germanic | Boy |
| Rayhan | sweet basil | Arabic | Boy |
| Raymond | counsel protector | Germanic | Boy |
| Raymundo | counsel protector | Germanic | Boy |
| Rayyan | watered, luxuriant | Arabic | Unisex |
| Raz | secret | Hebrew | Unisex |
| Reagan | little king | Irish Gaelic | Unisex |
| Réamonn | counsel protector | Germanic | Boy |
| Reed | red-haired | Old English | Boy |
| Reese | ardor, enthusiasm | Welsh | Unisex |
| Refaat | high rank | Arabic | Boy |
| Refael | God heals | Hebrew | Boy |
| Refugio | refuge | Latin | Unisex |
| Reginald | counsel ruler | Germanic | Boy |
| Rei | tinkling jade (depends on characters) | Japanese | Unisex |
| Reid | red-haired | Old English | Boy |
| Reinaldo | counsel ruler | Germanic | Boy |
| Reinhard | brave counsel | Germanic | Boy |
| Reinhold | counsel and rule | Germanic | Boy |
| Rémi | oarsman, rower | Latin | Boy |
| Remigio | oarsman | Latin | Boy |
| Remy | oarsman, rower | Latin | Unisex |
| Rémy | oarsman, rower | Latin | Boy |
| Ren | lotus; love (depends on characters) | Japanese | Unisex |
| Renato | born again | Latin | Boy |
| Rene | reborn | Latin | Unisex |
| René | born again | Latin | Boy |
| Renzo | man from Laurentum | Latin | Boy |
| Restituto | restored, reinstated | Latin | Boy |
| Reto | of Rhaetia | Latin | Boy |
| Reuben | behold, a son | Hebrew | Boy |
| Reuven | behold, a son | Hebrew | Boy |
| Rex | king | Latin | Boy |
| Reza | contentment, satisfaction | Arabic | Boy |
| Rhett | advice, counsel | Dutch | Boy |
| Rhodri | wheel king | Welsh | Boy |
| Rhys | ardor, enthusiasm | Welsh | Boy |
| Rían | traditionally little king | Irish Gaelic | Boy |
| Ricardo | brave ruler | Germanic | Boy |
| Riccardo | brave ruler | Germanic | Boy |
| Richard | brave ruler | Germanic | Boy |
| Ridley | reed clearing | Old English | Unisex |
| Rigoberto | bright ruler | Germanic | Boy |
| Riku | dry land (depends on characters) | Japanese | Boy |
| Rikuto | land and the Dipper constellation (depends on kanji) | Japanese | Boy |
| Riley | from a surname meaning rye clearing | Old English | Unisex |
| Rimon | pomegranate | Hebrew | Boy |
| Rio | river | Spanish | Boy |
| Rio | river | Spanish | Unisex |
| Ríoghán | little king | Irish Gaelic | Boy |
| Ripley | thicket clearing | Old English | Unisex |
| Rishi | sage, seer | Sanskrit | Boy |
| Risteárd | brave ruler | Germanic | Boy |
| Ritsu | law, order (depends on kanji) | Japanese | Unisex |
| River | flowing river | English | Unisex |
| River | a flowing stream | English | Boy |
| Robbie | bright fame | Germanic | Boy |
| Robert | bright fame | Germanic | Boy |
| Roberto | bright fame | Germanic | Boy |
| Robin | bright fame | Germanic | Unisex |
| Robin | bright fame | Germanic | Boy |
| Roderick | famous ruler | Germanic | Boy |
| Rodney | Hroda's island | Old English | Boy |
| Rodolfo | famous wolf | Germanic | Boy |
| Rodolphe | famous wolf | Germanic | Boy |
| Rodrigo | famous ruler | Germanic | Boy |
| Rogelio | famous spear | Germanic | Boy |
| Roger | famous spear | Germanic | Boy |
| Rogério | famous spear | Germanic | Boy |
| Rohan | ascending, rising | Sanskrit | Boy |
| Rohit | red | Sanskrit | Boy |
| Roi | famous ruler | Germanic | Boy |
| Roibeárd | bright fame | Germanic | Boy |
| Rokuro | sixth son | Japanese | Boy |
| Roland | famous land | Germanic | Boy |
| Rolando | famous land | Germanic | Boy |
| Rolf | famous wolf | Germanic | Boy |
| Rollo | famous wolf | Old Norse | Boy |
| Rom | height | Hebrew | Unisex |
| Romain | Roman | Latin | Boy |
| Roman | Roman, from Rome | Latin | Boy |
| Romeo | Roman, from Rome | Latin | Boy |
| Romualdo | fame and rule | Germanic | Boy |
| Ron | song, joy | Hebrew | Boy |
| Ronald | counsel ruler | Old Norse | Boy |
| Ronaldo | counsel ruler | Old Norse | Boy |
| Ronan | little seal | Irish Gaelic | Boy |
| Rónán | little seal | Irish Gaelic | Boy |
| Ronen | song, joy | Hebrew | Boy |
| Rory | red king | Irish Gaelic | Boy |
| Rory | red king | Irish Gaelic | Unisex |
| Roshan | light, bright | Persian | Unisex |
| Ross | headland, promontory | Scottish Gaelic | Boy |
| Rostislav | growing glory | Slavic | Boy |
| Rotem | a desert broom plant | Hebrew | Unisex |
| Rouzbeh | fortunate, prosperous | Persian | Boy |
| Rowan | little red one | Irish Gaelic | Unisex |
| Rowan | little red one | Irish Gaelic | Boy |
| Roy | red | Scottish Gaelic | Boy |
| Ruadhán | little red one | Irish Gaelic | Boy |
| Ruairí | red king | Irish Gaelic | Boy |
| Ruairidh | red king | Scottish Gaelic | Boy |
| Ruaridh | red king | Scottish Gaelic | Boy |
| Ruben | behold, a son | Hebrew | Boy |
| Rubén | behold, a son | Hebrew | Boy |
| Rudi | famous wolf | Germanic | Boy |
| Rüdiger | famous spear | Germanic | Boy |
| Rudo | love | Shona | Unisex |
| Rudolf | famous wolf | Germanic | Boy |
| Rudolph | famous wolf | Germanic | Boy |
| Rudy | famous wolf | Germanic | Boy |
| Ruedi | famous wolf | Germanic | Boy |
| Rufino | red-haired | Latin | Boy |
| Rufus | red-haired | Latin | Boy |
| Ruggero | famous spear | Germanic | Boy |
| Rui | famous ruler | Germanic | Boy |
| Rui | lapis and life (depends on characters) | Japanese | Unisex |
| Rune | secret lore | Old Norse | Boy |
| Rupert | bright fame | Germanic | Boy |
| Rupinder | greatest beauty | Punjabi | Unisex |
| Ruprecht | bright fame | Germanic | Boy |
| Rurik | famous ruler | Old Norse | Boy |
| Ruslan | lion, from Turkic arslan | Turkic | Boy |
| Russell | little red one | Old French | Boy |
| Rutendo | thankfulness | Shona | Unisex |
| Rutger | famous spear | Germanic | Boy |
| Rutherford | cattle ford | Old English | Boy |
| Rüzgar | wind | Turkish | Boy |
| Ryan | from an Irish surname, traditionally little king | Irish Gaelic | Boy |
| Ryder | mounted warrior | Old English | Boy |
| Ryker | possibly from the German surname Riker, from rike, rich | German | Boy |
| Ryo | cool, refreshing; good (depends on characters) | Japanese | Boy |
| Ryoma | dragon horse (depends on characters) | Japanese | Boy |
| Ryosuke | clear helper (depends on kanji) | Japanese | Boy |
| Ryota | cool and big (depends on characters) | Japanese | Boy |
| Ryszard | brave ruler | Germanic | Boy |
| Ryu | dragon | Japanese | Boy |
| Ryunosuke | dragon helper (depends on characters) | Japanese | Boy |
Frequently asked questions
What are the most popular boy names that start with R?
The most popular boy names starting with R in the US are Roman (#42), Rowan (#59), Robert (#92), Ryan (#99), River (#111), according to US Social Security Administration data for 2025.
How many boy names start with R?
In 2025, 791 different boy names starting with R were given to at least 5 US babies each, and 63 of them were in the top 1,000. This page lists 188 with their meaning and origin.
How common are boy names that start with R?
4.9% of US boys born in 2025 have a name starting with R, making it the 9th most common first letter. In 1950 it was 14.3%.
Where do boy names starting with R come from?
The most common origins on this list are Germanic (56), Hebrew (20), Latin (17).