3948 Regal Baby Names That Start With R

Radiant and royal, discover a name starting with R that reflects your baby’s persona.

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Last Updated on Nov 13, 2024

Illustration: MomJunction Design Team

Baby names that start with R have long held their unique place across different cultures and languages. In the English alphabet, R is ranked the eighth most common letter (1). The letter R comes from the Semitic sign ‘resh,’ meaning ‘head,’ which was later renamed ‘rho’ by the Greeks. R is pronounced ‘er’ in Latin and French, ‘ar’ in English, and ‘oar,’ ‘ore,’ or ‘orr’ in Hiberno-English. Over time, these adaptations and developments have significantly impacted how names starting with R are written and pronounced across the world. For instance, Reine is the Latin form of the English name Raine, meaning ‘queen,’ while Royal comes from the Latin Regalis, meaning ‘king.’

Despite these changes, the value of names starting with the letter R remains consistent. Egyptian Pharaoh Ramses the Great, US President Ronald Reagan, children’s book author Roald Dahl, American civil rights activist Rosa Parks, and Swiss tennis player Roger Federer are a few noteworthy people whose name starts with the letter R. The letter’s appeal in a wide array of languages increases the number of choices available with this name.

In the past two decades, names starting with R have dominated the top names list on the US popularity charts (2) (3). A few examples include Robert meaning ‘bright fame’ in German, Ryan meaning ‘little king’ in Irish, Riley meaning ‘rye clearing’ in Old English, Richard meaning ‘brave ruler’ in Old German, Rebecca meaning ‘join’ in Semitic, Rachel meaning ‘ewe’ in Hebrew, Ruby meaning ‘red’ in Latin, and Reagan meaning ‘king’ in Old Irish. Delve deep into the following list of names starting with the letter R and come up with a beautiful name for your lovely little bundle of joy. Pick a name that is compatible with your lingual or cultural background, and it will also be timeless as the baby grows older.

Name	Gender	Meaning
Ruby	Girl	A precious red jewel; Red gemstone
Robert	Boy	Bright fame; Shining glory; Bright in counsel
Rylee	Girl	Rye clearing
Raelynn	Girl	Ewe; Beam of light; Counsel; Protection; Lake
Rowan	Boy	Red-haired; Little redhead; Descendant of Ruadhán; River in paradise
Ryder	Boy	Mounted warrior; Knight; Messenger
Rose	Girl	Rose; Flower; Famous type
Reese	Girl	Enthusiasm; Ardor
Rhett	Boy	Advice; Counsel; Ardent; Fiery
Ryker	Boy	Rich; Wealthy; Ruler

Rosalie	Girl	Rose; Beautiful rose; Rose garden
Ruth	Girl	Friend; Famous spear
Richard	Boy	Brave ruler; Mighty king; Firm ruler
Rafael	Boy	God has healed
Rachel	Girl	Ewe; Female sheep
Riley	Boy	Clearing of rye; Valiant
Remington	Boy	Settlement by the Riming stream
Ronan	Boy	Little seal; A pledge; An oath
Raegan	Girl	Little king
Rory	Boy	Red king; Joyful

Reid	Boy	Red-haired
Rebecca	Girl	To tie; To bind
Raymond	Boy	Counseling protector; Advice; Decision
Rylan	Boy	A meadow on an island; Little king
Ricardo	Boy	Powerful ruler
Romeo	Boy	From Rome; Roman; Bright; Clear
Russell	Boy	A little red one; Red-haired
Rosemary	Girl	Rose; Dew of the sea; Famous type
Raelyn	Girl	Ewe; Beam of light; Counsel; Protection
Raiden	Boy	Thunder; Lightning; God spirit

Rylie	Girl	Courageous; Rye clearing
Royce	Boy	Rose; Ruddy; Of renowned king
Rhys	Boy	Ardor; Enthusiasm; Fiery warrior; War hammer
Reed	Boy	The one with red hair or complexion
Regina	Girl	Queen
Ronin	Boy	Little seal; Masterless samurai; Anaconda
Ruben	Boy	Behold, a son
Rosie	Girl	Rose; Famous type
Rocco	Boy	Rest; Repose; Rook; Crow; Battle cry; Roar
Roberto	Boy	Bright fame; Bright in counsel; Shining glory

Renata	Girl	Born again; Rebirth; Brave lion
Raphael	Boy	God heals
Roy	Boy	King; Red
Ridge	Boy	A person who lived near a ridge; A continuous elevated mountain crest; Back or spine
Rayan	Boy	Wise; Smart; Thinker; Watered; Luxuriant; Little king; Gate to Heaven
Ronald	Boy	Ruler's counsel; Ruler's advice
Ryland	Boy	Land of rye
Rodrigo	Boy	Famous ruler
Reyna	Girl	Counsel; Queen
Reece	Boy	Enthusiasm; Ardor

Raul	Boy	Counsel; Advice; Wolf
Reina	Girl	Queen; Clean; Pure; Wise
Rhea	Girl	Flowing stream; Ground
Raylan	Boy	Counselor; Beam of light; Rye land
Rosalia	Girl	Rose; Beautiful rose
Rosa	Girl	Rose; Dew
Roland	Boy	Famous land; Glorious territory; From the famous land
Romina	Girl	Citizen of Rome; A Roman
Roger	Boy	Famous spear
Rex	Boy	King

Rayden	Boy	Ray of light; Advice; Counselor; Wise protector; Little fire; Thunder
Randy	Boy	Strong Defender; Son of the Shield; Wolf on shield rim; Admirable; Wonderful
Remi	Boy	Oarsman; Rower; Lord consoles in me; Heaven; Sky
Rayna	Girl	Queen; Happy; Willing; Clean; Pure
Roselyn	Girl	Beautiful rose; Gentle horse
Rey	Boy	King; Female roe deer
Rivka	Girl	Join; Tie; Snare
Ramon	Boy	Famous protector; Advice; Counsel
Ricky	Boy	Brave ruler; Famous ruler; Peaceful ruler; Ruler of the people; Home ruler; Nobleman
Riggs	Boy	A person living on the ridge

Ramona	Girl	Wise protector; Advice; Counsel
Rohan	Boy	Ascending; Red-haired
Rudy	Boy	Famous wolf
Rosalee	Girl	Rose
Rebekah	Girl	To tie; Join; Snare
Ray	Boy	Wise; Counsel; Decision; Beam of light
Rosalyn	Girl	Beautiful rose; Gentle horse; Famous and mild
Ryann	Girl	Little queen
Rocky	Boy	Rest; Crow; Rook
Reuben	Boy	Behold a son

Raina	Girl	Queen; Night; Pure; Advice
Raquel	Girl	Female sheep; Ewe
Rene	Boy	Reborn
Rodney	Boy	Roda's island; Island near the clearing
Robin	Boy	Bright fame; Shining fame; Fame-bright
Ronnie	Boy	Rule's advice; Ruler's counsel; True image; Bringer of victory
Rogelio	Boy	Famous spear; To ask; To request
Rosalina	Girl	Beautiful rose; Gentle horse
Reginald	Boy	Advice; Counsel; Authority
Ramiro	Boy	Great judge; Law; Wedge; Famous

Raylynn	Unisex	Beam of light; Ewe
Rhodes	Boy	A clearing in the woods
Rian	Boy	King; Little king; Descendant of Rían; Little red one
Ruthie	Girl	Friend; Companion
Raylee	Girl	Ray of light; Advice; Counselor; Wise protector
Rowdy	Boy	Boisterous; Rambunctious
Ralph	Boy	Wolf counsel
Rilynn	Girl	A brave heart of a woman; Courageous; Beautiful little queen; Rye clearing
Rhiannon	Girl	Great queen; Great goddess
Riaan	Boy	Descendant of Rian; Little King; From Hadria

1 2 3 … 40 »

Baby names starting with the letter R are rich in variety and meaning. From Rachel and Ramses to Raine and Ruby, these names have long-standing historical significance and a contemporary appeal. These names often convey strength, beauty, and resilience. Whether you are looking for a rustic name or a modern rendition, R names do not disappoint. They bring a wide range of options for you to choose from. So, explore our list to find your radiant little ruler a meaningful name with an everlasting appeal.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. Is it more positive to use the R letter name as a first or middle name?

Names that start with R can be used both as a given name and a middle name without changing their meanings or positivity. You may decide whether to use the name as a first or middle name based on how the name flows and matches the surname.

2. What girl names start with R and mean 'queen?'

Several R-letter girl names of different origins mean 'queen.' These include Rani in Sanskrit, Raeanna in English, Regina in Latin, Rhiannon in Welsh, and Reine in French.

Infographic: Baby Names That Start From R

Derived from across linguistic boundaries, these baby names that start with R convey resilience, respectfulness, and radiance. The following infographic covers R-letter names, letting you pick the one that best works for you.

References

MomJunction's articles are written after analyzing the research works of expert authors and institutions. Our references consist of resources established by authorities in their respective fields. You can learn more about the authenticity of the information we present in our editorial policy.

English Letter Frequency (based on a sample of 40
https://pi.math.cornell.edu/~mec/2003-2004/cryptography/subs/frequencies.html
Popular names of the period 2000s.
https://www.ssa.gov/oact/babynames/decades/names2000s.html
Popular names of the period 2010s.
https://www.ssa.gov/OACT/babynames/decades/names2010s.html

Look Up For Many More Names

Do you have a name in mind and want to know more about it? Or want to find names belonging to a particular origin, religion, or having a specific meaning? Use our search tool below to explore more baby names with different combinations.