Baby boy names beginning with R – with origins and meanings
Are you searching for baby name ideas for a boy that start with the 18th letter of the alphabet? We’ve got some remarkable suggestions, along with their origin and meaning
Are you looking for newborn baby names? Have a look at our list of baby boy names beginning with R along with their meaning and origin to see if your son could be a Radcliffe, Regan or Ryker
1. Rab
- Origin: Scottish
- Meaning: bright; fame
- Also: Robert
2. Rachamin
- Origin: Hebrew
- Meaning: Compassion and understanding
3. Radcliffe
- Origin: English
- Meaning: red cliff; a surname used as a first name
4. Radhakrishna
More like this
- Origin: Indian
- Meaning: name describing the complete God
5. Radomil
- Origin: Czech
- Meaning: love of peace
6. Rafferty
- Origin: Gaelic
- Meaning: prosperity
7. Raha
- Origin: Swahili
- Meaning: joy
8. Rahim
- Origin: Arabic
- Meaning: merciful
- Also: Raheem
9. Rahul
- Origin: Hindi
- Meaning: conqueror of all miseries
10. Raimy
- Origin: African American
- Meaning: compassionate; also used as a girl’s name
- Also: Raimee
11. Rainier
- Origin: German
- Meaning: wise army
- Also: Rayner
12. Raja
- Origin: Arabic
- Meaning: hope
13. Rajan
- Origin: Sanskrit
- Meaning: the king
- Also: Rajesh
14. Rajnish
- Origin: Sanskrit
- Meaning: the moon
- Also: Rajneesh
15. Raleigh
- Origin: Old English
- Meaning: deer’s meadow
- Also: Rayleigh, Rawley
16. Ralph
- Origin: Old Norse
- Meaning: wolf counsellor
- Also: Rafe, Ralf, Raoul (French form), Raul (Spanish form)
17. Rama
- Origin: Sanskrit
- Meaning: pleasing
18. Ramon
- Origin: Spanish
- Meaning: counsel, protection
- Also: Raymond
19. Ramsey
- Origin: Old English
- Meaning: garlic Island
- Also: Ramsay
20. Randal
- Origin: Old English
- Meaning: shield of the wolf
- Also: Rand, Ranulf
21. Randolph
- Origin: Old English
- Meaning: shield of the wolf; this name is from the same root as Randal
- Also: Randy
22. Rankin
- Origin: Old English
- Meaning: little shield
- Also: Rankine
23. Ransom
- Origin: Old English
- Meaning: warrior’s shield
24. Raoul
- Origin: French
- Meaning: counsel; wolf
- Also: Ralph, Raul
25. Raphael
- Origin: Hebrew
- Meaning: God has healed
26. Raqib
- Origin: Arabic
- Meaning: guardian
27. Rashad
- Origin: Arabic
- Meaning: maturity
28. Rashan
- Origin: African American
- Meaning: newly created
- Also: Roshawn, RoShawn
29. Rastus
- Origin: Greek
- Meaning: beloved
- Also: Erasmus
30. Ravi
- Origin: Sanskrit
- Meaning: the sun
- Also: Ravindra
31. Rawley
- Origin: English
- Meaning: roe deer's meadow
- Also: Raleigh
32. Rawnsley
- Origin: Old English
- Meaning: the field of ravens
33. Raymond
- Origin: Old German
- Meaning: strong protection
- Also: Ray, Ramon (Spanish form)
34. Rayner
- Origin: Old German
- Meaning: mighty people
- Also: Rayne, Rainier (French form)
35. Razi
- Origin: African American
- Meaning: secret
- Also: Raz, Raziel
36. Read
- Origin: Old English
- Meaning: red
- Also: Reade, Reed, Reede
37. Reading
- Origin: Old English
- Meaning: son of the red head
- Also: Redding
38. Redman
- Origin: Old English
- Meaning: the red man
- Also: Redmond
39. Reece
- Origin: English
- Meaning: passion
- Also: Rhys
40. Regan
- Origin: Irish
- Meaning: descended from kings; a surname used as a first name
- Also: Reagan, Rogan
41. Reginald
- Origin: Old English
- Meaning: power
- Also: Reg, Reggie, Rex, Renato (Italian form)
42. Rehan
- Origin: Arabic
- Meaning: scented
43. Remus
- Origin: Latin
- Meaning: an oar; Remus was the brother of Romulus, the founder of Rome.
44. Renato
- Origin: Latin
- Meaning: born again
- Also: Reginald
45. René
- Origin: French
- Meaning: born again
46. Renfrew
- Origin: Old English
- Meaning: the point of two river currents meeting
47. Renton
- Origin: Old English
- Meaning: settlement of the deer
48. Reuben
- Origin: Hebrew
- Meaning: behold a son
- Also: Rube
49. Rex
- Origin: Latin
- Meaning: king
50. Reyansh
- Origin: Hindi
- Meaning: ray of light
51. Reynard
- Origin: Old German
- Meaning: strong and brave
52. Reynold
- Origin: Old English
- Meaning: might
53. Rhodri
- Origin: Welsh
- Meaning: crowned leader
- Also: Roderick (English form)
54. Rhys
- Origin: Welsh
- Meaning: temper
- Also: Reece
55. Rian/Riaan
- Origin: Irish
- Meaning: king
- Also: Ryan
56. Richard
- Origin: Old English
- Meaning: powerful ruler
- Also: Dick, Dickie, Rich, Richie, Ricky, Rickie, Ricard
57. Richmond
- Origin: Old French
- Meaning: the rich hill
- Also: Rich, Richey
58. Rida
- Origin: Arabic
- Meaning: favoured
59. Rider
- Origin: English
- Meaning: horseman
60. Ridley
- Origin: Old English
- Meaning: reed meadow
61. Rigby
- Origin: English
- Meaning: ridge farm
62. Rigg
- Origin: Anglo-Saxon
- Meaning: ridge
63. Rikuto
- Origin: Japanese
- Meaning: land
64. Riley
- Origin: Old English
- Meaning: wood clearing
65. Riordan
- Origin: Irish
- Meaning: royal poet
- Also: Reardon
66. Ripley
- Origin: Old English
- Meaning: shouting man’s meadow
67. Rishi
- Origin: Indian
- Meaning: wise man
68. River
- Origin: English
- Meaning: body of water
69. Roald
- Origin: Old Norse
- Meaning: famous leader
70. Robert
- Origin: Old German
- Meaning: bright fame
- Also: are Bob, Bobbie, Bobby, Bert, Rab, Rabbie (Scottish forms)
71. Robin
- Origin: English
- Meaning: bright
- Also: Robert, Robyn
72. Robinson
- Origin: English
- Meaning: son of Robin
73. Rochester
- Origin: Old English
- Meaning: stone camp or fortress
74. Rodden
- Origin: Gaelic
- Meaning: place or house in the clearing
75. Roderick
- Origin: Old German
- Meaning: famous rule
- Also: Rod, Roddy, Roderick (Spanish form)
76. Rodney
- Origin: English
- Meaning: island near the clearing; a surname and Somerset place used as a first name
- Also: Rod, Roddy
77. Rodrigo
- Origin: Spanish
- Meaning: famous ruler
- Also: Roderick
78. Roger
- Origin: Old English
- Meaning: famous spearman
- Also: Rodger, Rodge
79. Rohan
- Origin: Sanskrit
- Meaning: healing
80. Roland
- Origin: Old German
- Meaning: the famous land
- Also: Rowland, Rolland, Roly, Orlando
81. Rolf
- Origin: Old German
- Meaning: famous wolf
- Also: Ralph, Rollo.
82. Romilly
- Origin: French
- Meaning: man of Rome, the capital city of Italy
83. Romney
- Origin: Welsh
- Meaning: winding river
84. Ronak
- Origin: Sanskrit
- Meaning: enrichment
85. Ronald
- Origin: Scottish
- Meaning: rules with counsel; Scottish form of Reynald and Reginald
- Also: Ranald, Reg, Reggi, Ron, Ronnie
86. Ronan
- Origin: Irish
- Meaning: little seal; a name used in Ireland and Scotland
87. Rory
- Origin: Irish and Gaelic
- Meaning: red-haired
- Also: Rorie, Ruari, Ruaridh
88. Roscoe
- Origin: Norse
- Meaning: roe or deer’s wood
89. Ross
- Origin: Gaelic
- Meaning: headland; the name of a Scottish clan
90. Rowan
- Origin: Irish
- Meaning: red-haired
91. Rowe
- Origin: Old German
- Meaning: roe deer
92. Rowell
- Origin: Old English
- Meaning: roe deer well
93. Rowley
- Origin: Old English
- Meaning: roughly cleared meadow
94. Roxburgh
- Origin: Old English
- Meaning: the fort with rooks
95. Roy
- Origin: Gaelic
- Meaning: red
96. Royce
- Origin: English
- Meaning: son of the king; associated with the Rolls-Royce car brand
97. Royle
- Origin: Old English
- Meaning: the hill of roe deer
98. Royston
- Origin: Old English
- Meaning: the town of Royce
99. Rube
- Origin: Hebrew
- Meaning: behold a son
- Also: Reuben
100. Rudolf
- Origin: Old German
- Meaning: famous wolf
- Also: Rudolph, Rudy, Rudi
101. Rudra
- Origin: Sanskrit
- Meaning: the roared
102. Rudyard
- Origin: Old English
- Meaning: an enclosure
103. Rufus
- Origin: Latin
- Meaning: red-haired
104. Runako
- Origin: African American
- Meaning: handsome
105. Rupak
- Origin: Sanskrit
- Meaning: beautiful
- Also: Rupesh, Rupchand, Rupinder
106. Rupert
- Origin: Old German
- Meaning: bright fame; this name comes from the same root as Robert
107. Russell
- Origin: Norse
- Meaning: red-haired or skinned
- Also: Russ
108. Rutherford
- Origin: Old English
- Meaning: cattle crossing
109. Rutland
- Origin: Norse
- Meaning: land of roots
110. Ryan
- Origin: Gaelic
- Meaning: little king
- Also: Rian, Riaan
111. Ryker
- Origin: Danish
- Meaning: strong
112. Ryland
- Origin: Old English
- Meaning: the land that grows rye
- Also: Rylan
About our author Catherine Ball
Catherine Ball is a freelance journalist who specialises in writing about parenting and health. She has been a journalist for 20 years, writing for a wide range of regional and national publications. She is also mum to 4 children between the ages 3 and 12, so has drawn up many, many lists of baby names over the past few years.
Illustration: Emma Winchester
Read more:
Create the perfect wishlist for your baby with MyCrib
Are you expecting and don't know where to start? Discover how MyCrib can help you build your dream wishlist. You can add products from any site with just one click and even use MyCrib's buying assistant to help get you started.