Girl Names That Start With R
R names have a warm, rolling sound that works in almost any style. Think of gemstone Ruby, garden-fresh Rose, sporty Riley, regal Regina or storybook Rosalind. We picked 90+ girl names that start with R and paired each with its meaning and origin, from Hebrew and Latin classics to Welsh and Japanese gems.
Rose alone launched a whole family of names (Rosa, Rosie, Rosalie, Rosamund, Rosalind), so we’ve given it its own section. For sisters and brothers, see girl names that start with S and boy names that start with R, or head back to all girl names.
Popular girl names starting with R
The R names you hear most often in American nurseries today.
| Name | Meaning | Origin |
|---|---|---|
| Ruby | Deep red gemstone | Latin (rubeus, “red”) |
| Riley | Rye clearing | Irish/English surname |
| Reagan | Little king | Irish (Ó Riagáin) |
| Raelynn | Modern blend of Rae + Lynn | American |
| Remi | Oarsman (from Rémy); rower | French |
| Rylee | Variant of Riley | American |
| Raegan | Variant of Reagan | American |
| Reese | Ardor, fiery (from Rhys) | Welsh |
| Rachel | Ewe | Hebrew |
| Rebecca | To bind, to tie | Hebrew |
| Ryleigh | Variant of Riley | American |
| Rowan | Little red one; the rowan tree | Irish/Scottish |
| River | Flowing water | English |
| Raven | The black bird | English |
The Rose family of names
All of these grew from the rose or from the Germanic hros (“horse”), which medieval writers blended with Latin rosa. For other bloom names, see flower names for girls.
| Name | Meaning | Origin |
|---|---|---|
| Rose | The rose flower | Latin, via Germanic |
| Rosie | Diminutive of Rose | English |
| Rosa | Rose | Latin/Spanish/Italian |
| Rosalie | Rose garland; from the Roman Rosalia festival | French |
| Rosalind | Gentle horse, later “pretty rose” | Germanic/Spanish |
| Rosalyn | Variant of Rosalind | English |
| Rosamund | Horse protection; read as “rose of the world” | Germanic |
| Rosemary | Dew of the sea (the herb) | Latin (ros marinus) |
| Rosalia | Rose garland | Italian/Spanish |
| Rosetta | Little rose | Italian |
| Rosalba | White rose | Italian |
| Roisin | Little rose (Róisín, ro-SHEEN) | Irish |
| Rosaline | Variant of Rosalind; Romeo’s first love | English |
| Rosita | Little rose | Spanish |
| Roselle | Little rose | French |
Vintage R names ready for a comeback
These were fixtures of 1900s–1950s birth records. More old-school picks live on our vintage girl names list.
| Name | Meaning | Origin |
|---|---|---|
| Ramona | Wise protector | Spanish, from Germanic Raymond |
| Rita | Pearl, short for Margarita | Spanish/Italian |
| Ruth | Friend, companion | Hebrew |
| Roberta | Bright fame | Germanic |
| Rhoda | Rose | Greek |
| Regina | Queen | Latin |
| Rosanna | Rose + Anna, “grace” | English/Italian |
| Roxanne | Dawn, little star | Persian (Roxana) |
| Rae | Ewe (from Rachel); also doe | English |
| Reba | Short for Rebecca | Hebrew/American |
| Rowena | Fame and joy (possibly) | Anglo-Saxon/Welsh |
| Ruthie | Diminutive of Ruth | English |
| Renee | Reborn | French (Renée) |
Welsh, Irish and Scottish R names
Celtic languages offer strong, lyrical R names. Find more in Welsh girl names and Scottish girl names.
| Name | Pronunciation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Rhiannon | hree-AN-on | Great queen; a figure from the Mabinogion |
| Rhian | HREE-an | Maiden |
| Rhona | ROH-na | Possibly from the Hebridean isle of Rona, “rough island” |
| Rhonwen | HRON-wen | Fair lance, or white-haired |
| Rhosyn | HROSS-in | Rose (Welsh) |
| Riona | REE-uh-na | Queenly (Ríona) |
| Rionach | REE-uh-nakh | Queenly |
| Rhiain | HREE-ine | Maiden |
International R names
R names from Spanish, Italian, Japanese, Hebrew and more. Also see Japanese girl names and Hebrew girl names.
| Name | Meaning | Origin |
|---|---|---|
| Reina | Queen | Spanish |
| Renata | Reborn | Latin/Italian |
| Raquel | Ewe, form of Rachel | Spanish/Portuguese |
| Rocio | Dew (Rocío) | Spanish |
| Romina | From Rome, Roman | Italian |
| Romy | Short for Rosemarie | German/Dutch |
| Rin | Dignified; cold (凛) | Japanese |
| Rei | Lovely, beautiful (麗); bell (鈴) | Japanese |
| Riko | Jasmine child (莉子) | Japanese |
| Rina | Joy (Hebrew); jasmine (Japanese 莉奈) | Hebrew/Japanese |
| Rivka | To bind | Hebrew form of Rebecca |
| Ronit | Joy, song | Hebrew |
| Raisa | Rose; easygoing | Yiddish/Russian |
| Radha | Success, prosperity; consort of Krishna | Sanskrit |
| Riya | Singer (modern Hindi usage) | Indian |
| Rania | Queenly, gazing | Arabic |
| Rasha | Young gazelle | Arabic |
| Roksana | Dawn, little star | Polish |
| Ragnhild | Counsel + battle | Norwegian |
| Ruslana | Lion (from Ruslan) | Ukrainian |
| Rosario | Rosary | Spanish |
| Rashida | Rightly guided | Arabic |
| Rukmini | Adorned with gold; wife of Krishna | Sanskrit |
Modern and gender-neutral R names
Surname and word names that feel current for any child. For more edge, see cool girl names.
| Name | Meaning / source | Vibe |
|---|---|---|
| Rory | Red king (Ruaidhrí) | Friendly, unisex |
| Remington | Raven farm | Western, bold |
| Rhodes | Where roses grow; the Greek island | Travel-inspired |
| Royal | Of the king | Statement name |
| Rain | Rain from the sky | Nature, soft |
| Reverie | A daydream | Dreamy, rare |
| Rebel | One who defies | Spirited |
| Robin | The songbird; from Robert, “bright fame” | Gentle, unisex |
| Rumi | The 13th-century Persian poet | Soulful |
| Ryan | Little king | Unisex Irish |
| Ripley | Strip of woodland | English surname |
| Raleigh | Red deer meadow | English place name |
Mythic and literary R names
Heroines and deities worth borrowing. Browse mythology girl names for more.
| Name | Meaning | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Rhea | Flowing, or ground | Greek Titaness, mother of Zeus |
| Ran | Robbery | Norse sea goddess |
| Rati | Love, pleasure | Hindu goddess of desire |
| Rosmerta | Great provider | Celtic goddess of abundance |
| Rapunzel | Rampion, a salad plant | Grimm fairy tale |
| Rebekah | To bind | Wife of Isaac, Genesis 24 |
| Rahab | Wide, spacious | Book of Joshua 2 |
| Rind | Uncertain | Norse myth, mother of Váli |
| Rilla | Short for Marilla | L. M. Montgomery’s Rilla of Ingleside |
How to choose an R name you’ll love
- Watch the R-L combo. Names like Rosalind or Raelynn roll nicely; with a surname full of Rs and Ls (Rosalie Riley) they can become a tongue twister.
- Pick your Rose. If you love Rose but want it longer, Rosalind, Rosamund and Rosalie all shorten naturally to Rosie.
- Think about spellings. Riley has at least four common spellings (Rylee, Ryleigh, Reilly); decide whether a unique spelling is worth the correcting.
- Queenly options. Regina, Reina, Rania and Riona all mean queen. See more in names that mean queen.
- Try an R middle name. Rose, Rae, Ruth and Ruby are some of the most used middle names in the US.
Frequently asked questions
What is the most popular girl name that starts with R?
Riley and Ruby are among the most-used R names for American girls in recent years, both in the SSA top 100. Rose has also climbed strongly.
What girl names starting with R mean “queen”?
Regina (Latin), Reina (Spanish), Rania (Arabic), Riona (Irish) and Rionach all carry a queenly meaning.
How do you pronounce Rhiannon?
In Welsh it is hree-AN-on, with a breathy Welsh “rh.” In the US most people say ree-AN-un, the pronunciation popularized by Fleetwood Mac’s 1975 song.
What are vintage girl names that start with R?
Ruth, Ramona, Rita, Rosemary, Rhoda, Roberta and Rosanna were all common in the early to mid 20th century.
What is a unique girl name that starts with R?
Rosamund, Rhonwen, Reverie, Romy, Ragnhild and Rosmerta are uncommon but real names with clear meanings.