140 Strong Boy Names That Start With R: For Righteous Men

Updated
These top boy names that start with R are all rather regal and refined!

You can always rely on boy names that start with R to carry the most radiant and respectable vibes, so we gathered this complete list of R names for your interest.

Whether you prefer names with rugged, regal, or even religious meanings, we’re sure you’ll find some perfect options among these R names for boys. Inspired from across the world, here are the top most reputable names for boys that start with R, including all their remarkable meanings, origins, and more.


140 Regal Boy Names That Start With R

Get ready, as these R names for boys are all radiant and beautifully rare.

  1. Ra – after the Egyptian god of the sun.
  2. Rade – a Slavic short form of names with that “rad” element, such as Radomil.
  3. Radomil – a chirpy Slavic name for a boy who’s always “happy” and “gracious.”
  4. Rafał – a strong Polish form of Raphael, meaning “God heals.”
  5. Rafferty – a unique Irish male name meaning “flood tide” or “prosperity.”
  6. Rafi – a significant Islamic name meaning “exalted, noble” in Arabic.
  7. Ragnall – this badass name is full of “mighty power,” with Gaelic, Germanic, and Old Norse roots.
  8. Ragnar – this thunderous Viking warrior name means “army counsel.”
  9. Rahul – in Sanskrit, Rahul has the most ethereal meanings of “efficient” and “moon.”
  10. Rain – this weather-inspired name sounds hopelessly romantic.
  11. Raini – a beautiful Native American boy name, meaning “creator.”
  12. Raj – meaning “king, ruler” in Sanskrit, this 3-letter name is mighty indeed.
  13. Rajani – meaning “dark one,” this gender-neutral Hindi name is mysterious and alluring.
  14. Rajesh – an even more spectacular form of Raj, meaning “ruler of kings.”
  15. Ralph – with Norman roots, this old-fashioned boy name means “wolf counsel.”
  16. Ralphie – a pet form of Ralph that sounds perfectly endearing for a little cutie-pie.
  17. Rami – a sweet name of various origins and meanings, including “archer, marksman” in Arabic.
  18. Ramón – an attractive Spanish form of Raymond.
  19. Ramsay – meaning “from the island of wild garlic,” this Scottish name sure is pungent.
  20. Ramses – a smart Egyptian name, nodding to the ancient sun god Ra.
  21. Ranbir – this Indian boy’s name is fit for the finest of “brave warriors.”
  22. Randall – a slick name for a protective man, meaning “shield wolf.”
  23. Randolph – like a festive-sounding variant to Randall, this Old German name means “shield wolf.”
  24. Randy – this typically American nickname comes from Germanic names starting with “Rand-.”
  25. Ranjit – an upbeat Indian name, radiating “victory” and “delight.”
  26. Raphael – or Rafael both beautiful male names of Hebrew origin, meaning “God has healed.”
  27. Rashawn – a modern American name, combining Ray with the popular name Shawn (“God is gracious.”)
  28. Rashid – or Rasheed, both Arabic baby boy names for “rightly-guided” lads.
  29. Rasmus – a Swedish alternative to the Greek Erasmus, meaning “beloved.”
  30. Raul – or Raoul, soft and European, this handsome name means “wolf counsel.”
  31. Ravana – this “roaring” name belonged to a demon in Hindu mythology.
  32. Raven – after the dark black bird, a mysterious, nature-inspired, gender-neutral choice.
  33. Ravi – sounds cozy among 4-letter names for boys that start with R, meaning “sun” in Sanskrit.
  34. Ray – a nickname for Raymond, like the cutest little sunbeam.
  35. Rayan – or Rayyan, signifying one of the gates to paradise in Islamic tradition.
  36. Raymond – with German roots, this classic old man’s name means “wise protector.”
  37. Reaper – an occupational surname meaning “harvester,” morbidly associated with the Grim Reaper of death.
  38. Reece – bubbling with “enthusiasm and passion,” this smart name is one to aspire to.
  39. Reed – or Reid, both perfect among boy names that start with R for “redheads.”
  40. Reeve – this strikingly handsome name means “steward” or “officer.”
  41. Regan – or Reagan, meaning “regal,” reminds us of horror movie children.
  42. Regulus – a starry name for your “little king” from Roman Latin.
  43. Rei – this biblical Hebrew name means “friend,” as a cute alternative to Ray.
  44. Reko – surprisingly, a Finnish form of Gregory, meaning “watchman.”
  45. Remington – an upper-class English name meaning “settlement” or “raven.”
  46. Remus – after one of the mythological twin founders of Rome, Remus means “oar.”
  47. Rémy – a charming name meaning “oarsman,” great if you like French boy names with R.
  48. Ren – a gender-neutral Japanese name meaning “lotus,” or possibly a mis-spelling of the bird-inspired name Wren.
  49. Rene – a common French name with the vibrant meaning of “re-born.”
  50. Reuben – this Hebrew name perfectly captures a parent’s joy, meaning “behold, a son.”
  51. Rex – fit for a dino-lover, this regal Latin name means “king.”
  52. Rey – the Spanish word for “king” would be a cool pick among Star Wars-loving parents.
  53. Reyes – is simply a plural form of Rey, meaning “kings” in Spanish.
  54. Reynaldo – a kingly Spanish name meaning “counsel, rule.”
  55. Rhaegal – spicy and exotic, this unusual name is inspired by a Game of Thrones dragon.
  56. Rhett – for a kid that knows what’s up, consider this English name meaning “advice, counsel.”
  57. Rhodes – after the Greek island, also a beautiful English name meaning “where roses grow.”
  58. Rhys – a fun, 4-letter spelling variant of Reece, meaning “ardor, passion.”
  59. Rian – separate from Ryan, meaning “water, ocean,” with Old Irish origins.
  60. Ricardo – a sexy Spanish and Portuguese variant of Richard.
  61. Rich – a short form of Richard, also hopefully inspiring wealth upon a son.
  62. Richard – means “strong in rule” in Old French – the most commanding among R names for boys.
  63. Richter – this German last name means “judge,” making a great first name for a no-nonsense chap.
  64. Rico – this Richard diminutive sounds modern and fresh.
  65. Ridwan – a smart, 6-letter Arabic name meaning “satisfaction.”
  66. Rikke – a Viking name meaning “peace ruler.”
  67. Riku – this slick Japanese boy’s name element has the earthy meaning of “land.”
  68. Riley – this popular unisex name has various meanings, including “brave” or “rye clearing.”
  69. Rio – is tropical-sounding among nature-inspired guy names that start with R, meaning “river” In Spanish.
  70. Riordan – means “poet king” for budding Irish literary geniuses.
  71. Ripley – a sci-fi surname and given name, meaning “a strip of land clearing” from English.
  72. Rishabh – perhaps the best Indian R name on this list, as it literally means “superior.”
  73. Rishi – another wise choice, meaning “sage, poet” in Sanskrit.
  74. Risto – a cool Finnish, Estonian, and South Slavic diminutive of Christopher, meaning “bearer of Christ.”
  75. Ritchie – this medieval name is a fun alternative to Richard, with the same “strong” roots.
  76. Ritter – a triumphant “R” surname for a handsome “knight.”
  77. River – smooth and tranquil, this watery name is gorgeous for boys and girls.
  78. Robbie – or just Rob, both cute nicknames for Robert.
  79. Robert – a powerful name that radiates “bright fame” and “glory.”
  80. Robertson – a common surname and great first name for a “son of Robert.”
  81. Robin – a chirpy name for boys and girls, after the sweet, festive bird.
  82. Robson – an alternative to Robertson, likely for a “son of Rob.”
  83. Rocco – a saintly yet stylish Italian name meaning “peaceful.”
  84. Roch – a stylish Polish and French form of the “peaceful, restful” Rocco.
  85. Rochefort – an elegant French surname meaning “strong castle.”
  86. Rocío – this gender-neutral, literary Spanish name means “dew,” connoting fresh new mornings.
  87. Rockwell – this punchy surname would shine as a male-given name, meaning “rock spring.”
  88. Rocky – a trendy name for a tough cookie.
  89. Roderick – a gothic Germanic name for a “famous ruler.”
  90. Rodney – a dated English male first and last name, meaning “island near the clearing.”
  91. Rodolfo – a Spanish form of Rudolph, meaning “famous wolf.”
  92. Rodrigo – a commonly-heard Spanish variant of Roderick.
  93. Roger – a dated name meaning “famous spear” of Norman origin.
  94. Rogue – a fresh name for an unpredictable troublemaker!
  95. Rohaan – a popular Indian Muslim name among “spiritual” families.
  96. Rohit – this dreamy Sanskrit name refers to the beautiful red shades of an early sunrise.
  97. Roland – a patriotic Old German and English name meaning “renowned land.”
  98. Roman – a beautiful Latin male name full of myth and culture, meaning “from Rome.”
  99. Romeo – the most romantic of male names that start with R, for a man “from Rome.”
  100. Romulus – along with Remus, Romulus was a legendary founder “of Rome.”
  101. Ronald – meaning “advice, rule,” this old Scandinavian name sounds dated today.
  102. Ronaldo – the Spanish form of Ronald, is hot among football fans.
  103. Ronan – this handsome Gaelic name has the quirky but cute meaning of “little seal.”
  104. Rongo – a unique Maori name meaning “protector of the crops.”
  105. Ronin – a form of Ronan, also holding the badass Japanese interpretation of “masterless warrior.”
  106. Ronnie – this short form of Ronald is famous in the world of comedy.
  107. Rook – like the crow bird, the chess piece, or perhaps a newbie.
  108. Rooney – sure to be a hit among parents, this Irish-rooted name means “descendant of the champion.”
  109. Roope – a radiant Finnish form of Robert, meaning “bright fame.”
  110. Rory – a traditional and timeless Gaelic name meaning “red king.”
  111. Roscoe – this trendy name has the earthy meaning of “deer wood,” with Old Norse origins.
  112. Ross – a friendly Scottish name meaning “headland.”
  113. Rossi – means “red,” a vivid pick among Italian guy names that start with R.
  114. Rourke – is an Irish name of unknown meaning but offers a strong, regal stature.
  115. Roux – this Old French name means “red-haired.”
  116. Rowan – means “the little red one,” after a type of tree believed to offer sacred protection.
  117. Roy – a powerful 3-letter pick, meaning “king” in French and “red” in Scottish.
  118. Royal – another regal name for your noble little leader-in-the-making.
  119. Royce – meaning “fame, royal,” this German boy’s name reminds us of fancy cars.
  120. Rua – another name with dual interpretations – meaning “lake” in Maori and “red” in Irish.
  121. Ruadh – this medieval Gaelic “red” name would make an epic middle name for a lad.
  122. Ruairi – a traditionally Irish form of Rory, with that cute meaning of “red king.”
  123. Rubio – rustic and sweet; this Spanish name means “red” or “red-haired.”
  124. Rudolph – or Rudolf, like the festive reindeer, meaning “famous, glorious wolf,” from German roots.
  125. Rudy – a rarely-heard nickname for Rudolph.
  126. Rue – means “regret” but has a beautifully dainty ring.
  127. Rufus – another fun R name meaning “redhead” in Latin.
  128. Rune – if you love a mystery, this symbolic name refers to “secret lore.”
  129. Runo – means “poem;” this unisex Finnish name would suit sensitive, creative souls.
  130. Russell – a “red, reddish” name, reminds us of the sound of leaves in autumn.
  131. Russett – after a red-brown shade, perhaps for a man with handsome auburn hair.
  132. Rusty – a fun nickname for a redhead.
  133. Rutherford – a confident Scottish boy’s name made from elements meaning “cattle” and “river crossing.”
  134. Ryan – timeless and popular, this Irish name means “little king.”
  135. Ryder – for a “horseman, knight,” this trendy name is sure to sound smart.
  136. Ryker – trendy and swish, a German name for the “rich” man in your life.
  137. Rylan – a stylish version of Ryan, meaning “land of rye” in Old English.
  138. Ryszard – the Polish form of Richard, with a spelling to turn heads.
  139. Ryu – short yet mighty, meaning “dragon” in Japanese.
  140. Ryūji – another hot Japanese name with “dragon” as a possible meaning.

R Names for Boys FAQs

What Are Some Popular Boy Names With R?

Ryan is a consistently popular boy name that starts with R, with other options such as Robert, Richard, Riley, and Raj all commonly-heard, familiar choices.

What Is a Royal Boy Name That Starts With R?

If you’re looking for regal R names for boys, consider Rex (“king”), Royce (“fame, royal”), Regan (“regal”), Regulus (“little king”), Ruairi (“red king”), or Raj (“king, ruler”). Royal also makes a charming regal baby name, as do literal kings’ names, such as Richard.

What Are the Best Gender-Neutral R Names?

Some gorgeous unisex R names for boys and girls include River, Riley, Rue, Rocío, Ren, Rajani, and Runo. Then, nickname-style names such as Randy, Rusty, Ray, and Rocky suit any gender.

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About the Author

Madeleine Lily Webb

Madeleine is a writer from somewhere near Manchester, England. Madeleine's background in languages and linguistics has led to baby names becoming one of her favorite topics to write about. When she's not fallen down a rabbit hole of stories behind unique names, Madeleine can be found hanging out with her cat, taking photos of flowers, or dancing.