Radu m RomanianOld Romanian diminutive of Slavic names beginning with the element
radŭ meaning
"happy, willing". Radu Negru was the semi-legendary founder of Wallachia in the 13th century.
Radúz m Czech (Rare)Derived from Czech
rád meaning
"happy, glad". The Czech author Julius Zeyer probably created it for a character in his play
Radúz and Mahulena (1898).
Raeburn m English (Rare)From a Scottish surname that was originally derived from a place name meaning
"stream where deer drink" (from Scots
rae "roe deer" and
burn "stream"). A famous bearer of the surname was Scottish portrait painter Henry Raeburn (1756-1823).
Rafferty m EnglishFrom an Irish surname, itself derived from the given name
Rabhartach meaning "flood tide".
Raginbert m GermanicDerived from the Old German elements
regin "advice, counsel, decision" and
beraht "bright". This was the name of an 8th-century Lombard king.
Ragnarr m Old NorseFrom the Old Norse elements
regin "advice, counsel" and
herr "army, warrior". It is a cognate of
Rayner. This name was borne by the legendary Viking hero Ragnar Lodbrok.
Rahab f BiblicalMeans
"spacious" in Hebrew. In the Old Testament this is the name of a woman of Jericho who helped the Israelites capture the city.
Raharjo m JavaneseFrom Javanese
raharja meaning
"prosperous, plentiful, abundant".
Rahmi m TurkishMeans
"merciful" in Turkish, ultimately from Arabic.
Rahu m HinduismPossibly means
"seizer", from the root
रभ् (rabh) meaning "to take hold, to clasp". In Hindu astrology this is the name of the ascending node of the moon, personified as an asura (demon) responsible for eclipses.
Rahula m Sanskrit, BuddhismMeaning uncertain, possibly derived from the name of the demon
Rahu. This was the name of the son of Siddhartha Gautama (the
Buddha).
Raijin m Japanese MythologyFrom Japanese
雷 (rai) meaning "thunder" and
神 (jin) meaning "god, spirit". This is the name of the god (or gods) of thunder and storms in the mythology of Japan.
Rainbow f English (Rare)From the English word for the arc of multicoloured light that can appear in a misty sky.
Raine f & m English (Rare)From a surname derived from the Old French nickname
reine meaning
"queen". A famous bearer was the British socialite Raine Spencer (1929-2016), the stepmother of Princess Diana. In modern times it is also considered a variant of
Rain 1.
Raivo m EstonianMeaning uncertain. It is possibly a diminutive of
Raimond or it could be related to the Old Estonian word
raivo meaning
"fury, rage".
Raj m Hindi, Marathi, Bengali, Punjabi, Gujarati, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Malayalam, NepaliMeans
"empire, royalty", from Sanskrit
राज्य (rājya).
Raja 1 f ArabicMeans
"hope" in Arabic, from the root
رجا (rajā) meaning "to hope, to anticipate".
Rajab m ArabicFrom the name of the seventh month in the Islamic calendar, derived from Arabic
رجب (rajaba) meaning "respect, awe".
Rajaram m Hindi, MarathiMeans
"king Rama", from Sanskrit
राज (rāja) meaning "king" combined with the name
Rama 1. This name was borne by a 17th-century ruler of the Maratha Empire.
Rajendra m Hindi, Marathi, Gujarati, Telugu, NepaliMeans
"lord of kings", derived from Sanskrit
राज (rāja) meaning "king" combined with the name of the Hindu god
Indra, used here to mean "lord". This was the name of two 11th-century rulers of the Chola Empire in southern India.
Rajesh m Hindi, Marathi, Bengali, Gujarati, Punjabi, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Malayalam, NepaliMeans
"ruler of kings" from Sanskrit
राज (rāja) meaning "king" and
ईश (īśa) meaning "lord, ruler".
Rajiya f ArabicMeans
"hope" in Arabic, derived from
رجا (rajā) meaning "to hope, to anticipate".
Rajnish m HindiMeans
"lord of the night" from Sanskrit
रजनी (rajanī) meaning "night" and
ईश (īśa) meaning "lord, ruler". This is another name for the moon in Hindu texts.
Rakhi f HindiFrom a word for a type of ritual wristband, ultimately from Sanskrit
रक्ष् (rakṣ) meaning "to protect".
Rama 1 m Hinduism, Telugu, Tamil, Kannada, MalayalamMeans
"pleasing, beautiful" in Sanskrit. In Hindu belief this is the name of an incarnation of the god
Vishnu. He is the hero of the
Ramayana, a Hindu epic, which tells of the abduction of his wife
Sita by the demon king
Ravana, and his efforts to recapture her.
... [more] Ramadan m ArabicFrom the name of the ninth month of the Islamic calendar. It is derived from Arabic
رمض (ramaḍ) meaning "parchedness, scorchedness". Muslims traditionally fast during this month.
Ramakrishna m Telugu, KannadaCombination of the names of the Hindu deities
Rama 1 and
Krishna. This name was borne by the Hindu religious teacher Sri Ramakrishna Paramahamsa (1836-1886).
Raman 2 m Persian MythologyMeans
"peace" in Avestan. In Zoroastrianism, this is the name of a Yazata (a holy being) who presides over joy.
Rambabu m TeluguMeans
"father Rama" from the name of the Hindu deity
Rama 1 combined with Telugu
బాబు (bābu) meaning "father".
Ramdas m Marathi, HindiMeans
"servant of Rama" from the name of the Hindu deity
Rama 1 combined with Sanskrit
दास (dāsa) meaning "servant". This name was borne by a 17th-century Hindu holy man from Maharashtra.
Rameshvara m HinduismMeans
"lord Rama", derived from the name of the Hindu deity
Rama 1 combined with Sanskrit
ईश्वर (īśvara) meaning "lord, god". This is the name of an island (also called
Rameswaram) between India and Sri Lanka, identified as the place where Rama prayed to
Shiva when he returned from Lanka. It is now an important pilgrimage site.
Ramesses m Ancient Egyptian (Anglicized)From
Ῥαμέσσης (Rhamesses), the Greek form of Egyptian
rꜥ-ms-sw meaning
"born of Ra", composed of the name of the supreme god
Ra combined with the root
msj "be born". Ramesses was the name of eleven Egyptian pharaohs of the New Kingdom. The most important of these were Ramesses II the Great who campaigned against the Hittites and also built several great monuments (13th century BC), and Ramesses III who defended Egypt from the Libyans and Sea Peoples (12th century BC).
Rami m ArabicMeans
"archer, marksman" in Arabic. This is the Arabic name for the constellation Sagittarius.
Ramin m Persian, AzerbaijaniDerived from Middle Persian
𐭥𐭠𐭬 (rʾm) meaning
"peace, joy". This is the name of a character in the Persian epic
Vis and Ramin, written by the 11th-century poet Fakhruddin As'ad Gurgani.
Ramiro m Spanish, PortugueseSpanish and Portuguese form of
Ramirus, earlier
Ranimirus, a Latinized form of a Visigothic name derived from the Gothic element
rana "wedge" or perhaps
ragin "law, decree, assessment, responsibility" combined with
mers "famous". Saint Ramirus was a 6th-century prior of the Saint Claudius Monastery in León. He and several others were executed by the Arian Visigoths, who opposed orthodox Christianity. This name was subsequently borne by kings of León, Asturias and Aragon.
Ramla f ArabicMeans
"sand" in Arabic. This was the name of one of the wives of the Prophet
Muhammad.
Ramprasad m Bengali, Hindi, MarathiMeans
"clearness of Rama" from the name of the Hindu deity
Rama 1 combined with Sanskrit
प्रसाद (prasāda) meaning "clearness, brightness". This name was borne by the Bengali poet Ramprasad Sen (c. 1723-1781).
Ramsey m & f EnglishFrom an English and Scottish surname that was derived from a place name meaning
"garlic island" in Old English.
Ramūnas m LithuanianDerived from Lithuanian
ramus meaning
"calm, peaceful" combined with the patronymic suffix
ūnas.
Rán f Norse MythologyMeans
"robbery, theft" in Old Norse. In Norse mythology Rán was a sea goddess who captured and drowned sailors. She was wife to
Ægir and the mother of nine daughters by him.
Ran f JapaneseFrom Japanese
蘭 (ran) meaning "orchid" or other kanji pronounced in the same way.
Randolf m EnglishFrom the Old German elements
rant meaning "rim (of a shield)" and
wolf meaning "wolf". The Normans brought this name to England, where there existed already an Old Norse cognate
Randúlfr, which had been introduced by Scandinavian settlers.
Randolf became rare after the Middle Ages, though it was revived in the 18th century (usually in the spelling
Randolph).
Rangi m Maori, Polynesian MythologyMeans
"sky" in Maori. In Maori and other Polynesian mythology Rangi or Ranginui was a god of the sky, husband of the earth goddess
Papa. They were locked in a crushing embrace but were eventually separated by their children, the other gods.
Raniya f ArabicPossibly related to the Arabic root
رنا (ranā) meaning
"to gaze, to look intently".
Ranjit m Hindi, Marathi, BengaliFrom Sanskrit
रञ्जित (rañjita) meaning
"coloured, pleased, delighted". A famous bearer was Ranjit Singh (1780-1839), the founder of a Sikh kingdom that covered most of the Punjab and Kashmir.
Raphael m German, English, BiblicalFrom the Hebrew name
רָפָאֵל (Rafaʾel) meaning
"God heals", from the roots
רָפָא (rafa) meaning "to heal" and
אֵל (ʾel) meaning "God". In Hebrew tradition Raphael is the name of an archangel. He appears in the Book of Tobit, in which he disguises himself as a man named
Azarias and accompanies
Tobias on his journey to Media, aiding him along the way. In the end he cures Tobias's father
Tobit of his blindness. He is not mentioned in the New Testament, though tradition identifies him with the angel troubling the water in
John 5:4.
... [more] Rapunzel f LiteratureFrom the name of an edible plant. It is borne by a long-haired young woman locked in a tower in an 1812 German fairy tale recorded by the Brothers Grimm. An evil sorceress gave her the name after she was taken as a baby from her parents, who had stolen the rapunzel plant from the sorceress's garden. The Grimms adapted the story from earlier tales (which used various names for the heroine).
Rareș m RomanianMeaning uncertain, possibly from Romanian
rar meaning
"sparse, rare". This name was borne by Petru Rareș, a 16th-century ruler of Moldavia, whose second name was adopted from a nickname of his mother's husband.
Rashn m Persian MythologyModern Persian form of Avestan
𐬭𐬀𐬱𐬥𐬎 (Rashnu) meaning
"just, straight". In Zoroastrianism this was the name of a Yazata who judged the souls of the dead.
Rathnait f Irish (Rare)Derived from Old Irish
rath "grace, prosperity" combined with a diminutive suffix. This was the name of an early Irish saint.
Rati f Hinduism, HindiMeans
"rest, repose, pleasure" in Sanskrit. This is the name of the Hindu goddess of love and pleasure, the wife of
Kama.
Ratko m Croatian, SerbianOriginally a diminutive of names beginning with the Slavic element
radŭ meaning
"happy, willing".
Ratomir m SerbianDerived from the Slavic elements
ortĭ (Serbo-Croatian
rat) meaning "war, battle" and
mirŭ meaning "peace, world".
Ratree f ThaiFrom the name of a variety of jasmine flower, the night jasmine, ultimately from a poetic word meaning "night".
Ravana m HinduismMeans
"roaring, screaming", derived from Sanskrit
रव (rava) meaning "roar, yell". In the Hindu epic the
Ramayana this is the name of the demon king who abducts
Sita.
Raven f & m EnglishFrom the name of the bird, ultimately from Old English
hræfn. The raven is revered by several Native American groups of the west coast. It is also associated with the Norse god
Odin.
Ravi m Hinduism, Hindi, Marathi, Odia, Gujarati, Telugu, Tamil, Kannada, Bengali, NepaliMeans
"sun" in Sanskrit. Ravi is a Hindu god of the sun, sometimes equated with
Surya. A famous bearer was the musician Ravi Shankar (1920-2012).
Ravid m & f HebrewMeans
"ornament, necklace" in Hebrew.
Ravil m TatarMeaning unknown, possibly of Arabic origin.
Rawiya f ArabicMeans
"storyteller" in Arabic, derived from
روى (rawā) meaning "to relate, to tell".
Raymond m English, FrenchFrom the Germanic name
Raginmund, composed of the elements
regin "advice, counsel, decision" and
munt "protection". The Normans introduced this name to England in the form
Reimund. It was borne by several medieval (mostly Spanish) saints, including Saint Raymond Nonnatus, the patron of midwives and expectant mothers, and Saint Raymond of Peñafort, the patron of canonists.
Rayner m English (Archaic)From the Germanic name
Raginheri, composed of the elements
regin "advice, counsel, decision" and
heri "army". Saint Rainerius was a 12th-century hermit from Pisa. The Normans brought this name to England where it came into general use, though it was rare by the end of the Middle Ages.
Rayyan m & f ArabicMeans
"watered, luxuriant" in Arabic. According to Islamic tradition this is the name of one of the gates of paradise.
Reagan f & m English (Modern)From an Irish surname, an Anglicized form of
Ó Riagáin, derived from the given name
Riagán. This surname was borne by American actor and president Ronald Reagan (1911-2004).
... [more] Rebecca f English, Italian, Swedish, German, Dutch, Biblical, Biblical LatinFrom the Hebrew name
רִבְקָה (Rivqa), probably from a Semitic root meaning
"join, tie, snare". This is the name of the wife of
Isaac and the mother of
Esau and
Jacob in the Old Testament. It came into use as an English Christian name after the Protestant Reformation, and it was popular with the Puritans in the 17th century. It has been consistently used since then, becoming especially common in the second half of the 20th century.
... [more] Red m EnglishFrom the English word for the colour, ultimately derived from Old English
read. This is typically a nickname given to a person with red hair or a ruddy complexion.
Reed m EnglishFrom an English surname that was derived from Old English
read meaning
"red", originally a nickname given to a person with red hair or a ruddy complexion. Unconnected, this is also the English word for tall grass-like plants that grow in marshes.
Refilwe m & f TswanaMeans
"we were given" in Tswana, derived from
filwe "given".
Regan f & m Literature, EnglishMeaning unknown. In the chronicles of Geoffrey of Monmouth it is the name of a treacherous daughter of King
Leir. Shakespeare adapted the story for his tragedy
King Lear (1606). In the modern era it has appeared in the horror movie
The Exorcist (1973) belonging to a girl possessed by the devil. This name can also be used as a variant of
Reagan.
Regina f English, German, Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, Lithuanian, Estonian, Polish, Czech, Slovak, Russian, Hungarian, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Late RomanMeans
"queen" in Latin (or Italian). It was in use as a Christian name from early times, and was borne by a 2nd-century saint. In England it was used during the Middle Ages in honour of the Virgin
Mary, and it was later revived in the 19th century. A city in Canada bears this name, in honour of Queen Victoria.
Régis m FrenchFrom a French surname meaning
"ruler" in Occitan. This name is often given in honour of Saint Jean-François Régis (1597-1640), a French Jesuit priest.
Regla f SpanishMeans
"rule" in Spanish. It is taken from the title of the Virgin
Mary,
Nuestra Señora de Regla, meaning "Our Lady of the Rule". This name is especially common in Cuba.
Regulus m Ancient Roman, AstronomyRoman cognomen meaning
"prince, little king", a diminutive of Latin
rex "king". This was the cognomen of several 3rd-century BC consuls from the gens Atilia. It was also the name of several early saints. A star in the constellation Leo bears this name as well.
Rehoboam m BiblicalFrom the Hebrew name
רֵחַבְעָם (Reḥavʿam) meaning
"he enlarges the people", from
רָחַב (raḥav) meaning "to enlarge" and
עַם (ʿam) meaning "people, nation". In the Old Testament this is the name of a son of
Solomon. He succeeded his father as king of Israel, but his subjects eventually revolted because of high taxes. This resulted in the division of the kingdom into Israel and Judah, with Rehoboam ruling Judah.
Rei f JapaneseFrom Japanese
鈴 (rei) meaning "bell",
麗 (rei) meaning "beautiful, lovely" or
玲 (rei) meaning "the tinkling of jade". This name can also be formed by other kanji with the same pronunciation.
Reidar m NorwegianFrom the Old Norse name
Hreiðarr, which was derived from the elements
hreiðr "nest, home" and
herr "army, warrior".
Reiko f JapaneseFrom Japanese
玲 (rei) meaning "the tinkling of jade" or
礼 (rei) meaning "ceremony" combined with
子 (ko) meaning "child". Other combinations of kanji can also form this name.
Reilly m & f English (Modern)From an Irish surname, an Anglicized form of
Ó Raghailligh, derived from the given name
Raghailleach, meaning unknown.
Reina 3 f JapaneseFrom Japanese
怜 (rei) meaning "wise" and
奈 (na), a phonetic character. This name can also be formed by other combinations of kanji.
Reine f FrenchMeans
"queen" in French, ultimately from Latin
regina.
Reinhild f GermanFrom the Germanic name
Raginhild, which was composed of the elements
regin "advice, counsel, decision" and
hilt "battle". This was the name of a 7th-century Frankish saint who was martyred by the Huns. It is a cognate of the Norse name
Ragnhild.
Rembrandt m Dutch (Rare)From a Germanic name that was composed of the elements
regin "advice, counsel, decision" and
brant "fire, torch, sword". This name belonged to the Dutch painter Rembrandt van Rijn (1606-1669).
Remedios f SpanishMeans
"remedies" in Spanish. It is taken from the title of the Virgin
Mary,
Nuestra Señora de los Remedios, meaning "Our Lady of the Remedies".
Remington m & f EnglishFrom an English surname that was derived from the name of the town of Rimington in Lancashire, itself meaning
"settlement on the Riming stream". It may be given in honour of the American manufacturer Eliphalet Remington (1793-1861) or his sons, founders of the firearms company that bears their name.
Remus m Roman Mythology, RomanianMeaning uncertain, possibly from Old Latin *
yemos meaning
"twin" with the initial consonant altered due to the influence of
Romulus. In Roman legend the twin brothers
Romulus and Remus were the founders of the city of Rome. Remus was later slain by his brother.
Rémy m FrenchFrench form of the Latin name
Remigius, which was derived from Latin
remigis "oarsman, rower". Saint Rémy was a 5th-century bishop who converted and baptized Clovis, king of the Franks.
Ren m & f JapaneseFrom Japanese
蓮 (ren) meaning "lotus",
恋 (ren) meaning "romantic love", or other kanji that are pronounced the same way.
Renesmee f LiteratureInvented by the American author Stephenie Meyer for a character in her novel
Breaking Dawn (2008), the fourth book of her
Twilight series. The character is the baby daughter of Bella Swan and Edward Cullen, with her name combining the names of her grandmothers:
Renée and
Esme.
Reto m German (Swiss)Means
"of Rhaetia". Rhaetia is a region in eastern Switzerland that got its name from the Rhaeti, a Celtic tribe who originally inhabited the area.
Reuben m Biblical, Hebrew, EnglishMeans
"behold, a son" in Hebrew, derived from
רָאָה (raʾa) meaning "to see" and
בֵּן (ben) meaning "son". In the Old Testament he is the eldest son of
Jacob and
Leah and the ancestor of one of the twelve tribes of Israel. Reuben was cursed by his father because he slept with Jacob's concubine
Bilhah. It has been used as a Christian name in Britain since the Protestant Reformation.
Reuel m Biblical, Biblical HebrewMeans
"friend of God" in Hebrew, from
רֵעַ (reaʿ) meaning "friend" and
אֵל (ʾel) meaning "God". In the Old Testament this is another name for
Jethro. The fantasy author John Ronald Reuel Tolkien (1892-1973) was a famous bearer.
Reumah f BiblicalMeans
"elevated, exalted" in Hebrew, derived
רָאַם (raʾam) meaning "to rise". According to the Old Testament, Reumah was a concubine of
Nahor and by him the mother of four sons.
Reut f HebrewMeans
"friendship" in Hebrew, making it a variant of the biblical name
Ruth.
Reva f Hinduism, HindiMeans
"one that moves" in Sanskrit. This is another name of the Hindu goddess
Rati.
Revaz m GeorgianPossibly of Persian origin meaning
"wealthy, successful".
Reverie f English (Rare)From the English word meaning
"daydream, fanciful musing", derived from Old French
resverie, itself from
resver meaning "to dream, to rave".
Rex m EnglishFrom Latin
rex meaning
"king". It has been used as a given name since the 19th century.
Reyes f & m SpanishMeans
"kings" in Spanish. It is taken from the title of the Virgin
Mary,
La Virgen de los Reyes, meaning "The Virgin of the Kings". According to legend, the Virgin Mary appeared to King Ferdinand III of Castile and told him his armies would defeat those of the Moors in Seville.
Reynard m English (Rare)From the Germanic name
Raginhard, composed of the elements
regin "advice, counsel, decision" and
hart "hard, firm, brave, hardy". The Normans brought it to England in the form
Reinard, though it never became very common there. In medieval fables the name was borne by the sly hero Reynard the Fox (with the result that
renard has become a French word meaning "fox").
Reynold m EnglishFrom the Germanic name
Raginald, composed of the elements
regin "advice, counsel, decision" and
walt "power, authority". The Normans (who used forms like
Reinald or
Reinold) brought the name to Britain, where it reinforced rare Old English and Norse cognates already in existence. It was common during the Middle Ages, but became more rare after the 15th century.
Rhea f Greek Mythology, Roman MythologyMeaning unknown, perhaps related to
ῥέω (rheo) meaning
"to flow" or
ἔρα (era) meaning
"ground". In Greek mythology Rhea was a Titan, the wife of
Cronus, and the mother of the Olympian gods
Zeus,
Poseidon,
Hades,
Hera,
Demeter and
Hestia. Also, in Roman mythology a woman named Rhea
Silvia was the mother of
Romulus and
Remus, the legendary founders of Rome.
Rhian f WelshDerived from Welsh
rhiain meaning
"maiden, young woman".
Rhiannon f Welsh, English, Welsh MythologyProbably derived from an unattested Celtic name *
Rīgantonā meaning
"great queen" (Celtic *
rīganī "queen" and the divine or augmentative suffix
-on). It is speculated that Rigantona was an old Celtic goddess, perhaps associated with fertility and horses like the Gaulish
Epona. As
Rhiannon, she appears in Welsh legend in the
Mabinogi as a beautiful magical woman who rides a white horse. She was betrothed against her will to
Gwawl, but cunningly broke off that engagement and married
Pwyll instead. Their son was
Pryderi.
... [more] Rhodri m WelshFrom the Old Welsh name
Rotri, derived from
rod "wheel" and
ri "king". This name was borne by several medieval Welsh rulers, including Rhodri the Great, a 9th-century king of Gwynedd.
Rhona f ScottishPossibly derived from the name of either of the two Hebridean islands called
Rona, which means
"rough island" in Old Norse.
Rhydderch m Welsh (Rare)From the Old Welsh name
Riderch, probably derived from
ri "king" combined with
derch "exalted". Rhydderch Hael was a 6th-century king of Strathclyde. This name has sometimes been Anglicized as
Roderick.
Rhydian m WelshPossibly a derivative of Welsh
rhyd meaning
"ford". Saint Rhydian or Rhidian was a companion of Saint
Illtyd.
Rhys m Welsh, EnglishFrom Old Welsh
Ris, probably meaning
"ardour, enthusiasm". Several Welsh rulers have borne this name, including the 12th-century Rhys ap Gruffydd who fought against the invading Normans.
Riagán m Irish (Rare)From Old Irish
Riacán, probably derived from
rí "king" combined with a diminutive suffix.
Richard m English, French, German, Czech, Slovak, Dutch, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, GermanicMeans
"brave ruler", derived from the Old German elements
rih "ruler, king" and
hart "hard, firm, brave, hardy". This was the name of three early dukes of Normandy. The Normans introduced it to England when they invaded in the 11th century, and it has been very common there since that time. It was borne by three kings of England including the 12th-century Richard I the Lionheart, one of the leaders of the Third Crusade.
... [more] Richardis f Germanic (Latinized)Germanic name, possibly a feminine form of
Ricohard, though it is likely the second element is
gart "enclosure" (being more common as a second element in feminine names). This was the name of the 9th-century wife of the Frankish emperor Charles the Fat. She is regarded as a saint.
Richmal f English (Rare)Meaning uncertain, possibly a combination of
Richard and
Mary. This name has been used since at least the late 18th century, mainly confined to the town of Bury in Lancashire.
Ricmod f & m GermanicDerived from the Old German element
rih "ruler, king" combined with
muot "mind, spirit".
Rida m ArabicFrom Arabic
رضًا (riḍan) meaning
"satisfaction, contentment". This name was borne by Ali ar-Rida, a 9th-century Shia imam.
Ridge m English (Modern)From the English vocabulary word denoting a continuous elevated mountain crest, or from the English surname derived from the word.
Ridley m & f English (Rare)From an English surname that was originally derived from various place names meaning either
"reed clearing" or
"stripped clearing" in Old English.
Rie f JapaneseFrom Japanese
理 (ri) meaning "reason, logic" or
里 (ri) meaning "village" combined with
恵 (e) meaning "favour, benefit". Other kanji combinations can also form this name.
Rifat m ArabicDerived from Arabic
رفعة (rifʿa) meaning
"high rank, elevation".
Rígbarddán m Old IrishMeans
"little poet of the king", from Old Irish
rí "king" (genitive
ríg) combined with
bard "poet" and a diminutive suffix.
Rigby m English (Rare)From an English surname that was originally derived from a place name meaning
"ridge farm" in Old Norse.
Rigel m AstronomyDerived from Arabic
الرجل (al-Rijl) meaning
"foot". This is the name of the star that forms the left foot of the constellation Orion.
Rihab f ArabicMeans
"wide areas, vastnesses" in Arabic, from the plural form of
رحبة (raḥba).
Riko f JapaneseFrom Japanese
莉 (ri) meaning "white jasmine" or
理 (ri) meaning "reason, logic" combined with
子 (ko) meaning "child". Other kanji combinations are possible.
Riku 2 m JapaneseFrom Japanese
陸 (riku) meaning "land" or different kanji that are pronounced the same way.
Rikuto m JapaneseFrom Japanese
陸 (riku) meaning "land" combined with
斗 (to), which refers to a Chinese constellation, or
人 (to) meaning "person", as well as other combinations of kanji that have the same pronunciation.
Riley m & f EnglishFrom a surname that comes from two distinct sources. As an Irish surname it is a variant of
Reilly. As an English surname it is derived from a place name meaning
"rye clearing" in Old English.
... [more] Rim f ArabicMeans
"white antelope" in Arabic.
Rimantas m LithuanianFrom Lithuanian
rimti "to calm down" combined with
mantus "intelligent" or
manta "property, wealth".
Rin f & m JapaneseFrom Japanese
凛 (rin) meaning "dignified, severe, cold" or other kanji that are pronounced the same way.
Rina 4 f JapaneseFrom Japanese
莉 (ri) meaning "white jasmine" or
里 (ri) meaning "village" combined with
奈 (na), a phonetic character, or
菜 (na) meaning "vegetables, greens". Other kanji combinations are possible.
Rio 1 m & f VariousMeans
"river" in Spanish or Portuguese. A city in Brazil bears this name. Its full name is Rio de Janeiro, which means "river of January", so named because the first explorers came to the harbour in January and mistakenly thought it was a river mouth.
Rio 2 f JapaneseFrom Japanese
莉 (ri) meaning "white jasmine" or
里 (ri) meaning "village" combined with
央 (o) meaning "center",
緒 (o) meaning "thread" or
桜 (o) meaning "cherry blossom". Other kanji combinations are also possible.
Ríoghán m IrishFrom Old Irish
Rígán, itself from
rí "king" (or the derivative
ríg "royal") combined with a diminutive suffix.
Ríoghnach f Irish MythologyDerived from Old Irish
rígain meaning
"queen". According to some sources, this was the name of a wife of the semi-legendary Irish king
Niall of the Nine Hostages.
Ripley f & m English (Rare)From a surname that was derived from the name of various English towns, from Old English
rippel "grove, thicket" and
leah "clearing". A famous fictional bearer is the character Ellen Ripley (usually only called by her surname) from the
Alien series of movies, beginning 1979.
Rīta f Latvian (Rare)Possibly derived from Latvian
rīts meaning
"morning". Alternatively it could be a Latvian variant of
Rita.
Ritika f HindiMeans either
"movement, stream" or
"brass" in Sanskrit.
Rivaldo m Portuguese (Brazilian)Meaning uncertain, possibly a variant of
Rinaldo, possibly influenced by Portuguese
rio, Latin
rivus meaning "river". A famous bearer is the Brazilian former soccer player Rivaldo Vítor Borba Ferreira (1972-), who is usually known by only his first name.
River m & f English (Modern)From the English word that denotes a flowing body of water. The word is ultimately derived (via Old French) from Latin
ripa "riverbank".
Rizpah f BiblicalMeans
"coal, hot stone" in Hebrew. According to the Old Testament Rizpah was one of
Saul's concubines. After her sons were put to death by the Gibeonites, she guarded the displayed bodies for five months to prevent animals from eating them.
Roald m NorwegianModern form of the Old Norse name
Hróðvaldr or
Hróaldr, composed of the elements
hróðr "praise, fame" and
valdr "ruler". This name was borne by the Norwegian polar explorer Roald Amundsen (1872-1928) and the British children's author Roald Dahl (1916-1990), who was born to Norwegian parents.
Roan m FrisianOriginally a short form of names beginning with the Old German element
hraban meaning
"raven".
Robert m English, French, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, German, Dutch, Finnish, Estonian, Czech, Polish, Russian, Slovene, Croatian, Albanian, Romanian, Catalan, GermanicFrom the Germanic name
Hrodebert meaning
"bright fame", derived from the elements
hruod "fame" and
beraht "bright". The Normans introduced this name to Britain, where it replaced the rare Old English cognate
Hreodbeorht. It has been consistently among the most common English names from the 13th to 20th century. In the United States it was the most popular name for boys between 1924 and 1939 (and again in 1953).
... [more] Robin m & f English, French, Dutch, Swedish, CzechMedieval English diminutive of
Robert, now usually regarded as an independent name. Robin Hood was a legendary hero and archer of medieval England who stole from the rich to give to the poor. In modern times it has also been used as a feminine name, and it may sometimes be given in reference to the red-breasted bird.
Robinson m English (Rare)From an English surname that was a patronymic form of the given name
Robin. This is the name of the main character in Daniel Defoe's novel
Robinson Crusoe (1719), about a sailor shipwrecked on a remote island.
Rocco m Italian, GermanicGermanic name possibly derived from
hruoh meaning
"crow, rook". This was the name of a 14th-century French saint who nursed victims of the plague but eventually contracted the disease himself. He is the patron saint of the sick.
Rochelle f EnglishFrom the name of the French city
La Rochelle, meaning
"little rock". It first became commonly used as a given name in America in the 1930s, probably due to the fame of actress Rochelle Hudson (1914-1972) and because of the similarity to the name
Rachel.
Rocío f SpanishMeans
"dew" in Spanish. It is taken from the title of the Virgin
Mary María del Rocío meaning "Mary of the Dew".
Roderick m English, Scottish, WelshMeans
"famous ruler" from the Old German elements
hruod "fame" and
rih "ruler, king". This name was in use among the Visigoths; it was borne by their last king (Gothic form *
Hroþireiks, also known by the Spanish form
Rodrigo), who died fighting the Muslim invaders of Spain in the 8th century. It also had cognates in Old Norse and West Germanic, and Scandinavian settlers and Normans introduced it to England, though it died out after the Middle Ages. It was revived in the English-speaking world by Walter Scott's 1811 poem
The Vision of Don Roderick.
... [more] Rodica f RomanianMeaning uncertain, perhaps from Romanian
rod (a Slavic borrowing) meaning
"fruit" or Greek
ῥόδον (rhodon) meaning
"rose".
Rodney m EnglishFrom an English surname, originally derived from a place name, which meant "Hroda's island" in Old English (where
Hroda is an Old English given name meaning "fame"). It was first used as a given name in honour of the British admiral Lord Rodney (1719-1792).
Rodomonte m Carolingian CycleUsed by Matteo Maria Boiardo for a Saracen warrior king in his epic poem
Orlando Innamorato (1483). It could be related to Italian
rotolare "to roll" and
monte "mountain". He also appears in Ludovico Ariosto's continuation
Orlando Furioso (1532).
Rogatus m Late RomanFrom Latin
rogatus meaning
"request, entreaty", in turn derived from
rogo meaning "to ask, to request". This name was borne by several early and relatively obscure martyrs and saints.
Roger m English, French, Catalan, Swedish, Norwegian, German, DutchFrom the Germanic name
Hrodger meaning
"famous spear", derived from the elements
hruod "fame" and
ger "spear". The Normans brought this name to England, where it replaced the Old English cognate
Hroðgar (the name of the Danish king in the Anglo-Saxon epic
Beowulf). It was a common name in England during the Middle Ages. By the 18th century it was rare, but it was revived in following years. The name was borne by the Norman lords Roger I, who conquered Sicily in the 11th century, and his son Roger II, who ruled Sicily as a king.
... [more] Rohan 2 f LiteratureFrom the novel
The Lord of the Rings (1954) by J. R. R. Tolkien, where it is a place name meaning
"horse country" in the fictional language Sindarin.
Rohini f Hinduism, MarathiMeans
"ascending" in Sanskrit, also the Sanskrit name for the star Aldebaran. This is a Hindu goddess, the favourite consort of the moon god
Chandra. The name was also borne by a wife of
Vasudeva and the mother of
Balarama according to the Hindu epic the
Mahabharata.
Rokurō m JapaneseFrom Japanese
六 (roku) meaning "six" and
郎 (rō) meaning "son". This name was traditionally given to the sixth son. Other combinations of kanji characters can also form this name.
Roland m English, French, German, Swedish, Dutch, Hungarian, Polish, Slovak, Albanian, Georgian, Carolingian CycleFrom the Old German elements
hruod meaning "fame" and
lant meaning "land", though some theories hold that the second element was originally
nand meaning "brave".
... [more] Roma 2 f VariousFrom the name of the Italian city, commonly called
Rome in English.
Roman m Russian, Polish, Czech, Slovak, Ukrainian, Slovene, Croatian, Estonian, German, EnglishFrom the Late Latin name
Romanus meaning
"Roman". This name was borne by several early saints including a 7th-century bishop of Rouen, as well as medieval rulers of Bulgaria, Kyiv and Moldavia.
Romeo m Italian, RomanianItalian form of the Late Latin
Romaeus or Late Greek
Ρωμαῖος (Romaios), which meant
"from Rome" or
"Roman". Romeo is best known as the lover of
Juliet in William Shakespeare's tragedy
Romeo and Juliet (1596). Shakespeare based his play on earlier Italian stories by Luigi Da Porto (1524) and Matteo Bandello (1554), which both featured characters named Giulietta and Romeo.
Romi f HebrewMeans
"my height, my exaltation" in Hebrew.
Romuald m French, Polish, GermanicFrom the Germanic elements
hruom meaning "fame, glory" and
walt meaning "power, authority". This was the name of an 11th-century Italian saint who founded the Camaldolese order.
Romulus m Roman Mythology, RomanianFrom
Roma, the Latin name of the city of
Rome, combined with a diminutive suffix. In Roman legend Romulus and
Remus were the twin sons of Rhea Silvia and the god
Mars. Romulus killed his brother when they argued about where to found Rome. According to the tale he gave the city its name, though in reality it was likely the other way around.