The letter “d” was the second-most popular first initial for boy names in 1992, but is now on the verge of falling out of the top-10.
A$AP Rocky is spilling the beans — at least some of them — about his soon-to-be third child.
The 36-year-old hip-hop artist, who already shares two sons — RZA Athelston, 3, and Riot Rose, 1 — with Rihanna, confirmed that the couple is expecting their third baby together at the 2025 Met Gala.
While walking the blue carpet at the May 5 event, Rocky described the news as “amazing.”
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“It’s time that we show the people what we was cooking up. And I’m glad everybody’s happy for us ’cause we definitely happy, you know,” he said in an interview with the Associated Press (AP).
On May 7, Rocky continued to spill beans during an appearance on “Late Night with Seth Meyers.”
When asked if his third baby’s name would follow the same tradition as his first two kids — both being names that start with R — Rocky said, “For sure.”
It, of course, is the same first initial as Rihanna, real name Robyn, as well as Rocky’s given name, Rakim.
Rocky’s comment comes nearly three months after he was found not guilty on two counts of assault with a semiautomatic firearm stemming from an altercation in November 2021.
After the hearing, which took place on Feb. 18, Rocky allegedly told his lawyer, Joe Tacopina, that he would honor him with his next child’s name.
“They grabbed me and they said, ‘Listen, our next baby A$AP Joe,’” Tacopina said in an interview with “Extra TV” on the morning after A$AP Rocky’s legal victory.
“I said, ‘I’m gonna hold you to that!’” Tacopina added.
While reacting to the pregnancy news in another interview with Extra TV, released May 7, Tacopina said he would give the couple a pass if they choose a different name.
“I hope they don't actually name a kid A$AP Joe,” Tacopina said.
“I will give them a pass if they don't name their kid ASAP Joe. I hope to God they don't, but I'm happy for them. It's great, she's a special woman,” he added.
Unique ideas for boy names that start with R
The letter “r” was the second-most popular first initial for boys every year between 1915 and 1969, but fell out of the top-five in 1983 and has been on the verge of falling out of the top-10 every year since 2000.
Rihanna and A$AP Rocky are certainly doing their part to change that with their boys RZA and Riot.
If they went the classic route, names like Robert, Richard, Ronald, Ryan and Raymond would top their list — all of which ranked inside the top-50 most popular boy names since 1924, per the SSA.
The most popular options today include Roman, Rowan, Ryder and Rhett — all of which were inside the SSA’s top 200 in 2023.
Here are some more unique options they might consider for baby No. 3.
Rio
Origin: Spanish
Meaning: River
Rio, pronounced REE-oh, comes directly from the Spanish word rio, meaning “river.” The name gained international recognition through the Brazilian city of Rio de Janeiro, which means “River of January.”
Royal
Origin: English; Latin
Meaning: Kingly; Regis
Royal, pronounced ROY-al or ROY-uhl, derives directly from the English word royal, meaning “kingly” or “regis,” which comes from the Latin word regalis and rex, meaning “king.” It can also refer to the British royal family.
Rocco
Origin: Germanic
Meaning: Crow; Rook
Rocco, pronounced ROK-oh, is believed to derive from the Germanic element hrok, meaning “crow” or “rook.” Saint Rocco, also known as Roch, is the patron saint of pestilence, contagious diseases and dogs.
Rise
Origin: English
Meaning: Ascension; Elevation
Rise, pronounced RYZE, comes directly from the English word rise, meaning “to ascend” or “elevation.” This is the name of Nick Cannon’s son Rise Messiah, 2, whom he shares with model Brittany Bell.
Rome
Origin: Roman; Latin
Meaning: Ancient city
Rome, pronounced ROHM, derives directly from the name of the ancient city. It’s also considered a diminutive of the popular name Roman, referring to someone who lived in Rome. Other variants include Romeo and Romero.
Rafa
Origin: Hebrew; Spanish
Meaning: God’s healer, God will heal; God has healed
Rafa, pronounced RAF-uh or RAW-fuh, is the Spanish short form of Rafael, which comes from the Hebrew name Rafaʾel and is composed of the Hebrew elements rafa, meaning “to heal,” and el, meaning “God.”
Rhys
Origin: Old Welsh
Meaning: Ardour; Glory; Enthusiasm
Rhys, pronounced REES, comes from the Old Welsh name Ris, which is believed to mean “ardour,” “glory” or “enthusiasm.” It’s a more modern spelling of Reese and is a popular name in Wales.
Raed
Origin: Arabic; English
Meaning: Pioneer; Explorer
Raed, pronounced RAH-ed or RAYD, comes from the Arabic name meaning “pioneer” or “explorer.” It can also be a variant of Raid, derived from the English word raid, referring to a sudden attack on something.
Ringo
Origin: Japanese; English
Meaning: Apple grove; Ring lover
Ringo, pronounced RING-goh, comes from the Japanese word ringo, which is composed of the elements rin, meaning “grove,” and go, meaning “apple.” It was popularized by drummer Ringo Starr, who was given the nickname due to the many rings he would wear.
Rami
Origin: Arabic
Meaning: Archer; Marksman
Rami, pronounced RAH-mee or RAM-ee, comes directly from the Arabic word rami, meaning “archer” or “marksman.” It’s also the Arabic name for the constellation and zodiac Sagittarius, spanning November 22 to December 21.
Ronnie
Origin: English; Old Norse
Meaning: Mighty counselor; Ruler's adviser
Ronnie, pronounced RON-ee, originated as a diminutive of Ronald, which comes from the Old Norse name Ragnvaldr and is composed of the Norse elements regin, meaning “advice,” and valdr, meaning “ruler.” Ronald is the name of Rihanna’s father.
Rajad
Origin: Arabic
Meaning: Unknown
Rajad, pronounced ra-JAHD, is an Arabic name of unknown meaning, though some theories suggest that it translates to “king” or “ruler.” This might not be on Rihanna’s list, as It’s the first name of her brother.
Rorrey
Origin: Old Irish
Meaning: Red king
Rorrey, pronounced ROR-ee, is a variant spelling of Rory, which comes from the Old Irish name Ruaidhrí and is composed of the Irish elements rúad, meaning “red,” and ri, meaning “king.” Rorrey is the first name of Rihanna’s other brother.
Renzo
Origin: Italian; Spanish; Latin; Roman
Meaning: From Laurentum; Crowned with laurel
Renzo, pronounced REN-zoh, is a shortened form of Lorenzo, which is a variant of Lawrence, meaning “from Laurentum” in Roman or “crowned with laurel” in Latin. It’s a popular nickname in Italy.
Rudi
Origin: English; Germanic
Meaning: Famous wolf
Rudi, pronounced ROO-dee, is a variant of Rudy and diminutive of Rudolph, which comes from the Germanic name Hrodulf and is composed of the Germanic elements hruod, meaning “fame,” and wolf, meaning “wolf.”
Unique ideas for girl names that start with R
Girl names that start with R have followed a similar path in the U.S. as their boy counterparts.
In fact, the letter “r” was a top-five first initial for girls every year between 1901 and 1921 before falling in and out of the top-10 throughout the rest of the 1900s.
It dropped as far back as 13th by the turn of the century, but re-entered the top-10 in 2006 and has now been the eighth most popular first initial every year since 2021.
If A$AP Rocky and Rihanna were to welcome a girl, they have plenty of good names to choose from.
The classics would include Rebecca, Rachel and Ruth, which were the only three names to rank inside the SSA’s top 100 girl names since 1924.
Today, we’re seeing names like Riley, Ruby, Raelynn and Remi grow in popularity, per the SSA.
Rose is another popular option and was even the middle name Rocky and Rihanna chose for their second child, Riot Rose.
In fact, Rihanna previously revealed in an interview with Harper’s Bazaar that the name Riot was originally chosen for a baby girl, but they decided to keep it after learning they were having a boy.
“He gave us this name thinking it was going to be a girl, because he had seen something online,” she said of fellow singer Pharrell Williams, who suggested the name.
A$AP Rocky and Pharrell released a song called "RIOT (Rowdy Pipe'n)" in July 2023, roughly one month before Riot Rose was born.
Here are some unique R girl names Rocky and Rihanna might add to their list this time around.
Remi
Origin: French; Latin
Meaning: Rower; Oarsmen
Remi, pronounced REH-mee or ray-MEE, is a French name derived from the Latin word remigis, meaning “rower” or “oarsmen.” It’s a gender-neutral name, but has grown increasingly popular with girls recently.
Reign
Origin: English; Latin
Meaning: Ruler; Kingship
Reign, pronounced RAYN, is a modern name taken directly from the English word meaning "to rule" or "period of rule." The word reign is derived from the Latin word regnum, meaning “kingship” or “dominion.”
Raya
Origin: Multicultural
Meaning: To see; Flag; Banner; Queen
Raya, pronounced RAY-uh or RIE-uh, can come from the Hebrew word ra'ah, meaning “to see,” the Arabic word raya, meaning “banner” or “flag,” or a diminutive of Regina, meaning “queen” in Latin.
Rhea
Origin: Greek
Meaning: Flowing; Ground
Rhea, pronounced REE-ah, is believed to be derived from the Greek word rheo, meaning “to flow,” or era, meaning “ground.” In Greek mythology, Rhea was the mother of the Olympian gods Zeus, Poseidon, Hades, Hera, Demeter and Hestia.
Rue
Origin: English; Latin; Greek
Meaning: Bitter medicinal herb; Sorrow; Worry
Rue, pronounced ROO, comes from the name of a bitter medicinal herb, ultimately derived from the Latin word ruta and Greek word rhyte. It can also mean “sorrow” or “worry” when linked to the English word.
Risa
Origin: Invented; Nickname
Meaning: Unknown
Risa, pronounced REE-suh or RIZ-uh, is most commonly used as a diminutive or nickname of names that end in -risa — such as Marisa, which is a combination of the names Mary (Maria) and Lisa (Elizabeth).
River
Origin: English
Meaning: Stream of water
River, pronounced RIV-er, is a modern nature-inspired name taken directly from the English word for a flowing body of water. Though still popular as a girl name, River is more common as a boy’s name today.
Robyn
Origin: Germanic; English
Meaning: Bright fame; Red-breasted bird
Robyn, pronounced ROB-in, is originally a diminutive of Robert (from the Germanic elements hrod, meaning "fame," and beraht, meaning "bright"), but is now associated with the red-breasted bird. Rihanna’s given name is Robyn.
Rene
Origin: Latin; French
Meaning: Born again; Reborn
Rene, pronounced ruh-NAY, comes from the French name René, which comes from the Latin name Renatus and word renatus, meaning "born again" or "reborn." It can also be spelled Renee or Renae.
Roux
Origin: French
Meaning: Russet; Red-haired
Roux, pronounced ROO, derives from the French word for "russet" or "reddish-brown," originally used as a surname for people with reddish hair. It can also be a unique variant of Rue with the rare use of an “x.”
Ronit
Origin: Irish; Hebrew
Meaning: Grace; Prosperity; Song; Joy
Ronit, pronounced ROH-nit or roh-NEET, could derive from the Old Irish name Rathnait, which comes from the Old Irish element rath, meaning “grace” or “prosperity.” It can also come from the Hebrew element ron, meaning “song” or “joy.”
Rhona
Origin: Scottish Gaelic
Meaning: Rough island; Seal island
Rhona, pronounced ROH-nuh, derives from the Scottish Gaelic name for the Hebridean Isle of Rona, meaning "rough island" or "seal island." It might be too closely related to Corona, referring to COVID-19.
Rhiannon
Origin: Welsh
Meaning: Great queen
Rhiannon, pronounced ree-AN-uhn or REE-an-uhn, comes from Welsh mythology where Rhiannon was a powerful figure often depicted riding a white horse. The name is believed to translate to “great queen.”
Remedy
Origin: English; Latin
Meaning: Cure; Solution; Healer
Remedy, pronounced REM-uh-dee, comes directly from the English word remedy, meaning "cure" or "solution," ultimately derived from Latin remedium, combining "re" (again) and "mederi" (to heal).
Rhapsody
Origin: Greek
Meaning: Epic poem; Sewn together
Rhapsody, pronounced RAP-suh-dee, comes from the Greek word rhapsōidia, meaning "recitation of epic poetry" or literally "sewn song." It’s one of the more unique and artistic girl names that start with R.
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