50+ R Girl Names to Consider for Your Daughter

Girl names that start with R continue to make their All-American comeback. 

In fact, the letter “r” was a top-five first initial for girls in the U.S. between 1901 and 1921 before flirting in and out of the top-10 throughout the rest of the 1900s, according to Behind The Name.

It dropped as far back as 13th by the turn of the century, but has been on the rise ever since.

The letter “r” re-entered the top-10 in 2006 and has now been the eighth most popular first initial every year since 2021 — accounting for 4.1% of all baby girls born in 2023, per Behind The Name. 

And we’ve seen several R girl names leading the way for the better part of a century.

For example, Rebecca is the most popular R girl name over the last 100 years, ranking 26th and accounting for nearly 730,000 births since 1924, according to the Social Security Administration (SSA).

Rachel (44) and Ruth (59) were the only other two girl names that start with R in the top 100. 

But fast forward to today and we’re seeing a new generation of R names for girls emerge — including Riley, the 43rd most popular girl’s name in 2023, and Ruby, which ranked 66th, per the SSA. 

Here are some other popular (and some unique) baby girl names that start with R for your little girl!

Raelynn

Origin: Hebrew; Welsh

Meaning: Soft ewe; Ewe by the lake

Raelynn, pronounced RAY-lin, combines the name Rae, a diminutive of Rachel derived from the Hebrew name Raḥel, meaning “ewe,” with Lynn, a shortened form of Linda (meaning “soft”) or derived from the Welsh element llyn, meaning “lake.” 

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Rose

Origin: Latin; Germanic

Meaning: Flower; Famous type

Rose, pronounced ROHZ, derives from the Latin word rosa, referring to the flower that often symbolizes love and romance. It can also be a diminutive of the Germanic name Hrodohaidis, meaning “famous type.”

Rosa

Origin: Latin

Meaning: Rose; Flower

Rosa, pronounced ROHZ-uh, comes directly from the Latin word rosa, referring to the flower. This version of the name Rose is most popular across Latin-speaking countries like Spain and Portugal. 

Rosie

Origin: Latin; English

Meaning: Rose; Flower

Rosie, pronounced ROHZ-ee, is a diminutive of Rose, which comes from the Latin word rosa, referring to the flower. Other less-popular spellings of Rosie include Rosi, Rosy, Rozi, Rozie, Rozy and Rohsie.

Now do the same for the following girl names: Rosemary, Rosalie, 

Rosemary

Origin: Latin; Hebrew

Meaning: Beloved flower; Dew of the sea

Rosemary, pronounced ROHZ-mair-ee, is either a combination of the names Rose, referring to the flower, and Mary, meaning “beloved” in Hebrew, or the Latin words ros, meaning “dew,” and marinus, meaning “of the sea.” It’s also linked to the fragrant herb Rosmarinus officinalis. 

Rosalie

Origin: Latin; French

Meaning: Rose; Little flower

Rosalie, pronounced ROH-zuh-lee, is an elaborated form of the name Rosa, which comes directly from the Latin word rosa, referring to the flower. Rosalie was initially popularized by French-speaking families. 

Rosalia

Origin: Latin; Italian

Meaning: Rose; Beautiful flower

Rosalia, pronounced roh-ZAH-lee-ah or roh-ZAHL-yah, is another elaborated form of the name Rosa, which comes directly from the Latin word rosa. Saint Rosalia is venerated as the patron saint of Palermo, Sicily in Italy.

Rosalina

Origin: Latin; Spanish; Italian

Meaning: Beautiful rose; Little rose

Rosalina, pronounced roh-zuh-LEE-nah, is an elaborated form of Rosalia derived from the Latin word rosa, referring to the rose flower. It’s most popular in Spanish and Italian-speaking countries. 

Roisin

Origin: Irish

Meaning: Rose; Flower

Roisin, pronounced roh-SHEEN or ROSH-een, comes from the Irish name Róisín, which is derived from the Irish word rós, meaning “rose.” It appeared in the patriotic Irish poem and song “Roisin Dubh,” meaning “little dark rose.”

Remi

Origin: Latin; French

Meaning: Rower; Oarsman

Remi, pronounced REH-mee or ray-MEE, is a French name derived from the Latin word remigis, meaning “rower” or “oarsmen.” It’s most popular as a baby boy’s name, but can be given to baby girls as well. 

Remy

Origin: Latin; French

Meaning: Rower; Oarsman

Remy, pronounced REH-mee or ray-MEE, is a variation of Remi derived from the Latin word remigis, meaning “oarsman” or “rower.” This is the more common spelling of the name in French. 

Remington

Origin: English

Meaning: Settlement on the Riming stream

Remington, pronounced REM-ing-tun, originated as an English surname given to someone who lived in or near the town of Rimington in Lancashire. The name essentially translates to “settlement on the Riming stream.”

Rory

Origin: Old Irish

Meaning: Red-haired king

Rory, pronounced ROR-ee, is the Anglicized form of the Irish name Ruaidhrí, which is composed of the Old Irish elements rúad, meaning “red,” and rí, meaning “king.” Together, it means “red-haired king.” 

Reagan

Origin: Old Irish

Meaning: Little king

Reagan, pronounced RAY-gin, derives from the Irish surname Ó Riagáin and given name Riagán, which comes from the Old Irish name Riacán and is possibly derived from the Old Irish word rí, meaning “king.”

Reese

Origin: Welsh; English 

Meaning: Ardour; Enthusiastic

Reese, pronounced REES, is the Anglicized form of the Welsh name Rhys and Old Welsh name Ris, which is believed to mean “ardour” or “enthusiasm.” Reese can be given to both baby girls and boys.

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. Did you know that there are more than 250,000 rivers in the United States, alone?

Riverly

Origin: English; Modern

Meaning: River-like; River clearing

Riverly, pronounced RIV-er-lee, combines the English word river, referring to a flowing stream of water, with the suffix -ly, which typically means “like,” or the English word leah, meaning “clearing.” 

Rowan

Origin: Old Irish; English

Meaning: Rowan (tree), Red

Rowan, pronounced ROH-un or ROW-un, is the Anglicized form of the name Ruadhán derived from the Old Irish word rúad, meaning “red.” The rowan tree (Sorbus aucuparia) is a deciduous tree from the rose family known for its red berries.

Rowena

Origin: Welsh; Germanic; Literature

Meaning: Joyous fame; White spear

Rowena, pronounced roh-WEE-nah or roh-WEN-uh, has several disputed origins, including the Germanic elements hroð (fame) and wynn (joy), and Welsh elements ron (spear) and gwen (white). It was popularized through Sir Walter Scott's novel "Ivanhoe," which featured a Saxon princess named Rowena.

Regina

Origin: Latin

Meaning: Queen

Regina, pronounced reh-JEE-nah, comes directly from the Latin and Italian word regina, meaning “queen.” It’s a regal name that grew popular during the Victorian era when Latin names were fashionable.

Raya

Origin: Multicultural

Meaning: To see; Flag; Banner; Queen

Raya, pronounced RAY-uh or RIE-uh, has multiple debated origins. It 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.

Raven

Origin: English

Meaning: Black bird

Raven, pronounced RAY-ven, comes directly from the English word for the black bird, which derives from Old English hræfn. Ravens are known for their remarkable intelligence, adaptability and literary fame. 

Ravenna

Origin: Latin; Italian

Meaning: Northern Italian city; Black bird

Ravenna, pronounced ruh-VEN-uh, is either an elaborated form of the name Raven, referring to the black bird, or taken from the ancient Italian city of Ravenna, the former capital of the Western Roman Empire. 

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.”

Renata

Origin: Latin

Meaning: Reborn; Born again

Renata, pronounced reh-NAH-tah, is the feminine form of the Latin name Renatus, derived from the Latin word renatus, meaning "born again" or "reborn." It’s a popular name in Italy, Spain, Poland, and Latin America. 

Reina

Origin: Spanish; Yiddish; Japanese

Meaning: Queen; Pure; Wise

Reina, pronounced RAY-nuh, comes directly from the Spanish word reina, meaning "queen." It can also be derived from the Japanese element rei, meaning “wise,” or Yiddish word rein, meaning “pure.” 

Reyna

Origin: Spanish; Yiddish; Japanese

Meaning: Queen; Pure; Wise

Reyna, pronounced RAY-nuh, is a variant of Reina derived from the Spanish word reina, meaning “queen.” It can also mean “wise” in Japanese (via rei) or “pure” and “clean” in Yiddish (via rein). 

Rayna

Origin: Spanish; Yiddish; Japanese

Meaning: Queen; Pure; Wise

Rayna, pronounced RAY-nuh, has multiple origins. It can either mean “queen” in Spanish (directly from reina), “wise” in Japanese (through the word rei) or “pure” and “clean” in Yiddish (through the word rein).

Romina

Origin: Late Latin

Meaning: Roman; From Rome

Romina, pronounced roh-MEE-nuh, is a feminine variant of the Late Latin names Romana and Romanus, meaning “Roman” or “from Rome.” It gained international recognition through Italian singer Romina Power in the 1970s. 

Ramona

Origin: Spanish; Germanic

Meaning: Wise protector

Ramona, pronounced ruh-MOH-nuh, is the feminine form of Ramon, which is the Spanish form of Raymond, ultimately from the Germanic name Raginmund composed of the Germanic elements regin, meaning “advice,” and munt, meaning “protection.” 

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.

Royalty

Origin: English; Latin

Meaning: Royal power

Royalty, pronounced ROY-al-tee, is a modern English word name taken directly from the term for royal status or dignity. The word royalty is ultimately derived from the Latin word regalis, meaning “royal” or “kingly.”

Ryan

Origin: Irish

Meaning: Little queen; Descendant of Rían

Ryan, pronounced RY-an, comes from the Irish surname Ó Riain, meaning "descendant of Rían," where Rían combines rí (king) with a diminutive suffix. It’s traditionally translated to mean “little king.” 

Rivka

Origin: Hebrew

Meaning: To bind; Connection

Rivka, pronounced RIV-kuh, is the Hebrew form of Rebecca. The name derives from Rivqa, which is believed to mean “to join” or “to connect.” Rivqa is the wife of Isaac and mother of Jacob and Esau in the Torah.

Robin

Origin: Germanic; English

Meaning: Bright fame; Red-breasted bird

Robin, pronounced ROB-in, originally a diminutive of Robert (from the Germanic elements hrod, meaning "fame," and beraht, meaning "bright"), has since become associated with the red-breasted bird. 

Raquel

Origin: Hebrew; Spanish; Portuguese

Meaning: Ewe; Female Sheep

Raquel, pronounced rah-KEL, is the Spanish and Portuguese form of Rachel, derived from the Hebrew name Raḥel, meaning “ewe” or “female sheep.” In the Old Testament, Rahel is one of the wives of Jacob.

Rihanna

Origin: Welsh; Arabic

Meaning: Great queen; Sweet basil

Rihanna, pronounced ree-AH-nuh, has multiple possible origins. It may be a variant of the Welsh name Rhiannon meaning "great queen," or a variant of the Arabic name Rayhana, meaning “sweet basil.” 

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.  

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” in English or be a diminutive of Ruth. 

Remember

Origin: English; Latin

Meaning: To recall

Remember, pronounced ree-MEM-ber, is a modern virtue name taken directly from the English word meaning “to recall.” The word remember is ultimately derived from the Latin word rememorari. 

Riley

Origin: Irish; Old English

Meaning: Rye clearing; Descendant of Raghailleach

Riley, pronounced RY-lee, derives from the Irish surname Ó Raghailligh, meaning "descendant of Raghailleach.” It can also be composed of the Old English elements ryge, meaning “rye,” and leah, meaning “clearing.” 

Rylee

Origin: Irish; Old English

Meaning: Rye clearing; Descendant of Raghailleach

Rylee, pronounced RY-lee, is a modern spelling variation of Riley. As with Riley, Rylee can either mean "descendant of Raghailleach” (via Irish Ó Raghailligh) or “rye clearing” (via Old English ryge and leah). 

Ryleigh

Origin: Irish; Old English

Meaning: Rye clearing; Descendant of Raghailleach

Ryleigh, pronounced RY-lee, represents an elaborated spelling variant of Riley/Rylee. Therefore, it has the same Irish and Old English etymology meaning “descendant of Raghailleach” or “rye clearing.” 

Ruby

Origin: Latin; English

Meaning: Red gemstone; July birthstone

Ruby, pronounced ROO-bee, comes from the Latin word ruber, meaning “red,” and English word ruby, referring to the red precious gemstone. Ruby is the traditional birthstone for the month of July. 

Rachel

Origin: Hebrew

Meaning: Ewe; Female sheep

Rachel, pronounced RAY-chel, derives from the Hebrew name Rahel, meaning “ewe” or “female sheep.” In the Old Testament, Rahel is known as the favorite wife of Jacob and mother of Joseph and Benjamin.

Ruth

Origin: Hebrew

Meaning: Female friend

Ruth, pronounced ROOTH, comes from the Hebrew name Rut and Hebrew word reʿuṯ, meaning “female friend.” In the Bible, Ruth was a Moabite woman known for her loyalty and kindness. She married Boaz.

Ruthie

Origin: Hebrew; English

Meaning: Female friend

Ruthie, pronounced ROO-thee, is an affectionate diminutive of Ruth, which comes from the Hebrew name Rut and Hebrew word reʿuṯ, meaning “female friend.” Ruth was a loyal and kind woman in the Bible.

Rebecca

Origin: Hebrew; English

Meaning: Tied; Bound; Attached

Rebecca, pronounced ruh-BEK-uh, derives from the Hebrew name Rivqa, meaning "to tie" or "to bind” (via a Semitic root). In the Bible, Rebecca was the wife of Isaac and mother of Jacob and Esau. 

Renee

Origin: Latin; French

Meaning: Born again; Reborn

Renee, pronounced ruh-NAY, is the French feminine form of René, which comes from the Latin name Renatus and word renatus, meaning "born again" or "reborn." It can also be spelled Rene or Renae.

Reba

Origin: Hebrew; Aramaic; English

Meaning: Tied; Bound; Attached; Fourth

Reba, pronounced REE-bah, may derive from Hebrew as a shortened form of Rebecca, which comes from the Hebrew name Rivqa, meaning "to tie" or "to bind,” or from the Aramaic word meaning "fourth." 

Rhonda

Origin: Welsh; Greek; Germanic

Meaning: Soft rose; Valley; River

Rhonda, pronounced RON-dah, likely derives from the Rhondda Valley in Wales, which takes its name from the Rhondda River. It can also be a combination of the names Rhoda, meaning “rose” in Greek, and Linda, meaning “soft” in German. 

Rise

Origin: English

Meaning: Ascension; Elevate

Rise, pronounced RYE-z, comes directly from the English word rise, meaning “to ascend” or “elevate.” It can have deep and meaningful religious connotations, referring to Jesus Christ rising from the dead. 

Rumi

Origin: Japanese

Meaning: Beautiful mineral; Lapis Lazuli

Rumi, pronounced ROO-mee, has multiple possible meanings in Japanese, depending on the kanji used. The first element, ru, can mean “detain,” “fasten” or “lapis lazuli,” while the second element, mi, means “beautiful.”

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.”

Not Interested In Girl Names That Start With R?

Girl names that start with R are a great way to begin your search for the perfect name. 

But remember, limiting yourself to just one letter means missing out on the 25 other letters of the alphabet — each filled with beautiful possibilities for your soon-to-be daughter!

From A names like Aurora to Z names like Zinnia, don’t sell yourself short with baby girl names with R.

If you're feeling overwhelmed by the endless array of choices, then you’ve come to the right place. Mod Moms Club is your perfect companion on this naming journey — and we’d be honored to help!

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