Girl Dog Names That Start With R

  1. Rudy
    • Origin:

      German, short form of Rudolph
    • Meaning:

      "famous wolf"
    • Description:

      Rudy hasn't yet enjoyed the comeback of cousin name Ruby, despite having been chosen by hip couple Sadie Frost and Jude Law, but it still could happen.
  2. Rani
    • Origin:

      Hindi, Hebrew
    • Meaning:

      "queen; she is singing"
    • Description:

      Rani, alternatively spelled Ranee, is the female equivalent of Raja in Hindi. In many Indo-Aryan languages it can mean "queen" or "lady". The Hebrew version is used for both genders in modern Israel. Actress Kate Hudson and director Danny Fujikawa named their daughter Rani after Fujikawa's late father, whose name was Ron.
  3. Rylan
    • Origin:

      English and Irish
    • Meaning:

      "rye land"
    • Description:

      A unisex name, Rylan plays on many popular baby names, including Ryan and Riley. For boys, the trendy Rylan is in the US Top 500, while for girls, it fell out of Top 1000 in 2023, having been a regular feature since 2009.
  4. Rei
    • Origin:

      Japanese
    • Meaning:

      "bell or beautiful"
    • Description:

      A sweet and simple Japanese name with several possible meanings, depending on the kanji characters used.
  5. Ridley
    • Origin:

      English
    • Meaning:

      "cleared wood; reed clearing; channel clearing"
    • Description:

      Can one prominent character affect the gender identity of a name? Definitely, as has supernatural bad girl Ridley Duchannes of the Beautiful Creatures series-turned-movie, played by the gorgeous Emmy Rossum.
  6. Raegan
    • Origin:

      Spelling variation of Reagan, Irish
    • Meaning:

      "little king"
    • Description:

      Less popular than Reagan, but more popular than Regan, Raegan is a spelling option for the popular Irish surname. It followed Reagan up the charts in the 90s, perhaps due to its similarity to Morgan, but in recent years, use of Raegan has declined
  7. Roan
    • Origin:

      Variation of Rowan, Irish and Scottish
    • Meaning:

      "little redhead"
    • Description:

      This variation of Rowan, which is also a color name rhyming with Joan, is more popular for boys than girls, as are the other variations of the name. Rowan is the most popular spelling of the name for both genders, followed by Rowen, and then there's Rohan, Rohen, and so on.
  8. Rebel
    • Origin:

      Word name
    • Meaning:

      "rebel"
    • Description:

      Asking for trouble. Rebel Wilson is a hilarious Australian actress who puts a female spin on this contemporary badass baby name. Still, we think this name is truly gender neutral – though hardly neutral in any other way. Rebel is undoubtedly one of the edgiest girls' names starting with the letter R.
  9. Rochelle
    • Origin:

      French
    • Meaning:

      "little rock"
    • Description:

      Long-standing French name that retains a feminine, fragile, and shell-like image.
  10. Rivka
    • Origin:

      Hebrew
    • Meaning:

      "to tie, bind"
    • Description:

      A traditional name still used in Orthodox families. Rivka is the original form of Rebekah or Rebecca, today used far more widely than the original. Rifka is a variation.
  11. Ryder
    • Origin:

      English Surname
    • Meaning:

      "post messenger or cavalryman"
    • Description:

      Some parents are choosing this popular boys name for their daughters (in the US there were well over 100 female Ryders born last year). Is it the connection to Winona that makes this feel somewhat more feminine than some other boys’ names?
  12. Reyna
    • Origin:

      Spelling variation of Reina
    • Description:

      This variation is actually more popular in the United States than the original Spanish Reina.
  13. Rhonwen
    • Origin:

      Welsh
    • Meaning:

      "slender, fair"
    • Description:

      The delicate and haunting Welsh Rhonwen is still a rarity in the U.S., where her English version Rowena is better known, but would be a lovely choice for any parent in search of a name that was both unusual and traditional, classically feminine yet strong.
  14. Rhoswen
    • Origin:

      Welsh
    • Meaning:

      "white rose"
    • Description:

      If you're looking for an unusual alternative to all those Rose names, Rhoswen might be a good choice. This name has the soft sounds we've come to love from the Welsh language but is still not as familiar as Bronwen and Rhiannon.
  15. Ruri
    • Origin:

      Japanese
    • Meaning:

      "lapis lazuli"
    • Description:

      Naming babies after precious gems as a protection against evil spirits is an ancient Japanese tradition.
  16. Ruthie
    • Origin:

      Diminutive of Ruth, Hebrew
    • Meaning:

      "compassionate friend"
    • Description:

      With vintage names on the rise and recent data suggesting that the US is following the UK trend of nicknames-as-given-names, Ruthie joined Goldie, Daisy, and Nellie on the US Top 1000 list in 2023.
  17. Remington
    • Origin:

      English
    • Meaning:

      "place on a riverbank"
    • Description:

      Between 1980s-era television private eye Remington Steele and Remington Arms, this name might seem all-boy. But in 2014, Remington entered the US girls' Top 1000, and it's been rising since.
  18. Rocio
    • Origin:

      Spanish
    • Meaning:

      "dewdrops"
    • Description:

      This name, which refers to Mary as the Virgin of the Dew, is all but unknown in the Anglo community, but popular enough in Hispanic families that it made the US Top 1000 until least until 2006. Also spelled Rocío, it remains popular in Spain and Chile, where it ranks in the Top 100.
  19. Rhoda
    • Origin:

      Greek
    • Meaning:

      "rose"
    • Description:

      To those who remember, Rhoda is still reminiscent of the brassy Bronx 1970s sitcom Rhoda Morgenstern. But Rhoda has a much longer history--it is a name that can be found in the New Testament as a servant girl in the house of Mary, mother of John. Later, Rhoda appeared in the novel Vanity Fair and the Shaw play Man and Superman.
  20. Raia
    • Origin:

      Spelling variation of Raya
    • Description:

      The popularity of Maya clarifies the pronunciation of Raya, which makes that the better spelling of this name.