Girl Dog Names That Start With R

  1. Reva
    • Origin:

      Hindi river name; Hebrew
    • Meaning:

      "rain"
    • Description:

      Refers to one of the seven sacred rivers of India.
  2. Rai
    • Origin:

      Japanese
    • Meaning:

      "next child"
    • Description:

      Distinctive and intriguing relative of Rae.
  3. Rainy
    • Origin:

      Word name or diminutive of Regina, Latin
    • Meaning:

      "queen"
    • Description:

      The Rainy spelling puts this name firmly in word name territory, an appealing option following the rise of Stormi. Rainey is the most popular spelling of the name, given to about 50 girls last year, with half as many called Rainy and a quarter named Rainie, the spelling used by Andie MacDowell for her now-grown daughter.
  4. Roxanna
    • Origin:

      Persian
    • Meaning:

      "little star"
    • Description:

      Spelled with one 'n', this was the name of the wife of Alexander the Great, and is more attractive than the better-known Roxanne.
  5. Rafaella
    • Origin:

      Italian variation of Raphaela, Hebrew
    • Meaning:

      "God has healed"
    • Description:

      Oh, the many spellings of Rafaella. Those with Fs and double-Ls denote Italian origins, while an F and a single L is Spanish and Portuguese. The original Hebrew form is Raphaela.
  6. Ryo
    • Origin:

      Japanese
    • Meaning:

      "fact, reality, understand; distant; defy"
    • Description:

      A simple, importable Japanese name that is used for both males and females and carries a multitude of meanings depending on which character is used to denote it. While most westerners pronounced it rye-oh, its real pronunciation is closer to ree-uh. A similar male name, Ryu, means "dragon."
  7. Raelyn
    • Origin:

      Spelling variation of Raelynn
    • Description:

      After entering the Top 1000 in 2009, Raelyn has climbed the charts. It's ridden the coattails of Raelynn (which remains more popular), but also may be benefiting from the rise of Brooklyn. The use of -Lyn and -Lynn suffixes has grown in recent years, even as the name Lynn itself languishes.
  8. Rumer
    • Origin:

      English
    • Meaning:

      "fame, braggart"
    • Description:

      Demi and Bruce made waves when they named their now-grown firstborn after novelist Rumer Godden; a possible downside is its connection with the word rumor. English author Godden was actually born Margaret, with Rumer (a family surname) as her middle name
  9. Rosette
    • Rihanna
      • Origin:

        Arabic
      • Meaning:

        "sweet basil"
      • Description:

        Rihanna, the name of the Barbados-born singer, whose birth name was Robyn Rihanna, attracted a fair number of parents for several years, but has now dropped out of the Top 1000 again. It has generated several spelling variations, including Rihana, Rhianna and even the Brianna-inspired Brihanna.
    • Rosamond
      • Origin:

        German
      • Meaning:

        "horse protection"
      • Description:

        The kind of serious old-school name that sounds appealing again; perfect for the intrepid baby namer. More commonly spelled Rosamund but highly unusual these days in either version, with fewer than 20 baby girls named Rosamund in the US last year while Rosamond didn't even register with five.
    • Rhian
      • Origin:

        Welsh
      • Meaning:

        "maiden"
      • Description:

        Popular in Wales, but likely to be mispronounced as Ryan here.
    • Rene
      • Origin:

        Variation of Renee
      • Meaning:

        "reborn"
      • Description:

        This name is hanging on as Renee, thanks to Ms. Zellweger, and in newer forms Renae and Renny.
    • Roxie
      • Origin:

        Diminutive of Roxanne
      • Description:

        Audacious offshoot of Roxanne, the wayward heroine of the musical Chicago.
    • 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
    • Ramsey
      • Origin:

        English
      • Meaning:

        "low-lying land"
      • Description:

        The cruelly-macho character of Ramsey Bolton on Game of Thrones would seem to mitigate against this name being seen as the least bit girlish, but in 2021 there were 120 female Ramseys born to 134 male, placing it among the most popular of the truly unisex baby names.
    • Raiden
      • Origin:

        Japanese
      • Meaning:

        "thunder and lightning"
      • Description:

        Raiden is a powerful choice for a baby girl. The Japanese god of thunder’s name is traditionally pronounced RYE-den, but most children named Raiden in the US pronounce it to rhyme with familiar choices Aiden, Jayden, and Hayden.
    • Roselle
      • Origin:

        Combination of Rose and Elle
      • Description:

        Most contemporary parents would probably opt for the more streamlined Elle.
    • Rome
      • Origin:

        Place name
      • Description:

        The name of this historic European city is more distinct than Paris and London.
    • Rianne
      • Origin:

        Dutch
      • Meaning:

        "bitter; beloved; drop of the sea + grace"
      • Description:

        Popular Dutch name derived from a combination of Maria (Ria) + Anne, or as a short form of Marianne.