Boy Dog Names That Start With R

  1. Remi
    • Origin:

      French, variation of Remy
    • Meaning:

      "oarsman"
    • Description:

      Makes the jaunty Remy a little more nicknamey and feminine. Remi is on the rise for both girls and boys, having entered the Top 1000 for boys in 2019.
  2. Raiden
    • Origin:

      Japanese, English invented name
    • Description:

      The name of the Japanese god of thunder makes an assertive choice, very much at home in the Western world. Because of the name's similarity to popular baby names Aiden and Jayden, most people will pronounce it RAY-den, but it's more properly RYE-den.
  3. Romulus
    • Origin:

      Latin
    • Meaning:

      "citizen of Rome"
    • Description:

      He was the original Roman, Remus's twin and a founder of Rome. But parents attracted to this name are advised to read the legend first. Romulus does have some less than savory characteristics, including killing his twin brother and making Rome in his own image, and is later deified as Quinnius. Romy and Quinn might make good twin names.
  4. Rogue
    • Origin:

      English word name
    • Meaning:

      "independent, uncontrolled"
    • Description:

      Now that names like Cannon and Gunner, fit for comic book heroes, are rising up, Rogue may fit right in.
  5. Reign
    • Origin:

      English word name
    • Meaning:

      "rule"
    • Description:

      Reign is one of a new, ahem, kingdom of word names that suggest a high-born child, joining Royal, Lorde, Titan, Saint, King, Princess, and Noble. We predicted this kind of defining name to be the Number 1 baby name trend of 2015...two weeks before Kourtney Kardashian and Scott Disick named their third child, a boy, Reign.
  6. Rain
    • Origin:

      Nature name
    • Description:

      Mostly feminine, though "Office" star Rainn Wilson gives it a slight masculine twist. You might also use this as a short form of Raines.
  7. Raul
    • Origin:

      Spanish variation of Ralph
    • Meaning:

      "wolf counsel"
    • Description:

      Raul and French brother Raoul are much more appealing than flat-footed daddy Ralph. Puerto Rican actor Raul Julia, who starred in the Addams Family movies, brought fame to the name before his death in 1994.
  8. Rafi
    • Origin:

      Arabic, diminutive of Rafiq; Spanish, diminutive of Rafael
    • Description:

      Most people will assoicate it with the well-known children's singer.
  9. Riggs
    • Origin:

      English surname
    • Meaning:

      "one who lives on the ridge"
    • Description:

      Riggs, with its suave, cowboy-cool style, is one of the hottest new names on the scene. Boy names that end with S are particularly trendy right now, with similar choices Briggs, Wells, and Jones zooming up the charts.
  10. Ruben
    • Origin:

      Hebrew
    • Meaning:

      "behold, a son"
    • Description:

      The streamlined Spanish Ruben is much more popular than the original Biblical Hebrew version in the US.
  11. Rui
    • Origin:

      Portuguese diminutive of Rodrigo
    • Meaning:

      "famous ruler"
    • Description:

      This charming mini name began life as a nickname for Rodrigo but has since taken on a life of its own, ranking as an independent name in Portugal, it’s country of origin. If you’re looking to honor a Rodrigo, Roger, or Roderick in your life, Rui is an appealing international option. Ruy is a spelling variation that is more commonly seen in Spain.
  12. Radley
    • Origin:

      English
    • Meaning:

      "red meadow"
    • Description:

      Radical Bradley.
  13. Ridge
    • Origin:

      English word name
    • Meaning:

      "an elevated body part or structure"
    • Description:

      Ridge may be the quintessential daytime drama name, but it's still better than most. This is one word name rising rapidly through the ranks, reentering the US Top 1000 in 2015 for the first time since 1989.
  14. Rollo
    • Origin:

      Latin form of Rolf
    • Meaning:

      "wolf"
    • Description:

      Rollo is a livelier, roly-poly, o-ending version of Roland.
  15. Redmond
    • Origin:

      Irish variation of Raymond
    • Meaning:

      "wise protector"
    • Description:

      We love this partly for purely personal reasons, since it is one of our surnames. We used it as the middle name of a son –and it can make a good first choice too. Redmond – also found as Reamann or Raemonn – is the Irish form of the Germanic name that occurs in modern English as Raymond.
  16. Reggie
    • Origin:

      Diminutive of Reginald
    • Meaning:

      "counsel power"
    • Description:

      Old time nickname that's starting to sound fresh again, à la Alfie and Freddie.
  17. Ryland
    • Origin:

      Old English
    • Meaning:

      "place where Rye is grown"
    • Description:

      Similar to popular Riley and Ryan and the origin of Rylan, this Old English surname has been in the US Top 1000 since the early 2000s. While it has declined in recent years, it was still given to around 375 boys in 2023 — and to 30 girls.
  18. Ransom
    • Origin:

      English
    • Meaning:

      "shield's son"
    • Description:

      Ransom may be rakish and handsome, but it carries an unavoidable association with holding someone for ransom. But that kind of bad boy image might be exactly what attracts you to Ransom in the first place. While Ransom feels like a modern appellation ala Breaker or Ranger, it's interesting to note on the popularity chart that it was actually quite popular at the end of the 19th century but fell off the Top 1000 around 1930.
  19. Ra
    • Origin:

      Egyptian
    • Meaning:

      "sun"
    • Description:

      The name of the sun god of Egyptian mythology could only be used in combination with a longer name.
  20. Renzo
    • Origin:

      Diminutive of Lorenzo
    • Description:

      Rakish nickname able to stand on its own.