Boy Dog Names That Start With R

  1. 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.
  2. Ronald
    • Origin:

      Norse
    • Meaning:

      "ruler's counselor"
    • Description:

      To many people, Ronald is off playing shuffleboard with Donald, though others aren't swayed by its old man image. In the Top 10 in the late 1930s through the mid-1940s, the name later came to be strongly associated with President Reagan, along with his nicknames, Ron and Ronnie—as well as with the McDonald franchise mascot. A more youthful bearer is the likable character Ron Weasley in the Harry Potter series. In the early days of Hollywood, Ronald Colman was a dashing matinee idol.
  3. Riot
    • Origin:

      English word name
    • Meaning:

      "violent civil disorder"
    • Description:

      Riot has all the sounds of a trendy name — the first syllable that of trendy choices like Ryder, Ryker, and Rylan, rhyming with Wyatt. But the strong negative connotations of the word, suggesting violence, turn many (but not all) parents away from Riot as a baby name. Ryatt, one step removed, is more common.
  4. Rook
    • Origin:

      English nature name, Persian
    • Meaning:

      "crow; chariot"
    • Description:

      Rook is a choose-your-own-adventure type of name. It has so many meanings and associations, that you have the freedom of choice to decide what resonates with you.
  5. Reuel
    • Origin:

      Hebrew
    • Meaning:

      "friend of God"
    • Description:

      This soft-yet-sturdy Biblical name belonged to Moses’ father-in-law (also called Jethro) and was the second middle name of J.R.R. Tolkien.
  6. 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.
  7. Reagan
    • Origin:

      Irish
    • Meaning:

      "little king"
    • Description:

      Inextricably tied to the former president, Reagan is a handsome surname name with a cool, current sound. Gender-neutral nickname Ray/Rae is also very on-trend right now.
  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. Ryland
    • Origin:

      Old English
    • Meaning:

      "place where Rye is grown"
    • Description:

      This name, similar to Ryan and Rylan, dropped out of the Top 500 in 2016 after a six year stint in it. It's the full birth name of legendary musician Ry Cooder.
  10. Raleigh
    • Origin:

      English
    • Meaning:

      "meadow of roe deer"
    • Description:

      Attractive North Carolina place-name and surname of explorer Sir Walter Raleigh. Distinctive, classy-but-approachable choice for either sex.
  11. 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.
  12. Rodney
    • Origin:

      English
    • Meaning:

      "island near the clearing"
    • Description:

      Rodney peaked at Number 33 in 1965 and has been on a steady decline ever since. As its popularity history indicates, this name is more fitting for someone born in the mid-twentieth century instead of the twenty-first century. It's likely this name will continue trending downward for another generation or two before it has its chance to turn back around.
  13. Red
    • Origin:

      Color name
    • Description:

      Fiery but slight middle name choice; much more apt to be a redhead's nickname.
  14. Rowdy
    • Origin:

      American word name
    • Description:

      Rowdy was first famously used as a given name in the television series Rawhide, with the young Clint Eastwood playing Rowdy Yates. More recently, competitive swimmer Rowdy Gaines has been featured in a series of TV commercials, and a new badass baby name is gaining notice. The word Rowdy originated in the U.S. in the early 19th century, used to describe a rough or lawless backwoodsman. It's one of the distinctly American names.
  15. Rafa
    • Origin:

      Short form of Rafael
    • Description:

      Rafa is an adorable short form introduced to the world by actors Rose Byrne and Bobby Cannavale, who used the name for their second son. Rafael is the Latin cognate of the Hebrew boys' name Raphael, but you don't need to be a Rafael to be a Rafa.
  16. Rigby
    • Origin:

      English
    • Meaning:

      "ridge farm"
    • Description:

      Rigby is a rather stiff British surname, which might call to mind the Beatles "Eleanor Rigby" or, from the recent past, Cathy Rigby, the first American woman to win a medal in World Gymnastics competition. The problem with Rigby may be its similarity to the word "rigid."
  17. 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.
  18. Rene
    • Origin:

      French
    • Meaning:

      "reborn"
    • Description:

      Though it's used for boys, most non-French people would hear it as a girls’ name. Most would be surprised to learn that Rene has always charted in the US Top 1000 for boys.
  19. Rhythm
    • Origin:

      Word name
    • Description:

      A musical name that is undeniably cool and, well, rhythmic. Its biggest challenge may be the spelling. Well, maybe not the biggest challenge. Save this one for a middle name.
  20. Regulus
    • Origin:

      Latin
    • Meaning:

      "prince"
    • Description:

      The traditional name of the brightest star in the constellation Leo and a minor character in the "Harry Potter" series might be a good pick for parents interested in a regal name but turned off by the blatancy of Royalty and King. The nickname Reggie is all but inevitable, for better or worse.