Dog Names That Start With R

A new addition to the menagerie of animal baby names — Rooster was given to five baby boys in 2019, but did not return to the charts in the following year. The word has American origins — the Puritans used it as an alternative to "cock," which developed its euphemistic meaning around the 1770s. Rooster comes from the verb "to roost," as the birds are known to do.

A relatively popular Arabic and Sanskrit name, which has a great positive meaning no matter which origin you claim.

A combination of Spanish rosa "rose" and aurea "gold". This name was used by Pedro Calderón de la Barca for a character in his play Life Is a Dream (1635), and more recently by Mexican author Laura Esquivel in her 1989 novel Como agua para chocolate.

Pretty and unusual, worth consideration.

Confident Middle Eastern choice. Children will relate to the Rafiki form via the wise guru in Disney's "The Lion King."

Raja is a widely-used Arabic or Sanskrit name that works for girls as well as boys. Five baby girls were named Raja and seven given the Rajah spelling in the US last year, where for boys the popularity of the spellings was reversed: 18 Raja to ten Rajah.

The range of occupational baby names is ever expanding, and Ranger is a recent addition to the list. It feels both natural—reminiscent of park rangers—and western and rugged, as in the Lone Ranger. If you're making a choice between Ranger and Danger, we suggest the less aggressive former.

Colorful middle name choice.

A relic of the midcentury Mandi-Sandi-Andi era.

Welsh form of Richard.

Rudy has been heard as a feminine name before — most notably on Rudy Huxtable, the young girl on The Cosby Show. This spelling makes it a bit girlier, although it's occasionally used for boys as well.

This variation of Rostam might be more English-friendly given its resemblance to the familiar Russ or Russell.

Rust is one of the few color names for boys, sometimes short for Russell. As a diminutive for Russell, it's much more modern and cooler than Rusty. Whether you use it as a nickname or it stands on its own, the meaning refers to the color red.

As its parent name Roland comes back into style (yep, it’s happening), could there be an uptick in baby Rollies? Certainly as a pet form.

Raider is one of the new genre of badass word names, which also includes Rogue, Rebel, Danger, Wilder, and so on. Choose it at your own peril.

Short but substantial.

Riko is a hugely popular name for baby girls in contemporary Japan, and one that easily translates to the West.

In Maori and other Polynesian mythology Rangi or Ranginui was a god of the sky, husband of the earth goddess Papa or Papatuanuku. This strong and simple Māori name would make for a fresh celestial choice.