German Names that Start With R

Richie was once a popular enough nickname for Richard that it made the Top 1000 all by itself. It's seriously out of style now -- though still a better choice than Dick or even Ricky.

Pippi Longstocking author Astrid Lindgren invented the name Ronja for her book Ronja, the Robber's Daughter. She was inspired by the lake Juronjaure, located in Norrbotten, Sweden.

Associated with Reynard the cunning fox in medieval European animal tales. Reynard can make an unusual yet historic choice for a modern boy, a modern day Richard or Robert.

Richmond is a place-name — it's the capital of Virginia — that makes a fresh way to honor an ancestral Richard.

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.

Rilla dropped out of the US Top 1000 in 1915, but it's starting to feel like an intriguing possibility again in this age of short, sweet, a-ending names for girls. It is traditionally a short form for names ending in -rilla, like Marilla from the Anne of Green Gables books (Anne's youngest daughter is Bertha Marilla, called Rilla for short). Rilla may also derive from the German word Rille, meaning "brook; stream".

Whether spelled Raffaela, Rafaela, Raffaella, or Raphaela, a euphonius name with a dark-eyed, long-flowing-haired image. Like Gabriella and Isabella, is beginning to be drawn into the American mainstream.

Romer might be considered a streamlined spelling of the German surname Rohmer, whose root means fame or renown, or a name that was given to those who made pilgrimages to Rome, which is related to Romeo and its brothers. With the style value of other Rome names from Roman to Romy, this is one we predict we'll hear more of.

Like other stylish choices from Roman to Romy to Romeo, Rohmer is a German surname that relates to both Roman pilgrims and the root word for fame.

Common French and German alternative to Renata.

A German surname name deriving from the same root as English Ryder. Traditionally, it was the name of the second lowest hereditary rank of the nobility, roughly equivalent to English Baronet. Notable associations are British actor Paul Ritter and a popular European chocolate brand.

With a soft e, sounds like an affected pronunciation of Rita.

See RETA.

This surname-name originated as a nickname for redheads.

A male character in The Chronicles of Narnia, but could conceivably be used for a girl.

Rebekka is a more creative spelling -- at least in some people's opinion -- of the biblical favorite Rebecca. Rebekka is also the usual German version. The Rebekkah spelling was commonly used in Early America.

This is a rarely heard feminization of the rarely heard Roland.