1310+ Boy Names That End in R

  1. Asier
    • Origin:

      Basque
    • Meaning:

      "the beginning"
    • Description:

      This Basque name is quite popular in Spain, where it has long been in the Top 100 names. This is likely due to its pleasant meaning; the sound, dignified in Spanish and Basque, may not fare so well in English-speaking countries.
  2. Kepler
    • Origin:

      German surname
    • Meaning:

      "hooded cloak"
    • Description:

      Seventeenth-century German polymath Johannes Kepler discovered the laws of planetary notion, along with the Danish astronomer Tycho Brahe. A handful of parents use his last name for their sons every year -- with good reason. It's a solid-feeling but unique name with a great, aspirational namesake.
  3. Author
    • Origin:

      Word and occupational name
    • Description:

      An occupation name that sounds odd to the modern ear but enjoyed some use a century ago. May make a comeback as a more genteel brother to the new union of boys (and girls) with worker names such as Mason, Carter, and Bailey.
  4. Jair
    • Origin:

      Hebrew
    • Meaning:

      "he shines"
    • Description:

      In the Old Testament, Jair is a son of Manasseh as well as a judge of the Israelites. Jair is off its 2003 peak but is still hanging on in the Top 1000 and as a simple yet distinctive name with serious history, is worthy of consideration.
  5. Lander
    • Origin:

      English from German
    • Meaning:

      "territory"
    • Description:

      Lander is a name that straddles two trends. It's an er-ending surname name, ala Cooper and Carter. And it's also, more subtly, a green name, in the manner of Fielder or Reed.
  6. Tiger
    • Origin:

      English
    • Meaning:

      "animal name"
    • Description:

      Other wild animals like Fox, Wolf and Bear are catching on as baby names, and Tiger is a rarer option with several famous namesakes, including golf champ Tiger Woods, who was born Eldrick. Other famous Tigers include Indian actor Tiger Shroff, born Jai, and British actor Tyger Drew-Honey, who spells his name with a Y.
  7. Saber
    • Origin:

      Word name
    • Description:

      Weapon-related names like Saber have been on the rise in recent years. In 2014, ten baby boys in the US were named Saber and five Sabre. The name may also relate to the Arabic Sabir, though to contemporary English-speakers, the reference will more likely be the sword.
  8. Dieter
    • Origin:

      German, diminutive of Dietrich
    • Description:

      Dieter is a classic German name that got lots of satiric exposure via Mike Myers on "Saturday Night Live" a few years back. If mispronounced, it could conceivably be read as someone on a diet.
  9. Elidor
    • Origin:

      Welsh or Hebrew
    • Meaning:

      "steel, or generation of god"
    • Description:

      As a Welsh name, Elidor is a modern form of Elidur, an ancient British king name. It was used by British author Alan Garner for the eponymous hero of his children's fantasy novel Elidor (1965).
  10. Rider
    • Origin:

      English
    • Meaning:

      "horseman"
    • Description:

      Rider is a rock-and-roll baby name, in every sense of the term, though usually spelled Ryder, as in the sons of Kate Hudson and John Leguizamo.
  11. Tor
    • Origin:

      Variation of Thor, also Hebrew for "Turtledove"
    • Meaning:

      "Turtledove"
    • Description:

      An interesting and attractive bicultural choice--the Hebrew version is used for babies born in spring, when turtledoves arrive--especially as a middle.
  12. Heliodor
    • Origin:

      Gemstone name
    • Description:

      Also known as green beryl, Heliodor is the name of a sun-kissed colored gemstone. The name is reminiscent of other -dor names such as Theodore, Esidore, Isidor, Landor, Salvador etc.
  13. Dior
    • Origin:

      French surname
    • Meaning:

      "golden"
    • Description:

      Dior was among the fastest-rising names for both girls and boys in the US in the early 2020s, but was the fastest-falling name for boys in the 2023 statistics.
  14. Aether
    • Origin:

      Greek mythology name
    • Description:

      Aether, who might be equated with the word ether, is a primeval Greek god who is light itself. He embodies the brightness between the dome of heaven and the air surrounding the earth.
  15. Gardner
    • Origin:

      English
    • Meaning:

      "keeper of the garden"
    • Description:

      Surely one of the most pleasant and evocative of the occupational options.
  16. Anchor
    • Origin:

      Word name
    • Meaning:

      "heavy object used to moor a ship; provide with a solid foundation"
    • Description:

      Plausible word name, denoting strength and stability, currently given to a small handful of boys in the US each year.
  17. Cutter
    • Origin:

      English occupational surname
    • Meaning:

      "tailor, barber"
    • Description:

      Cutter was an old-fashioned term for a tailor or barber that was eventually adopted as a surname. That gives it more legitimacy than many of the other aggressive boy names — Striker, Shooter, Breaker, et al. — but Cutter remains equally threatening.
  18. Kessler
    • Origin:

      German surname
    • Meaning:

      "coppersmith"
    • Description:

      An interesting new surname option, derived from the German word for "kettle". Kes would make for a cool short form.
  19. Zahir
    • Origin:

      Arabic
    • Meaning:

      "helper, supporter"
    • Description:

      A popular name in the Middle East and one of the most evocative choices of its genre. One of the 99 names of Allah. The feminine form is Zahira.
  20. Potter
    • Origin:

      English
    • Meaning:

      "maker of drinking and storage vessels"
    • Description:

      Could join such up-and-comers as Miller and Gardener.