Girl Dog Names That Start With R

  1. Rhiannon
    • Origin:

      Welsh
    • Meaning:

      "divine queen"
    • Description:

      Most of us had never heard this lovely Welsh name with links to the moon until we heard the 1976 smash hit Fleetwood Mac song of that name, with lyrics by Stevie Nicks. That same year it popped onto the U.S. Top 1000 at Number 593.
  2. Romilly
    • Origin:

      English
    • Meaning:

      "citizen of Rome"
    • Description:

      Originally a surname deriving from the Roman twin Romulus, this attractive name was introduced to the English-speaking world as a first name by painter Augustus John who used it for his son. Romilly John became Admiral of the Fleet in England.
  3. Royal
    • Origin:

      English word name
    • Meaning:

      "royal"
    • Description:

      A superlative word name along the lines of Saint, King, Princess, and Chosen, Royal was mostly used for boys — as in Wes Anderson's anti-hero Royal Tennenbaum — until Lil' Kim named her daughter Royal. Reign in 2014. While it was Reign that really took off for girls, Royal also got a boost and entered the Top 1000 in 2015.
  4. Rain
    • Origin:

      Word name
    • Description:

      Among a small shower of rain-related names, this pure version can have a cool, refreshing image.
  5. Rory
    • Origin:

      Irish
    • Meaning:

      "red king"
    • Description:

      Rory is a buoyant, spirited name for a redhead with Celtic roots. The name Rory is getting more popular overall, but for the past few years has been trending decidedly toward the boys' side -- however, it's been rising to new heights for girls in recent years.
  6. Rae
    • Origin:

      English, diminutive of Rachel, Hebrew
    • Meaning:

      "ewe"
    • Description:

      All the old ae/ay middle names for girls are back--Kay, Fay, Mae/May, --and Rae is one of the coolest, used as such by celebrities as Mark Wahlberg and Daniel Baldwin.
  7. Raina
    • Origin:

      Slavic and German variation of Regina
    • Meaning:

      "queen"
    • Description:

      Strong and solid, with a touch of foreign intrigue, it's the most popular of the rain-related names, with a variety of pronunciations—RAY-na, rah-EE-na, or RY-na. Alternate spellings Reyna and Rayna currently rank higher in the US.
  8. Raya
    • Origin:

      Hebrew, Yiddish, Russian, Arabic, English, Japanese, Malay
    • Meaning:

      "friend; clear, pure; hero; fragrance; queen; night orchid; celebration"
    • Description:

      More unusual alternative to Maya, Raya has risen in popularity due to the introduction of the newest Disney Princess from the 2021 film Raya and the Last Dragon. One of those truly multi-cultural names, Raya has its origins in Hebrew, Russian, Japanese, Arabic, and English,
  9. Reverie
    • Origin:

      Word name
    • Meaning:

      "pleasant, dreamlike state"
    • Description:

      With strong sounds but a whimsical feel, Reverie is a word name associated with being in a dreamy, ethereal state, of being lost in a daydream, or coming up with a pleasant fantasy for the future. Similar in cadence to popularly Everly, it was given to around 80 girls in a recent year.
  10. Remy
    • Origin:

      French from Latin
    • Meaning:

      "oarsman"
    • Description:

      Remy is one of those rare names that combines ancient roots with modern sleekness. Boys outnumber girls with the classic Remy spelling, girls named Remi outnumber those named Remy. With either spelling and for either gender, it's a winning choice.
  11. Rosa
    • Origin:

      Latinate variation of Rose
    • Meaning:

      "rose, a flower"
    • Description:

      As sweet-smelling as Rose but with an international flavour, Rosa is one of the most classic Portuguese, Spanish and Italian names, which is also favored by upper-class Brits, having an ample measure of vintage charm. Rosa has been on the popularity charts for every year that's been counted, especially popular from the 1880s through the beginning of the twentieth century.
  12. Ryan
    • Origin:

      Irish
    • Meaning:

      "little king"
    • Description:

      This ultrapopular boys' name is rapidly becoming a hot name for girls; admired for its buoyant Irish spirit.
  13. Raven
    • Origin:

      Word and animal name
    • Description:

      Bird name Raven, once a symbol of pride for both African-American and Wiccan parents, is finding new life as a superhero name. Raven Darkholme is the real name of Mystique, heroine of the X-Men films played by Jennifer Lawrence. And there is another Raven superheroine in Teen Titans. Some parents may still choose Raven to signal black pride or mystical powers or maybe even Edgar Allan Poe fandom, but we are guessing most inspiration is coming from the comics.
  14. Rosalia
    • Origin:

      Spanish, Latin ceremonial name
    • Meaning:

      "rose"
    • Description:

      Elegant and bright with plenty of flair, Rosalia this Sicilian Saint name is familiar in Spain and Italy. It refers back to the annual Roman ceremony of hanging garlands of roses on tombs, which could make it work as a commemorative name.
  15. Reina
    • Origin:

      Spanish, Yiddish or Japanese
    • Meaning:

      "queen; pure; wise"
    • Description:

      An appellation for the Virgin Mary, "Queen of the apostles." After three years off the US popularity charts, Reina rejoined the list in 2014, though it lags behind alternate spellings Raina, Rayna, and Reyna. It is also used in Yiddish and in Japanese.
  16. Rita
    • Origin:

      Spanish, Hindi
    • Meaning:

      "pearl; truth, order"
    • Description:

      One of the glamour girl names of the Rita Hayworth 1940s, Rita was once a Top 50 name and stayed on the SSA list until 2002.
  17. Rio
    • Origin:

      Spanish, Portuguese, Japanese
    • Meaning:

      "river or place of the cherry blossoms"
    • Description:

      Rio is one of Japan's most popular girls' names, constantly sitting in that country's Top 10. Of course, Rio may also stem from the Portuguese and Spanish word for river, and the Brazilian city Rio de Janeiro. A truly international name for a cosmopolitan baby!
  18. Regina
    • Origin:

      Latin
    • Meaning:

      "queen"
    • Description:

      A classic name with regal elegance--Queen Victoria, like other queens, had Regina appended to her name. She was a Top 100 name in the 1960s.
  19. Raia
    • Origin:

      Spelling variation of Raya
    • Description:

      The popularity of Maya clarifies the pronunciation of Raya, which makes that the better spelling of this name.
  20. Runa
    • Origin:

      Norwegian, Danish, Swedish, Japanese
    • Meaning:

      "secret lore; moon"
    • Description:

      A strong and stylish alternative to the super-fashionable Luna, with a double background as a Scandinavian and Japanese name. It's the female form of the Nordic male name Rune, meaning "secret lore", and also a Japanese name meaning "moon" – making this an undiscovered celestial choice.