Boy Dog Names That Start With R

Now that names like Cannon and Gunner, fit for comic book heroes, are rising up, Rogue may fit right in.

Rogue

A joyous (if a little rowdy) word name that's still relatively undiscovered by parents, being given to about 10 babies of each sex per year. Glee actor Matthew Morrison named his son Revel in 2017.

Revel

Sure, he'd probably get a certain amount of red-nosed teasing around the holiday, but a boy named Rudolph could probably take it. Besides, he's got other, more distinguished namesakes -- the great ballet dancer Nureyev, silent screen Lothario Valentino and 9-11 Mayor Giuliani.
 Softening short form Rudy has stood on its own long enough to have been consistently in the Top 1000 for as long as Social Security records have been tallied, while Rudolph has been off for decades. Can it be one of the <a href="https://nameberry.com/baby-names/805/german-names-for-boys">German names for boys</a>prime for a comeback?
 The name was spread in England via the Anthony Hope novel <e,>Prisoner of Zenda, which set the fashion for romantic adventure stories in imaginary Balkan countries in the early 20th century.

Rudolph

Variation on Rhidian, a Welsh saint's name.

Rhydian

Ron is a masculine name that functions both as a standalone name and as a shortened form of longer names like Ronald, Aaron, or Byron. Ronald, its most common source, derives from the Old Norse 'Rögnvaldr,' meaning 'ruler's advisor' or 'decision maker.' 

Ron gained significant popularity in the mid-20th century, particularly from the 1940s through the 1970s. Its brevity exemplifies the trend toward shorter, more direct masculine names. The name projects a straightforward, unpretentious quality that has helped it transcend generations. 

While its peak popularity has passed, Ron maintains steady usage and recognition across English-speaking countries. Notable bearers include actors Ron Howard and Ron Perlman, and more recently, the character Ron Weasley from the Harry Potter series has kept the name familiar to younger generations.

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.

Raider

Has a lively and swaggering sound, and also some unfortunate associations with Reno, city of gambling and failed marriages. 

Reno

Starbaby name that might prove too supercharged for real life, but if like director Robert Rodriguez you're interested only in <a href="https://nameberry.com/search/boys-names/r">boys' names starting with R</a>, you may need to add Rocket (and Rebel and Racer) to your list. 
Musician and fashion director Pharrell Williams named his son Rocket, telling Oprah, "In the same way the Indians named their children after a force or animal or element, we named him after a man-made machine that was meant to go up, meant to ascend."

Rocket

He was the original Roman, Remus's twin and a founder of Rome. But parents attracted to this name are advised to read the legend first. Romulus does have some less than savory characteristics, including killing his twin brother and making Rome in his own image, and is later deified as Quinnius. Romy and Quinn might make good <a href="https://nameberry.com/blog/twin-names-the-ultimate-guide">twin names</a>.

Romulus

This classic Robert nickname is starting to sound sweet again, along with ultra-retro Bobby.

Robby

An unusual surname-style choice with a strong meaning and potential for nicknames Ford and Red. Associated with the actor Robert Redford, it was also used for a one of the main characters in the 2019 novel Get a Life, Chloe Brownby author Talia Hibbert.

Redford

Renly Baratheon was a fairly minor character in A Song of Ice and Fire and HBO's Game of Thrones, mostly remembered as the one of the show's few prominent LGBT characters. He played a major part in season 2 of the show, when he challenged the Lannisters and his older brother Stannis for control of the Iron Throne. Despite the relative insignificance of the character, Renly has actually started to gain a bit of traction as a boys' name, thanks to its fresh, upbeat sound. A respectable 29 baby boys were named Renly in 2016 -- up from ZERO before the show premiered.

Renly

Baseball player Ryne Sandberg's nickname is RYNO.  Need we say more?  

Ryne

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 <a href="https://nameberry.com/baby-names/490/hebrew-names-for-boys">Hebrew boys' name</a> Raphael, but you don't need to be a Rafael to be a Rafa.

Rafa

Richmond is a place-name — it's the capital of Virginia, US, and a town in London, UK — that makes a fresh way to honor an ancestral Richard. 

Richmond

Variation of Reddick, recognizable as the name of Vin Diesel's character in the Riddick film series, based on the Chronicles of Riddick books.

Riddick

Rock definitely has a macho image, if a somewhat caricatured one, ala The Rock. But with the rise of word names and also of tough guy names, Rock feels more plausible than it did a generation ago.

Rock

Rubin is a masculine name of Germanic and Yiddish origin that developed as a variant of Reuben or directly from the gemstone ruby. The name derives from the Latin 'rubinus' meaning 'red,' referring to the precious stone. In Jewish traditions, it connects to the biblical Reuben, Jacob's firstborn son, whose name means 'behold, a son' in Hebrew. Rubin has moderate popularity in German-speaking countries and among Jewish communities. As a surname-turned-first-name, it carries an intellectual, distinguished quality. The gemstone association gives Rubin connotations of value and brilliance. While less common than the spelling 'Reuben' in English-speaking countries, Rubin offers a concise, distinctive alternative with rich cultural heritage.

Rubin

Remus is one of the legendary twins who, with brother Romulus, founded Rome.  An unusual yet classic name for the extremely adventurous who can put aside the stereotyped image of Uncle Remus.  Though because of that "ream" first syllable, we prefer Romulus.

Remus

Fiery but slight middle name choice; much more apt to be a redhead's nickname. 