Cat Names That Start With R

Ronen derives from the Hebrew word ron, meaning "song," but in America it is also used as a spelling variation of the Irish name Ronan. With both Ronan and Ronin is the Top 500, Ronen has also gained more attention. Given to 86 babies in 2023, it has more than doubled in use over the last decade.

Revel is a joyous word name that may appeal to parents wanting a non-traditional Biblical choice or simply a name that expresses how they feel.

Riker gets relatively little use as a variation of Ryker, likely because of the connection to Riker's Island, the New York City prison. It was named after NYC magistrate Richard Riker, whose ancestor Abraham Rycken first purchased the island.

Used primarily for girls in Ireland, but sounds unisex to us.

An attractive North Carolina unisex place name, Raleigh's soft sound is particularly appropriate for a girl.

In Jewish mysticism, Raziel is an angel known as the Keeper of Secrets. The Book of Raziel contends that he stood by God and wrote down everything that was said. The name Raziel, along with many other names ending in -aziel, is rising in popularity among baby boys.

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

Short for Rocco, this bold nickname has a more peaceful meaning: "rest". But Rocky sounds wild and edgy – even more so for girls.

Between 1980s-era television private eye Remington Steele and Remington Arms, this name might seem all-boy. But in 2014, Remington entered the US girls' Top 1000, and it's been rising since.

Roone is a lively, attractive and unusual redhead entry brought into the mix by the late TV sports and news executive Roone Arledge, who seemed to own it as a one-person name when he was alive.

Rowdy was first famously used as a given name in the television series Rawhide, with the young Clint Eastwood playing Rowdy Yates. More recently, competitive swimmer Rowdy Gaines has been featured in a series of TV commercials, and a new badass baby name is gaining notice.

One of a number of Hebrew girls' namestarting with Raz. Others include Razel, Raziela,Razili and Raziya.

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.

Could be seen as extravagantly ecstatic for a baby name, though feel free to rhapsodize about your little girl, whatever her name.

Indian princely title, more exciting than Prince or Duke, that is also a widely-used name for both genders. In the US, the names Rajah and Raja are uncommon: Ten baby boys were named Rajah last year and 18 were given the Raja spelling.

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.

Ruger is a German surname most famous as a gun name, which explains its popularity as a baby name in the US. If Cannon, Gunner, and Pistol are your type of name, you might like Ruger -- but we're not inviting him for a playdate.

Modern and dynamic Hebrew name that could work for either sex.

An appealing Finnish name, with a touch of literary magic and whimsy, Runo means "poem" in its native language. Traditionally said with a slightly rolled R and a softer 'oh' sound at the end (more like in on that in open), it comes from the Proto-Norse and Proto-Germanic, where it means "secret, literature, letter", in turn relating it to rune.

Ralphie is one of those short forms that have been out of style for so long it just might have a chance of coming back in, if you can get past seeing it as a desperate attempt to cute-ify a stodgy old man's name.