Rehoboam m BiblicalFrom the Hebrew name
רֵחַבְעָם (Rechav'am) meaning
"he enlarges the people". In the Old Testament this is the name of a son of
Solomon. He succeeded his father as king of Israel, but his subjects eventually revolted because of high taxes. This resulted in the division of the kingdom into Israel and Judah, with Rehoboam ruling Judah.
Reidar m NorwegianFrom the Old Norse name
Hreiðarr, which was derived from the elements
hreiðr "nest, home" and
arr "warrior".
Reilly m & f English (Modern)From an Irish surname that was derived from the given name
Raghailleach, meaning unknown.
Remao m LimburgishLimburgish form of
Raymond. Its spelling has been influenced by the French pronunciation of Raymond.
Rembrandt m Dutch (Rare)From a Germanic name that was composed of the elements
ragin "advice" and
brand "sword". This name belonged to the 17th-century Dutch painter Rembrandt van Rijn.
Remington m & f EnglishFrom an English surname that was derived from the name of the town of Rimington in Lancashire, itself meaning
"settlement on the Riming stream". It may be given in honour of the American manufacturer Eliphalet Remington (1793-1861) or his sons, founders of the firearms company that bears their name.
Rémy m FrenchFrench form of the Latin name
Remigius, which was derived from Latin
remigis "oarsman, rower". Saint Rémy was a 5th-century bishop who converted and baptized Clovis, king of the Franks.
Ren m & f JapaneseFrom Japanese
蓮 (ren) meaning "lotus",
恋 (ren) meaning "love", or other kanji that are pronounced the same way.
Renard m French (Rare)French form of
Reynard. Because of the medieval character Reynard the Fox,
renard became a French word meaning "fox".
Renaud m FrenchFrench form of
Reynold. This name was used in medieval French literature for the hero Renaud de Montauban, a young man who flees with his three brothers from the court of
Charlemagne after killing the king's nephew. Charlemagne pardons the brothers on the condition that they enter the Crusades.
Reto m German (Swiss)Means
"of Rhaetia". Rhaetia is a region in eastern Switzerland that got its name from the Rhaeti, a Celtic tribe who originally inhabited the area.
Reuben m Biblical, Hebrew, EnglishMeans
"behold, a son" in Hebrew. In the Old Testament he is the eldest son of
Jacob and
Leah and the ancestor of one of the twelve tribes of Israel. Reuben was cursed by his father because he slept with Jacob's concubine
Bilhah. It has been used as a Christian name in Britain since the Protestant Reformation.
Reuel m Biblical, Biblical HebrewMeans
"friend of God" in Hebrew. In the Old Testament this is another name for
Jethro. The fantasy author John Ronald Reuel Tolkien (1892-1973) was a famous bearer.
Revaz m GeorgianPossibly of Persian origin meaning
"wealthy, successful".
Revazi m GeorgianForm of
Revaz with the nominative suffix, used when the name is written stand-alone.
Rex m EnglishFrom Latin
rex meaning
"king". It has been used as a given name since the 19th century.
Reyes f & m SpanishMeans
"kings" in Spanish. It is taken from the title of the Virgin
Mary,
La Virgen de los Reyes, meaning "The Virgin of the Kings". According to legend, the Virgin Mary appeared to King Ferdinand III of Castile and told him his armies would defeat those of the Moors in Seville.
Reynard m English (Rare)From the Germanic name
Raginhard, composed of the elements
ragin "advice" and
hard "brave, hardy". The Normans brought it to England in the form
Reinard, though it never became very common there. In medieval fables the name was borne by the sly hero Reynard the Fox (with the result that
renard has become a French word meaning "fox").
Reynold m EnglishFrom the Germanic name
Raginald, composed of the elements
ragin "advice" and
wald "rule". The Normans (who used forms like
Reinald or
Reinold) brought the name to Britain, where it reinforced rare Old English and Norse cognates already in existence. It was common during the Middle Ages, but became more rare after the 15th century.
Rhett m EnglishFrom a surname, an Anglicized form of the Dutch
de Raedt, derived from
raet "advice, counsel". Margaret Mitchell used this name for the character Rhett Butler in her novel
Gone with the Wind (1936).
Rhodri m WelshDerived from the Welsh elements
rhod "wheel" and
rhi "king". This name was borne by a 9th-century Welsh king.
Rhys m Welsh, EnglishMeans
"enthusiasm" in Welsh. Several Welsh rulers have borne this name, including the 12th-century Rhys ap Gruffydd who fought against the invading Normans.
Riad m ArabicMeans
"meadows, gardens", from the plural of Arabic
روضة (rawdah).
Riagán m IrishPossibly derived from
ríodhgach meaning
"impulsive".
Richard m English, French, German, Czech, Slovak, Dutch, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Ancient GermanicMeans
"brave ruler", derived from the Germanic elements
ric "ruler, mighty" and
hard "brave, hardy". The Normans introduced this name to Britain, and it has been very common there since that time. It was borne by three kings of England including Richard I the Lionheart, one of the leaders of the Third Crusade in the 12th century.
... [more] Ridge m English (Modern)From the English vocabulary word denoting a continous elevated mountain crest, or from the English surname derived from the word.
Ridha m ArabicMeans
"satisfaction, contentment" in Arabic. This name was borne by Ali al-Ridha, a 9th-century Shia imam.
Ridley m & f English (Rare)From a surname that was originally derived from various English place names meaning
"reed clearing" or
"channel clearing" in Old English.
Rigby m English (Rare)From a surname that was originally derived from a place name meaning
"ridge farm" in Old Norse.
Rigel m AstronomyDerived from Arabic
الرجل (al-Rijl) meaning
"foot". This is the name of the star that forms the left foot of the constellation Orion.
Riku 2 m JapaneseFrom Japanese
陸 (riku) meaning "land" or different kanji that are pronounced the same way.
Rikuto m JapaneseFrom Japanese
陸 (riku) meaning "land" combined with
斗 (to), which refers to a Chinese constellation, or
人 (to) meaning "person", as well as other combinations of kanji that have the same pronunciations.
Riley m & f EnglishFrom a surname that comes from two distinct sources. As an Irish surname it is a variant of
Reilly. As an English surname it is derived from a place name meaning
"rye clearing" in Old English.
Rimantas m LithuanianFrom Lithuanian
rimti meaning "to calm" and
mantus meaning "intelligent".
Rin f & m JapaneseFrom Japanese
凛 (rin) meaning "dignified, severe, cold" or other kanji that are pronounced the same way.
Rio 1 m & f VariousMeans
"river" in Spanish or Portuguese. A city in Brazil bears this name. Its full name is Rio de Janeiro, which means "river of January", so named because the first explorers came to the harbour in January and mistakenly thought it was a river mouth.
Ríoghnán m IrishFrom Irish
rí "king" combined with a diminutive suffix.
Ripley f & m English (Rare)From a surname that was derived from the name of various English towns, from Old English
ripel "strip of land" and
leah "clearing". A famous fictional bearer was the character Ellen Ripley (usually only called by her surname) from the
Alien series of movies, beginning 1979.
River m & f English (Modern)From the English word that denotes a flowing body of water. The word is ultimately derived (via Old French) from Latin
ripa "riverbank".
Roald m NorwegianModern form of the Old Norse name
Hróðvaldr or
Hróaldr, composed of the elements
hróðr "fame" and
valdr "ruler". This name was borne by the Norwegian polar explorer Roald Amundsen (1872-1928) and the British children's author Roald Dahl (1916-1990), who was born to Norwegian parents.
Robert m English, French, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, German, Dutch, Finnish, Estonian, Czech, Polish, Russian, Slovene, Croatian, Romanian, Catalan, Ancient GermanicFrom the Germanic name
Hrodebert meaning
"bright fame", derived from the Germanic elements
hrod "fame" and
beraht "bright". The Normans introduced this name to Britain, where it replaced the Old English cognate
Hreodbeorht. It has been consistently among the most common English names from the 13th to 20th century. In the United States it was the most popular name for boys between 1924 and 1939 (and again in 1953).
... [more] Roberto m Italian, Spanish, PortugueseItalian, Spanish and Portuguese form of
Robert. Saint Roberto Bellarmine was a 16th-century cardinal who is regarded as a Doctor of the Church. Another famous bearer was Roberto de Nobili, a Jesuit missionary to India in the 17th century.
Robin m & f English, French, Dutch, Swedish, CzechMedieval English diminutive of
Robert, now usually regarded as an independent name. Robin Hood was a legendary hero and archer of medieval England who stole from the rich to give to the poor. In modern times it has also been used as a feminine name, and it may sometimes be given in reference to the red-breasted bird.
Rocco m Italian, Ancient GermanicGermanic name derived from the element
hrok meaning
"rest". This was the name of a 14th-century French saint who nursed victims of the plague but eventually contracted the disease himself. He is the patron saint of the sick.
Rocky m EnglishDiminutive of
Rocco and other names beginning with a similar sound, or else a nickname referring to a tough person. This is the name of a boxer played by Sylvester Stallone in the movie
Rocky (1976) and its five sequels.
Roderick m English, Scottish, WelshMeans
"famous ruler" from the Germanic elements
hrod "fame" and
ric "ruler, mighty". This name was in use among the Visigoths; it was borne by their last king (also known as Rodrigo), who died fighting the Muslim invaders of Spain in the 8th century. It also had cognates in Old Norse and West Germanic, and Scandinavian settlers and Normans introduced it to England, though it died out after the Middle Ages. It was revived in the English-speaking world by Sir Walter Scott's 1811 poem
The Vision of Don Roderick.
Rodney m EnglishFrom a surname, originally derived from a place name, which meant "Hroda's island" in Old English (where
Hroda is a Germanic given name meaning "fame"). It was first used as a given name in honour of the British admiral Lord Rodney (1719-1792).
Rogelio m SpanishSpanish form of the Late Latin name
Rogelius, which was possibly derived from the name
Rogatus, which was itself derived from Latin
rogatus "request".
Roger m English, French, Catalan, Swedish, Norwegian, German, DutchMeans
"famous spear" from the Germanic elements
hrod "fame" and
ger "spear". The Normans brought this name to England, where it replaced the Old English cognate
Hroðgar (the name of the Danish king in the Anglo-Saxon epic
Beowulf). It was a common name in England during the Middle Ages. By the 18th century it was rare, but it was revived in following years. The name was borne by the Norman lords Roger I, who conquered Sicily in the 11th century, and his son Roger II, who ruled Sicily as a king.
Rokurō m JapaneseFrom Japanese
六 (roku) meaning "six" and
郎 (rō) meaning "son". This name was traditionally given to the sixth son. Other combinations of kanji characters can also form this name.
Roland m English, French, German, Swedish, Dutch, Hungarian, Polish, Medieval FrenchFrom the Germanic elements
hrod meaning "fame" and
landa meaning "land", though some theories hold that the second element was originally
nand meaning "brave". Roland was a semi-legendary French hero whose story is told in the medieval epic
La Chanson de Roland, in which he is a nephew of
Charlemagne killed in battle with the Saracens. The Normans introduced this name to England.
Rolf m German, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, EnglishFrom the Germanic name
Hrolf (or its Old Norse cognate
Hrólfr), a contracted form of
Hrodulf (see
Rudolf). The Normans introduced this name to England but it soon became rare. In the modern era it has occasionally been used in the English-speaking world as a German import.
Rollo m EnglishLatinized form of
Roul, the Old French form of
Rolf. Rollo (or Rolf) the Ganger was an exiled Viking who, in the 10th century, became the first Duke of Normandy. It has been used as a given name in the English-speaking world since the 19th century.
Romeo m Italian, RomanianItalian and Romanian form of the Late Latin
Romaeus or Late Greek
Ρωμαῖος (Romaios), which meant
"from Rome" or
"Roman". In medieval Italian this meant
"a pilgrim to Rome". Romeo is best known as the lover of
Juliet in Shakespeare's tragedy
Romeo and Juliet (1596).
Ronald m Scottish, English, Dutch, GermanScottish form of
Ragnvaldr, a name introduced to Scotland by Scandinavian settlers and invaders. It became popular outside Scotland during the 20th century. A famous bearer was the American actor and president Ronald Reagan (1911-2004). It is also associated with Ronald McDonald, the clown mascot for the McDonald's chain of restaurants, who first appeared in 1963.
Ronaldo m PortuguesePortuguese form of
Ronald. A notable bearer is the retired Brazilian soccer player Ronaldo Luís Nazário de Lima (1976-), who is commonly known only by his first name.
Rónán m IrishMeans
"little seal", derived from Irish
rón "seal" combined with a diminutive suffix.
Rong f & m ChineseFrom Chinese
荣 (róng) meaning "glory, honour, flourish, prosper",
融 (róng) meaning "fuse, harmonize" or
容 (róng) meaning "appearance, form" (which is usually only feminine). Other Chinese characters can form this name as well.
Ronne m FrisianFrisian short form of Germanic names beginning with the element
hraban meaning
"raven".
Roosevelt m EnglishFrom a Dutch surname meaning
"rose field". This name is often given in honour of American presidents Theodore Roosevelt (1858-1919) or Franklin D. Roosevelt (1882-1945).
Rórdán m IrishFrom the older Irish name
Ríoghbhardán, which meant
"little poet king" from Irish Gaelic
ríogh "king" combined with
bard "poet" and a diminutive suffix.
Rosario f & m Spanish, ItalianMeans
"rosary", and is taken from the Spanish title of the Virgin
Mary Nuestra Señora del Rosario meaning "Our Lady of the Rosary". This name is feminine in Spanish and masculine in Italian.
Roscoe m EnglishFrom an English surname, originally derived from a place name, itself derived from Old Norse
rá "roebuck" and
skógr "wood, forest".
Rosendo m SpanishSpanish form of a Visigothic name composed of the Germanic elements
hrod "fame" and
sinths "path". This was the name of a 10th-century Galician saint, also known as Rudesind.
Ross m Scottish, EnglishFrom a Scottish and English surname that originally indicated a person from a place called
Ross (such as the region of Ross in northern Scotland), derived from Gaelic
ros meaning "promontory, headland". A famous bearer of the surname was Sir James Clark Ross (1800-1862), an Antarctic explorer.
Rostam m Persian, Persian MythologyMeaning unknown, possibly from Avestan
raodha "to grow" and
takhma "strong, brave, valiant". Rostam was a warrior hero in Persian legend. The 10th-century Persian poet Ferdowsi recorded his tale in the
Shahnameh.
Roswell m EnglishFrom a surname that was derived from an Old English place name meaning
"horse spring".
Rotem m & f HebrewFrom the name of a desert plant (species Retama raetam), possibly derived from Hebrew
רְתֹם (retom) meaning "to bind".
Rowan m & f Irish, English (Modern)Anglicized form of the Irish name
Ruadhán. As an English name, it can also be derived from the surname Rowan, itself derived from the Irish given name. It could also be given in reference to the rowan tree, a word of Old Norse origin (coincidentally sharing the same Indo-European root meaning "red" with the Irish name).
Roy m Scottish, English, DutchAnglicized form of
Ruadh. A notable bearer was the Scottish outlaw and folk hero Rob Roy (1671-1734). It is often associated with French
roi "king".
Royal m & f EnglishFrom the English word
royal, derived (via Old French) from Latin
regalis, a derivative of
rex "king". It was first used as a given name in the 19th century.
Royce m EnglishFrom a surname that was derived from the medieval given name
Royse, a variant of
Rose.
Roydon m English (Rare)From a surname that was originally derived from a place name meaning
"rye hill", from Old English
ryge "rye" and
dun "hill".
Royle m English (Rare)From a surname that was derived from a place name meaning
"rye hill" from Old English
ryge "rye" and
hyll "hill".
Royston m English (British)From a surname that was originally taken from an Old English place name meaning
"town of Royse". The given name
Royse was a medieval variant of
Rose.
Ru m & f ChineseFrom Chinese
儒 (rú) meaning "scholar",
如 (rú) meaning "like, as, if", or other characters with similar pronunciations.
Ruadh m Irish, ScottishGaelic byname meaning
"red", often a nickname for one with red hair. This was the nickname of the Scottish outlaw Raibeart Ruadh MacGregor (1671-1734), known as Rob Roy in English.
Ruadhán m IrishDiminutive of
Ruadh. Saint Ruadhán was the founder of the monastery of Lorrha in the 6th century.
Ruaidhrí m IrishMeans
"red king" from Old Irish
rúad "red" combined with
rí "king". This was the name of the last high king of Ireland, reigning in the 12th century.
Ruarc m IrishProbably an Irish form of
Hrœrekr, introduced by Scandinavian settlers and invaders. Alternatively it may be derived from Irish
ruarc "squall, rainstorm".