Names with "-rose" in Meaning

Régis m French
From a French surname meaning "ruler" in Occitan. This name is often given in honour of Saint Jean-François Régis (1597-1640), a French Jesuit priest.

Regla f Spanish
Means "rule" in Spanish. It is taken from the title of the Virgin Mary, Nuestra Señora de Regla, meaning "Our Lady of the Rule". This name is especially common in Cuba.

Regula f German (Swiss), Late Roman
Means "rule" in Latin. This was the name of a 3rd-century Swiss martyr, the patron saint of Zurich.

Regulus m Ancient Roman, Astronomy
Roman cognomen meaning "prince, little king", a diminutive of Latin rex "king". This was the cognomen of several 3rd-century BC consuls from the gens Atilia. It was also the name of several early saints. A star in the constellation Leo bears this name as well.

Rehema f Swahili
Means "mercy, compassion" in Swahili, from Arabic رحمة (rahmah).

Rehoboam m Biblical
From 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.

Rei f Japanese
From Japanese 鈴 (rei) meaning "bell", 麗 (rei) meaning "beautiful, lovely" or 玲 (rei) meaning "the tinkling of jade". This name can also be formed by other kanji with the same pronunciation.

Reid m English
From a surname, a Scots variant of Reed.

Reidar m Norwegian
From the Old Norse name Hreiðarr, which was derived from the elements hreiðr "nest, home" and herr "army, warrior".

Reidun f Norwegian
From the Old Norse name Hreiðunn, which was derived from the elements hreiðr "nest, home" and unnr "wave".

Reign f & m English (Modern)
From the English word reign, derived from Latin regnum "royal power".

Reiko f Japanese
From Japanese 玲 (rei) meaning "the tinkling of jade" or 礼 (rei) meaning "ceremony" combined with 子 (ko) meaning "child". Other combinations of kanji can also form this name.

Reilly m & f English (Modern)
From an Irish surname, an Anglicized form of Ó Raghailligh, derived from the given name Raghailleach, meaning unknown.

Rein m Frisian, Dutch, Estonian
Originally a short form of Germanic names beginning with the element regin meaning "advice, counsel, decision" (Proto-Germanic *raginą).

Reina 1 f Spanish
Means "queen" in Spanish.

Reina 2 f Yiddish
Derived from Yiddish ריין (rein) meaning "clean, pure".

Reina 3 f Japanese
From Japanese 怜 (rei) meaning "wise" and 奈 (na), a phonetic character. This name can also be formed by other combinations of kanji.

Reine f French
Means "queen" in French, ultimately from Latin regina.

Reinhild f German
From the Germanic name Raginhild, which was composed of the elements regin "advice, counsel, decision" and hilt "battle". This was the name of a 7th-century Frankish saint who was martyred by the Huns. It is a cognate of the Norse name Ragnhild.

Rembrandt m Dutch (Rare)
From a Germanic name that was composed of the elements regin "advice, counsel, decision" and brant "fire, torch, sword". This name belonged to the Dutch painter Rembrandt van Rijn (1606-1669).

Remedios f Spanish
Means "remedies" in Spanish. It is taken from the title of the Virgin Mary, Nuestra Señora de los Remedios, meaning "Our Lady of the Remedies".

Remei f Catalan
Means "remedy" in Catalan, a Catalan equivalent of Remedios.

Remington m & f English
From 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.

Remus m Roman Mythology, Romanian
Meaning uncertain, possibly from Old Latin *yemos meaning "twin" with the initial consonant altered due to the influence of Romulus. In Roman legend the twin brothers Romulus and Remus were the founders of the city of Rome. Remus was later slain by his brother.

Rémy m French
French 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 Japanese
From Japanese 蓮 (ren) meaning "lotus", 恋 (ren) meaning "romantic love", or other kanji that are pronounced the same way.

Renatus m Late Roman
Late Latin name meaning "born again".

Renesmee f Literature
Invented by the American author Stephenie Meyer for a character in her novel Breaking Dawn (2008), the fourth book of her Twilight series. The character is the baby daughter of Bella Swan and Edward Cullen, with her name combining the names of her grandmothers: Renée and Esme.

Reshma f Hindi, Marathi, Bengali, Telugu
From Hindi रेशम (resham) meaning "silk", ultimately of Persian origin.

Reshmi f Hindi, Bengali
Means "silky", from Hindi रेशम (resham) meaning "silk", ultimately of Persian origin.

Resurrección f Spanish
Means "resurrection" in Spanish, commemorating the resurrection of Jesus.

Rethabile f & m Sotho
Means "we are happy" in Sotho.

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, English
Means "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 Hebrew
Means "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.

Reumah f Biblical
Means "elevated, exalted" in Hebrew, derived רָאַם (ra'am) meaning "to rise". In the Old Testament, Reumah was a concubine of Nahor and by him the mother of four sons.

Reut f Hebrew
Means "friendship" in Hebrew, making it a variant of the biblical name Ruth.

Reva f Hinduism, Hindi
Means "one that moves" in Sanskrit. This is another name of the Hindu goddess Rati.

Revaz m Georgian
Possibly of Persian origin meaning "wealthy, successful".

Reverie f English (Rare)
From the English word meaning "daydream, fanciful musing", derived from Old French resverie, itself from resver meaning "to dream, to rave".

Rex m English
From Latin rex meaning "king". It has been used as a given name since the 19th century.

Rey m Spanish
Short form of Reynaldo. It is also a Spanish word meaning "king".

Reyes f & m Spanish
Means "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 regin "advice, counsel, decision" and hart "hard, firm, 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 English
From the Germanic name Raginald, composed of the elements regin "advice, counsel, decision" and walt "power, authority". 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.

Rhea f Greek Mythology, Roman Mythology
Meaning unknown, perhaps related to ῥέω (rheo) meaning "to flow" or ἔρα (era) meaning "ground". In Greek mythology Rhea was a Titan, the wife of Cronus, and the mother of the Olympian gods Zeus, Poseidon, Hades, Hera, Demeter and Hestia. Also, in Roman mythology a woman named Rhea Silvia was the mother of Romulus and Remus, the legendary founders of Rome.

Rhian f Welsh
Derived from Welsh rhiain meaning "maiden, young woman".

Rhiannon f Welsh, English, Welsh Mythology
Probably derived from an unattested Celtic name *Rīgantonā meaning "great queen" (Celtic *rīganī "queen" and the divine or augmentative suffix -on). It is speculated that Rigantona was an old Celtic goddess, perhaps associated with fertility and horses like the Gaulish Epona. As Rhiannon, she appears in Welsh legend in the Mabinogi as a beautiful magical woman who rides a white horse. She was betrothed against her will to Gwawl, but cunningly broke off that engagement and married Pwyll instead. Their son was Pryderi.... [more]

Rhodri m Welsh
From the Old Welsh name Rotri, derived from rod "wheel" and ri "king". This name was borne by several medieval Welsh rulers, including Rhodri the Great, a 9th-century king of Gwynedd.

Rhona f Scottish
Possibly derived from the name of either of the two Hebridean islands called Rona, which means "rough island" in Old Norse.

Rhydderch m Welsh (Rare)
From the Old Welsh name Riderch, probably derived from ri "king" combined with derch "exalted". Rhydderch Hael was a 6th-century king of Strathclyde. It has sometimes been Anglicized as Roderick.

Rhys m Welsh, English
From Old Welsh Ris, probably meaning "ardour, enthusiasm". Several Welsh rulers have borne this name, including the 12th-century Rhys ap Gruffydd who fought against the invading Normans.

Riad m Arabic
Means "meadows, gardens", from the plural of Arabic روضة (rawdah).

Riagán m Irish (Rare)
From Old Irish Riacán, probably derived from rí "king" combined with a diminutive suffix.

Rianne f Dutch
Combination of Ria and Anne 1. It can also be a short form of names ending in rianne.

Richa f Hindi, Marathi, Malayalam, Bengali
Means "praise, verse, sacred text" in Sanskrit.

Richard m English, French, German, Czech, Slovak, Dutch, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Germanic
Means "brave ruler", derived from the Old German elements rih "ruler, king" and hart "hard, firm, brave, hardy". This was the name of three early dukes of Normandy. The Normans introduced it to England when they invaded in the 11th century, and it has been very common there since that time. It was borne by three kings of England including the 12th-century Richard I the Lionheart, one of the leaders of the Third Crusade.... [more]

Richardis f Germanic (Latinized)
Germanic name, possibly a feminine form of Ricohard, though it is likely the second element is gart "enclosure" (being more common as a second element in feminine names). This was the name of the 9th-century wife of the Frankish emperor Charles the Fat. She is regarded as a saint.

Richmal f English (Rare)
Meaning uncertain, possibly a combination of Richard and Mary. This name has been used since at least the late 18th century, mainly confined to the town of Bury in Lancashire.

Ricmod f & m Germanic
Derived from the Old German element rih "ruler, king" combined with muot "mind, spirit".

Ridge m English (Modern)
From the English vocabulary word denoting a continuous elevated mountain crest, or from the English surname derived from the word.

Ridha m Arabic
Means "satisfaction, contentment" in Arabic. This name was borne by Ali ar-Ridha, a 9th-century Shia imam.

Ridley m & f English (Rare)
From an English surname that was originally derived from various place names meaning either "reed clearing" or "channel clearing" in Old English.

Ridwan m Arabic, Indonesian
Means "satisfaction, contentment" in Arabic.

Rie f Japanese
From Japanese 理 (ri) meaning "reason, logic" or 里 (ri) meaning "village" combined with 恵 (e) meaning "favour, benefit". Other kanji combinations can also form this name.

Rifat m Arabic
Means "high rank" in Arabic.

Rígán m Old Irish
Old Irish form of Ríoghán.

Rígbarddán m Old Irish
Means "little poet of the king", from Old Irish rí "king" (genitive ríg) combined with bard "poet" and a diminutive suffix.

Rigby m English (Rare)
From an English surname that was originally derived from a place name meaning "ridge farm" in Old Norse.

Rigel m Astronomy
Derived from Arabic الرجل (al-Rijl) meaning "foot". This is the name of the star that forms the left foot of the constellation Orion.

Ríghnach f Irish Mythology
Variant of Ríoghnach.

Rīkaharduz m Old Germanic (Hypothetical)
Proto-Germanic reconstruction of Richard.

Riko f Japanese
From Japanese 莉 (ri) meaning "white jasmine" or 理 (ri) meaning "reason, logic" combined with 子 (ko) meaning "child". Other kanji combinations are possible.

Riku 2 m Japanese
From Japanese 陸 (riku) meaning "land" or different kanji that are pronounced the same way.

Rikuto m Japanese
From 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 pronunciation.

Riley m & f English
From 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.... [more]

Rim f Arabic
Means "white antelope" in Arabic.

Rimantas m Lithuanian
From Lithuanian rimti "to calm down" combined with mantus "intelligent" or manta "property, wealth".

Rin f & m Japanese
From Japanese 凛 (rin) meaning "dignified, severe, cold" or other kanji that are pronounced the same way.

Rina 2 f Hebrew
Means "joy, singing" in Hebrew.

Rina 3 f Hindi, Marathi
Possibly from Sanskrit रीण (rina) meaning "melted".

Rina 4 f Japanese
From Japanese 莉 (ri) meaning "white jasmine" or 里 (ri) meaning "village" combined with 奈 (na), a phonetic character, or 菜 (na) meaning "vegetables, greens". Other kanji combinations are possible.

Rinat 2 f Hebrew
Variant of Rina 2.

Rio 1 m & f Various
Means "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.

Rio 2 f Japanese
From Japanese 莉 (ri) meaning "white jasmine" or 里 (ri) meaning "village" combined with 央 (o) meaning "center", 緒 (o) meaning "thread" or 桜 (o) meaning "cherry blossom". Other kanji combinations are also possible.

Ríoghán m Irish
From Old Irish Rígán, itself from rí "king" (or the derivative ríg "royal") combined with a diminutive suffix.

Ríoghnach f Irish Mythology
Derived from Old Irish rígain meaning "queen". According to some sources, this was the name of a wife of the semi-legendary Irish king Niall of the Nine Hostages.

Riordan m English (Rare)
From an Irish surname (Anglicized from Irish Gaelic Ó Ríoghbhárdáin), which was derived from the given name Rígbarddán.

Ripley f & m English (Rare)
From a surname that was derived from the name of various English towns, from Old English rippel "grove, thicket" and leah "clearing". A famous fictional bearer is the character Ellen Ripley (usually only called by her surname) from the Alien series of movies, beginning 1979.

Ris m Old Welsh
Old Welsh form of Rhys.

Rishi m Hindi, Marathi, Bengali, Nepali
Means "sage, poet" in Sanskrit, perhaps ultimately deriving from a root meaning "to see".

Rīta f Latvian (Rare)
Possibly derived from Latvian rīts meaning "morning". Alternatively it could be a Latvian variant of Rita.

Ritika f Hindi
Means either "movement, stream" or "brass" in Sanskrit.

Ritu f Hindi, Marathi, Bengali, Punjabi
Means "season, period" in Sanskrit.

Ritva f Finnish
Means "birch branch" in Finnish.

Rivaldo m Portuguese (Brazilian)
Meaning uncertain, possibly a variant of Rinaldo, possibly influenced by Portuguese rio, Latin rivus meaning "river". A famous bearer is the Brazilian former soccer player Rivaldo Vítor Borba Ferreira (1972-), who is usually known by only his first name.

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".

Riya f Hindi, Marathi, Bengali
Means "singer" in Sanskrit.

Rizpah f Biblical
Means "coal, hot stone" in Hebrew. According to the Old Testament Rizpah was one of Saul's concubines. After her sons were put to death by the Gibeonites, she guarded the displayed bodies for five months to prevent animals from eating them.

Roald m Norwegian
Modern form of the Old Norse name Hróðvaldr or Hróaldr, composed of the elements hróðr "praise, 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.

Roan m Frisian
Originally a short form of names beginning with the Old German element hraban meaning "raven".

Robert m English, French, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, German, Dutch, Finnish, Estonian, Czech, Polish, Russian, Slovene, Croatian, Albanian, Romanian, Catalan, Germanic
From the Germanic name Hrodebert meaning "bright fame", derived from the elements hruod "fame" and beraht "bright". The Normans introduced this name to Britain, where it replaced the rare 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]

Robin m & f English, French, Dutch, Swedish, Czech
Medieval 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, Germanic
Germanic name possibly derived from hruoh meaning "crow, rook". 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.

Rochelle f English
From the name of the French city La Rochelle, meaning "little rock". It first became commonly used as a given name in America in the 1930s, probably due to the fame of actress Rochelle Hudson (1914-1972) and because of the similarity to the name Rachel.

Rocío f Spanish
Means "dew" in Spanish. It is taken from the title of the Virgin Mary María del Rocío meaning "Mary of the Dew".

Roderick m English, Scottish, Welsh
Means "famous ruler" from the Old German elements hruod "fame" and rih "ruler, king". This name was in use among the Visigoths; it was borne by their last king (Gothic form *Hroþireiks, also known by the Spanish form 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 Walter Scott's 1811 poem The Vision of Don Roderick.... [more]

Rodica f Romanian
Meaning uncertain, perhaps from Romanian rod (a Slavic borrowing) meaning "fruit" or Greek ῥόδον (rhodon) meaning "rose".

Rodney m English
From an English surname, originally derived from a place name, which meant "Hroda's island" in Old English (where Hroda is an Old English given name meaning "fame"). It was first used as a given name in honour of the British admiral Lord Rodney (1719-1792).

Rodomonte m Carolingian Cycle
Used by Matteo Maria Boiardo for a Saracen warrior king in his epic poem Orlando Innamorato (1483). It could be related to Italian rotolare "to roll" and monte "mountain". He also appears in Ludovico Ariosto's continuation Orlando Furioso (1532).

Rogatus m Late Roman
From Latin rogatus meaning "request, entreaty", in turn derived from rogo meaning "to ask, to request". This name was borne by several early and relatively obscure martyrs and saints.

Roger m English, French, Catalan, Swedish, Norwegian, German, Dutch
From the Germanic name Hrodger meaning "famous spear", derived from the elements hruod "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.... [more]

Rohan 1 m Hindi, Marathi, Bengali, Kannada
Derived from Sanskrit रोहण (rohana) meaning "ascending".

Rohan 2 f Literature
From the novel The Lord of the Rings (1954) by J. R. R. Tolkien, where it is a place name meaning "horse country" in the fictional language Sindarin.

Rohit m Hindi, Marathi, Bengali, Odia, Gujarati, Kannada, Telugu, Nepali
Derived from Sanskrit रोहित (rohita) meaning "red".

Roi 2 m Hebrew
Means "my shepherd" in Hebrew.

Roimata f Maori
Means "teardrop" in Maori.

Rokurō m Japanese
From 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, Slovak, Albanian, Georgian, Carolingian Cycle
From the Old German elements hruod meaning "fame" and lant meaning "land", though some theories hold that the second element was originally nand meaning "brave".... [more]

Roma 2 f Various
From the name of the Italian city, commonly called Rome in English.

Roman m Russian, Polish, Czech, Slovak, Ukrainian, Slovene, Croatian, Estonian, German, English
From the Late Latin name Romanus meaning "Roman". This name was borne by several early saints including a 7th-century bishop of Rouen, as well as medieval rulers of Bulgaria, Kyiv and Moldavia.

Romeo m Italian, Romanian
Italian form of the Late Latin Romaeus or Late Greek Ρωμαῖος (Romaios), which meant "from Rome" or "Roman". Romeo is best known as the lover of Juliet in William Shakespeare's tragedy Romeo and Juliet (1596). Shakespeare based his play on earlier Italian stories by Luigi Da Porto (1524) and Matteo Bandello (1554), which both featured characters named Giulietta and Romeo.

Romi f Hebrew
Means "my height, my exaltation" in Hebrew.

Romilda f Italian, Germanic (Latinized)
Means "famous battle" from the Germanic elements hruom "fame, glory" and hilt "battle".

Romilly m & f English (British, Rare)
From an English surname that was derived from the name of various Norman towns, themselves from the given name Romilius.

Romuald m French, Polish, Germanic
From the Germanic elements hruom meaning "fame, glory" and walt meaning "power, authority". This was the name of an 11th-century Italian saint who founded the Camaldolese order.

Romulus m Roman Mythology, Romanian
From Roma, the Latin name of the city of Rome, combined with a diminutive suffix. In Roman legend Romulus and Remus were the twin sons of Rhea Silvia and the god Mars. Romulus killed his brother when they argued about where to found Rome. According to the tale he gave the city its name, though in reality it was likely the other way around.

Ron 2 m Hebrew
Means "song, joy" in Hebrew.

Rona 2 f Hebrew
Feminine form of Ron 2.

Rónán m Irish, Old Irish
Means "little seal", derived from Old Irish rón "seal" combined with a diminutive suffix. This was the name of several early Irish saints, including a pilgrim to Brittany who founded the hermitage at Locronan in the 6th century.

Ronen m Hebrew
Derived from Hebrew רֹן (ron) meaning "song, joy".

Rong f & m Chinese
From 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.

Roni 1 f & m Hebrew
Means "my joy" or "my song" in Hebrew.

Ronin m English (Modern)
Variant of Ronan, also coinciding with the Japanese term 浪人 (ronin) meaning "masterless samurai".

Ronit 2 f Hebrew
Strictly feminine form of Ron 2.

Roosa f Finnish
Finnish form of Rosa 1. It also means "pink" in Finnish.

Rosa 2 f Bulgarian, Serbian, Croatian, Macedonian
Means "dew" in the South Slavic languages.

Rosabel f English (Rare)
Combination of Rosa 1 and the common name suffix bel, inspired by Latin bella "beautiful". This name was created in the 18th century.

Rosabella f English (Rare)
Variant of Rosabel.

Rosaire m French
Means "rosary" in French.

Rosalind f English
Derived from the Old German elements hros meaning "horse" and lind meaning "soft, flexible, tender". The Normans introduced this name to England, though it was not common. During the Middle Ages its spelling was influenced by the Latin phrase rosa linda "beautiful rose". The name was popularized by Edmund Spencer, who used it in his poetry, and by William Shakespeare, who used it for the heroine in his comedy As You Like It (1599).

Rosa María f Spanish
Combination of Rosa 1 and María.

Rosamund f English (Rare)
Derived from the Old German elements hros "horse" and munt "protection". This name was borne by the wife of the Lombard king Alboin in the 6th century. The Normans introduced it to England. It was subsequently interpreted as coming from Latin rosa munda "pure rose" or rosa mundi "rose of the world". This was the name of the mistress of Henry II, the king of England in the 12th century. According to legends she was murdered by his wife, Eleanor of Aquitaine.

Rosângela f Portuguese
Combination of Rosa 1 and Ângela.

Rosangela f Italian
Combination of Rosa 1 and Angela.

Rosanna f Italian, English
Combination of Rosa 1 and Anna.

Rosanne f English, Dutch
Combination of Rose and Anne 1.

Rosaria f Italian
Italian feminine form of Rosario.

Rosário f Portuguese
Portuguese (feminine) form of Rosario.

Rosario f & m Spanish, Italian
Means "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.

Rose f English, French
Originally a Norman French form of the Germanic name Hrodohaidis meaning "famous type", composed of the elements hruod "fame" and heit "kind, sort, type". The Normans introduced it to England in the forms Roese and Rohese. From an early date it was associated with the word for the fragrant flower rose (derived from Latin rosa). When the name was revived in the 19th century, it was probably with the flower in mind.

Rosemarie f English, German, Dutch
Variant of Rosemary.

Rosemary f English
Combination of Rose and Mary. This name can also be given in reference to the herb, which gets its name from Latin ros marinus meaning "dew of the sea". It came into use as a given name in the 19th century.

Rosendo m Spanish
Spanish form of the Visigothic name *Hroþisinþs, composed of the Gothic elements hroþs "fame" and sinþs "time". This was the name of a 10th-century Galician saint, also known as Rudesind.

Roser f Catalan
Catalan (feminine) form of Rosario.

Roshan m & f Persian, Hindi, Marathi, Nepali
Means "light, bright" in Persian.

Roshanak f Persian
Feminine form of Roshan, used in Persian to refer to Roxana the wife of Alexander the Great.

Roshanara f Persian (Archaic)
From Persian روشن (roshan) meaning "light" and آرا (ara) meaning "decorate, adorn". This was the name of the second daughter of the 17th-century Mughal emperor Shah Jahan.

Roshni f Marathi, Hindi
From Hindi and Marathi रौशनी (raushani) meaning "light, brightness", ultimately of Persian origin.

Rosmarie f German
Upper German and Swiss variant of Rosemarie.

Ross m Scottish, English
From 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 James Clark Ross (1800-1862), an Antarctic explorer.

Rossa f Italian (Rare)
Means "red" in Italian.

Rostam m Persian, Persian Mythology
Meaning unknown, possibly from Iranian roots *rautas "river" and *taxma "strong". Rostam was a warrior hero in Persian legend. The 10th-century Persian poet Ferdowsi recorded his tale in the Shahnameh.

Rostislav m Russian, Czech
Derived from the Slavic elements orsti "to grow" and slava "glory".

Roswell m English
From a surname that was derived from an Old English place name meaning "horse spring".

Roswitha f German
Derived from the Old German elements hruod "fame" and swind "strong". This was the name of a 10th-century nun from Saxony who wrote several notable poems and dramas.

Rotem m & f Hebrew
From the name of a desert plant (species Retama raetam), possibly derived from Hebrew רְתֹם (retom) meaning "to bind".

Rouzbeh m Persian
Means "fortunate, prosperous" in Persian, from روز (ruz) meaning "day" and به (beh) meaning "good, excellent".

Rover m & f Pet
From an English word, the agent noun of the verb rove meaning "roam, wander". This a stereotypical name for a dog.

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).

Rowena f English
Meaning uncertain. According to the 12th-century chronicler Geoffrey of Monmouth, this was the name of a daughter of the Saxon chief Hengist. It is possible (but unsupported) that Geoffrey based it on the Old English elements hroð "fame" and wynn "joy", or alternatively on the Old Welsh elements ron "spear" and gwen "white". It was popularized by Walter Scott, who used it for a character in his novel Ivanhoe (1819).

Roxana f English, Spanish, Romanian, Ancient Greek (Latinized)
Latin form of Ῥωξάνη (Rhoxane), the Greek form of an Old Persian or Bactrian name, from Old Iranian *rauxšnā meaning "bright, shining". This was the name of Alexander the Great's first wife, a daughter of the Bactrian nobleman Oxyartes. In the modern era it came into use during the 17th century. In the English-speaking world it was popularized by Daniel Defoe, who used it in his novel Roxana (1724).

Roxelana f History
From a Turkish nickname meaning "Ruthenian". This referred to the region of Ruthenia, covering Belarus, Ukraine and western Russia. Roxelana (1504-1558), also called Hürrem, was a slave and then concubine of Süleyman the Magnificent, sultan of the Ottoman Empire. She eventually became his wife and produced his heir, Selim II.

Royal m & f English
From 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.

Royalty f English (Modern)
From the English word royalty, derived (via Old French) from Latin regalitas, a derivative of rex "king".

Royce m English
From an English 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.

Roza 2 f Germanic
Old German short form of feminine names beginning with Old Frankish hroþi or Old High German hruod meaning "fame" (Proto-Germanic *hrōþiz).

Rozabela f Esperanto
Means "rosy-beautiful" in Esperanto, ultimately from Latin rosa "rose" and bella "beautiful".

Ru m & f Chinese
From Chinese 儒 (rú) meaning "scholar", 如 (rú) meaning "like, as, if", or other characters with similar pronunciations.

Ruadh m Medieval Irish, Medieval Scottish
Irish and Scottish Gaelic 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 Irish
From Old Irish Rúadán, derived from rúad "red" combined with a diminutive suffix. This was the name of the founder of the monastery of Lorrha in the 6th century.

Ruaidhrí m Irish
From Old Irish Ruaidrí meaning "red king", from rúad "red" combined with rí "king". This was the name of the last high king of Ireland, reigning in the 12th century.

Ruaidrí m Old Irish
Old Irish form of Ruaidhrí.

Ruba f Arabic
Means "hill" in Arabic.

Rubab f Arabic
From an Arabic word referring to a type of stringed musical instrument. This was the name of the wife of the Prophet Muhammad's grandson Husayn.

Rubena f Esperanto
From Esperanto rubeno meaning "ruby", ultimately from Latin ruber "red".

Rubens m Portuguese (Brazilian)
Possibly from Latin rubens "being red", participle of rubeo "to be red". It may also be inspired by the Flemish painter Peter Paul Rubens (1577-1640).

Rubina f Portuguese, Italian (Rare)
Derived from Portuguese rubi or Italian rubino meaning "ruby", ultimately from Latin ruber "red".

Ruby f English
Simply from the name of the precious stone (which ultimately derives from Latin ruber "red"), which is the traditional birthstone of July. It came into use as a given name in the 16th century.

Rudīte f Latvian
From Latvian ruds meaning "red, red-haired".

Rudo m & f Shona
Means "love" in Shona.

Rudolf m German, Czech, Slovak, Hungarian, Dutch, Russian, Armenian
From the Germanic name Hrodulf, which was derived from the elements hruod meaning "fame" and wolf meaning "wolf". It was borne by three kings of Burgundy and a king of West Francia, as well as several Habsburg rulers of the Holy Roman Empire and Austria. Anthony Hope used this name for the hero in his popular novel The Prisoner of Zenda (1894).

Rudyard m English (Rare)
From a place name meaning "red yard" in Old English. This name was borne by Rudyard Kipling (1865-1936), the author of The Jungle Book and other works, who was named after Rudyard Lake in Staffordshire.

Rue f English
From the name of the bitter medicinal herb, ultimately deriving from Greek ῥυτή (rhyte). This is also sometimes used as a short form of Ruth 1.

Rufaro f Shona
Means "happiness" in Shona.

Rufus m Ancient Roman, English, Biblical
Roman cognomen meaning "red-haired" in Latin. Several early saints had this name, including one mentioned in one of Paul's epistles in the New Testament. As a nickname it was used by William II Rufus, a king of England, because of his red hair. It came into general use in the English-speaking world after the Protestant Reformation.

Rugilė f Lithuanian
From Lithuanian rugys meaning "rye".

Ruh m Arabic
Means "spirit" in Arabic.

Rukmini f Hinduism, Marathi, Kannada
Means "adorned with gold" in Sanskrit. In Hindu belief this is the name of a princess who became the wife of Krishna.

Rumbidzai f Shona
From Shona rumbidza meaning "praise".

Rumen m Bulgarian, Macedonian
Means "ruddy, rosy" in Bulgarian and Macedonian.

Rumena f Bulgarian, Macedonian
Feminine form of Rumen.

Rumpelstiltskin m Literature
From German Rumpelstilzchen, possibly from German rumpeln meaning "make noise" and Stelze meaning "stilt", combined with the diminutive suffix -chen. It has been suggested that it was inspired by a children's game Rumpele stilt oder der Poppart mentioned in Johann Fischart's 1577 book Geschichtklitterung. This name was used by the Brothers Grimm in an 1812 fairy tale about a magical little man (Rumpelstiltskin) who saves a miller's daughter in exchange for her firstborn child. In order to undo the deal, she must guess the man's name. The Grimm's story was based upon earlier European folktales (which have various names for the little man).

Rumyana f Bulgarian
Feminine form of Rumen.

Rúnar m Icelandic
Icelandic form of Runar.

Runar m Norwegian
Derived from the Old Norse elements rún "secret lore, rune" and herr "army, warrior". This name did not exist in Old Norse, but was created in the modern era.

Rune m Norwegian, Danish, Swedish
Derived from Old Norse rún meaning "secret lore, rune".

Rupa f Hindi, Marathi, Bengali, Nepali
Means "shape, form" in Sanskrit.

Rupinder m & f Indian (Sikh)
Means "greatest beauty" from Sanskrit रूप (rupa) meaning "beauty, form" combined with the name of the Hindu god Indra, used here to mean "greatest".

Ruqayyah f Arabic
Derived either from Arabic رقى (ruqia) meaning "rise, ascent" or from رقية (ruqyah) meaning "spell, charm, incantation". This was the name of one of the daughters of the Prophet Muhammad. She became a wife of Uthman, the third caliph of the Muslims. The name was also borne by daughters of Ali and Husayn.

Rushd m Arabic
Means "following the right path" in Arabic, from the root رشد (rashada) meaning "to be on the right path".

Russel m English
Variant of Russell.

Russell m English
From an English surname, of Norman origin, meaning "little red one" (a diminutive of Old French rous "red"). A notable bearer of the surname was the agnostic British philosopher Bertrand Russell (1872-1970), who wrote on many subjects including logic, epistemology and mathematics. He was also a political activist for causes such as pacifism and women's rights.... [more]

Rusticus m Ancient Roman
Roman cognomen derived from Latin rusticus meaning "rural, rustic", a derivative of rus meaning "open land, countryside". This name was borne by several early saints.

Rusty m English
From a nickname that was originally given to someone with a rusty, or reddish-brown, hair colour.

Rusudan f Georgian
Possibly derived from Persian روز (ruz) meaning "day". This name was borne by a 13th-century ruling queen of Georgia.

Rusul m Arabic
Means "prophets, messengers" in Arabic.

Rūta f Lithuanian, Latvian
Means "rue" in Lithuanian, the rue plant being a bitter medicinal herb that is a national symbol of Lithuania. This is also the Lithuanian form of Ruth 1.

Rutendo f & m Shona
Means "thankfulness" in Shona.

Ruth 1 f English, German, Dutch, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Estonian, Spanish, Biblical, Biblical Latin
From a Hebrew name that was derived from the Hebrew word רְעוּת (re'ut) meaning "friend". This is the name of the central character in the Book of Ruth in the Old Testament. She was a Moabite woman who accompanied her mother-in-law Naomi back to Bethlehem after Ruth's husband died. There she met and married Boaz. She was an ancestor of King David.... [more]

Ruwa f Arabic
Means "beauty" in Arabic.

Ruwan m Sinhalese
From Sinhala රුවන (ruvana) meaning "gem".

Ruya f Arabic
Means "vision, sight" in Arabic.

Rüzgar m Turkish
Means "wind" in Turkish.

Ruzha f Bulgarian, Macedonian
Means "hollyhock" in Bulgarian (referring to flowering plants from the genera Alcea and Althaea). This is also an alternate transcription of Macedonian Ружа (see Ruža).

Ryan m English
From a common Irish surname, the Anglicized form of Ó Riain. This patronymic derives from the given name Rian, which is of uncertain meaning. It is traditionally said to mean "little king", from Irish rí "king" combined with a diminutive suffix.... [more]

Ryder m English (Modern)
From an English occupational surname derived from Old English ridere meaning "mounted warrior" or "messenger". It has grown in popularity in the 2000s because it starts with the same sound found in other popular names like Ryan and Riley.

Ryker m English (Modern)
Possibly a variant of the German surname Riker, a derivative of Low German rike "rich". As a modern English name, it has become popular because it shares the same trendy sounds found in other names such as Ryan and Ryder.

Rylan m English (Modern)
Possibly a variant of Ryland, though it could also be an invented name inspired by other names like Ryan and Riley.

Ryland m English (Modern)
From an English surname, which was originally derived from a place name meaning "rye land" in Old English.

Ryō m Japanese
From Japanese 亮 (ryō) meaning "clear", 涼 (ryō) meaning "cool, refreshing", 遼 (ryō) meaning "distant" or 諒 (ryō) meaning "reality", as well as other kanji that have the same pronunciation.

Ryōichi m Japanese
From Japanese 良 (ryō) meaning "good" or 亮 (ryō) meaning "clear" combined with 一 (ichi) meaning "one". Other kanji combinations are possible.

Ryōsuke m Japanese
From Japanese 亮 (ryō) meaning "clear" combined with 介 (suke) meaning "help, assist". Other combinations of kanji having the same reading can also form this name.

Ryōta m Japanese
From Japanese 涼 (ryō) meaning "cool, refreshing", 亮 (ryō) meaning "clear" or 良 (ryō) meaning "good" combined with 太 (ta) meaning "thick, big, great". This name can also be formed of other kanji combinations.

Rytis m Lithuanian
Derived from Lithuanian rytas meaning "morning".

Ryū m Japanese
From Japanese 竜 or 龍 (ryū) meaning "dragon", as well as other kanji with the same pronunciation.

Ryūji m Japanese
From Japanese 竜 or 龍 (ryū) meaning "dragon" or 隆 (ryū) meaning "noble, prosperous" combined with 二 (ji) meaning "two" or 司 (ji) meaning "officer, boss". This name can also be formed using other kanji combinations.

Ryūnosuke m Japanese
From Japanese 竜 or 龍 (ryū) meaning "dragon" or 隆 (ryū) meaning "noble, prosperous" combined with 之 (no), a possessive marker, and 介 (suke) meaning "help, assist". Other kanji combinations are also possible.

Sa'adah f Arabic
Means "happiness, luck" in Arabic.

Saar 2 m Hebrew
Means "storm" in Hebrew.

Saba 2 f Persian, Urdu
Means "soft breeze" in Persian.

Sabah f & m Arabic, Turkish
Means "morning" in Arabic and Turkish.

Sabah ad-Din m Arabic (Rare)
Means "morning of religion", derived from Arabic صباح (sabah) meaning "morning" and دين (din) meaning "religion".

Sabas m Spanish
From the Greek name Σάββας (Sabbas), which was derived from Aramaic סַבָא (sava') meaning "old man, grandfather". Saints bearing this name include a 4th-century Gothic martyr, a 5th-century Cappadocian hermit, and a 12th-century archbishop of Serbia who is the patron saint of that country.

Sabeen f Urdu
Possibly from Arabic meaning "follower of another religion", a name given to the Prophet Muhammad and other Muslims by non-Muslim Arabs.

Sabina f Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, Romanian, Polish, Czech, Slovene, Russian, Croatian, Swedish, Ancient Roman
Feminine form of Sabinus, a Roman cognomen meaning "a Sabine" in Latin. The Sabines were an ancient people who lived in central Italy, their lands eventually taken over by the Romans after several wars. According to legend, the Romans abducted several Sabine women during a raid, and when the men came to rescue them, the women were able to make peace between the two groups. This name was borne by several early saints.

Sable f English (Modern)
From the English word meaning "black", derived from the name of the black-furred mammal native to northern Asia, ultimately of Slavic origin.

Şəbnəm f Azerbaijani
Means "dew" in Azerbaijani, of Persian origin.

Sabri m Arabic, Turkish, Albanian, Malay
Means "patient" in Arabic.

Sabrina f English, Italian, German, French, Spanish, Portuguese
Latinized form of Habren, the original Welsh name of the River Severn. According to Geoffrey of Monmouth, Sabrina was the name of a princess who was drowned in the Severn. Supposedly the river was named for her, but it is more likely that her name was actually derived from that of the river, which is of unknown meaning. She appears as a water nymph in John Milton's masque Comus (1634).... [more]

Saburō m Japanese
From Japanese 三 (sabu) meaning "three" and 郎 (rō) meaning "son". This was traditionally a name for the third son. Other kanji combinations are possible as well.

Sacagawea f Indigenous American
Probably from Hidatsa tsakáka wía meaning "bird woman". Alternatively it could originate from the Shoshone language and mean "boat puller". This name was borne by a Native American woman who guided the explorers Lewis and Clark. She was of Shoshone ancestry but had been abducted in her youth and raised by a Hidatsa tribe.

Sachie f Japanese
From Japanese 幸 (sachi) meaning "happiness, good luck" and 枝 (e) meaning "branch" or 恵 (e) meaning "favour, benefit". Other kanji combinations can also form this name.

Sachiko f Japanese
From Japanese 幸 (sachi) meaning "happiness, good luck" and 子 (ko) meaning "child". Other kanji combinations are possible.

Sachin m Hindi, Marathi, Gujarati, Telugu
From Sanskrit सत्य (satya) meaning "true, real". A famous bearer is the retired Indian cricket player Sachin Tendulkar (1973-).

Sacnicte f Mayan (Hispanicized)
Means "white plumeria flower", from Yucatec Maya sak "white" and nikte' "plumeria flower".

Sacripante m Carolingian Cycle
Meaning uncertain, possibly related to Italian sacrare "to consecrate". This is the name of a Saracen warrior king in the epic Orlando poems (1495 and 1532) by Boiardo and Ariosto.

Sa'd m Arabic
Means "fortune, good luck" in Arabic. Sa'd ibn Abi Waqqas was a military commander during the early years of Islam, serving under the Prophet Muhammad and his successor Umar.

Sadaf f Arabic
Means "seashell, mother-of-pearl" in Arabic.

Sadb f Irish Mythology, Old Irish
Probably derived from the old Celtic root *swādu- meaning "sweet". This was a common name in medieval Ireland. In Irish mythology Sadb was a woman transformed into a deer. She was the mother of Oisín by Fionn mac Cumhaill.

Saddam m Arabic
Means "one who confronts" in Arabic. It was borne by the Iraqi president Saddam Hussein (1937-2006).

Säde f Finnish
Means "ray of light" in Finnish.

Sadhana f Bengali, Hindi, Marathi
Derived from Sanskrit साधना (sadhana) meaning "accomplishment, completion".

Sa'di m Arabic
Means "fortunate, lucky" in Arabic.

Sadiq m Arabic, Urdu
Means "true, sincere, loyal" in Arabic, derived from the root صدق (sadaqa) meaning "to tell the truth".

Sæwine m Anglo-Saxon
Derived from the Old English elements sæ "sea" and wine "friend".

Safaa f & m Arabic
Means "pure", from Arabic صفا (safa). As-Safaa is the name of one of the two sacred hills near Mecca. This can also be an alternate transcription of Arabic صفاء (see Safaa').

Safaa' f & m Arabic
Means "serenity, clarity" in Arabic.

Saffron f English (Rare)
From the English word that refers either to a spice, the crocus flower from which it is harvested, or the yellow-orange colour of the spice. It is derived via Old French from Arabic زعفران (za'faran), itself probably from Persian meaning "gold leaves".

Safi m Arabic
Means "pure" in Arabic.

Safira f Portuguese
Portuguese form of Sapphira. It coincides with the Portuguese word for "sapphire".

Saga f Norse Mythology, Swedish, Icelandic
From Old Norse Sága, possibly meaning "seeing one", derived from sjá "to see". This is the name of a Norse goddess, possibly connected to Frigg. As a Swedish and Icelandic name, it is also derived from the unrelated word saga "story, fairy tale, saga".

Sage f & m English (Modern)
From the English word sage, which denotes either a type of spice or else a wise person.

Sagi m Hebrew
Means "elevated, sublime" in Hebrew.

Sagrario f Spanish
Means "sanctuary, tabernacle" in Spanish, derived from Latin sacrarium. It is taken from an epithet of the Virgin Mary, Nuestra Señora del Sagrario, and is associated with Toledo Cathedral.

Sahar f Arabic, Persian
Means "dawn" in Arabic.

Şahin m Turkish
Means "hawk" in Turkish, of Persian origin.

Sa'id m Arabic
Means "happy, lucky" in Arabic. This was the name of a companion of the Prophet Muhammad.

Saif m Arabic
Means "sword" in Arabic.

Saiful m Arabic, Bengali, Indonesian, Malay
First part of compound Arabic names beginning with سيف ال (Sayf al) meaning "sword of the" (such as Sayf ad-Din).

Saima 1 f Urdu
From Arabic صائم (sa'im) meaning "fasting".

Saint m English (Modern)
From the English word, ultimately from Latin sanctus "holy, saintly".

Saira f Urdu
Possibly means "traveller" in Arabic.

Sajjad m Arabic
Means "kneeling in prayer, prostration" in Arabic.

Sakchai m Thai
Derived from Thai ศักดิ์ (sak) meaning "power, honour" and ชัย (chai) meaning "victory".

Sakhr m Arabic
Means "solid rock" in Arabic. This name appears in the poems of the 7th-century poetess Al-Khansa.

Saki f Japanese
From Japanese 咲 (sa) meaning "blossom" and 希 (ki) meaning "hope", besides other combinations of kanji characters.

Sakiko f Japanese
From Japanese 咲 (saki) meaning "blossom" and 子 (ko) meaning "child", as well as other combinations of kanji characters.

Sakina f Arabic, Urdu
Means "calmness, peace" in Arabic.

Sakshi f Hindi, Marathi
Means "witness" in Sanskrit.

Sakura f Japanese
From Japanese 桜 (sakura) meaning "cherry blossom", though it is often written using the hiragana writing system. It can also come from 咲 (saku) meaning "blossom" and 良 (ra) meaning "good, virtuous, respectable" as well as other kanji combinations.

Sakurako f Japanese
From Japanese 桜 (sakura) meaning "cherry blossom" and 子 (ko) meaning "child". Other kanji combinations are also possible.

Salacia f Roman Mythology
Derived from Latin sal meaning "salt". This was the name of the Roman goddess of salt water.

Salah 1 m Arabic
Means "righteousness" in Arabic.

Salah ad-Din m Arabic
Means "righteousness of religion" from Arabic صلاح (salah) meaning "righteousness" combined with دين (din) meaning "religion, faith". A famous bearer of this name was the sultan Salah ad-Din Yusuf ibn Ayyub, known in the western world as Saladin, the founder of the Ayyubid dynasty in Egypt in the 12th century. He recaptured Jerusalem from the crusaders and repelled the invaders of the Third Crusade. Salah ad-Din was an honorific; his birth name was Yusuf.

Salama m & f Arabic
Means "safety" in Arabic.

Salambek m Chechen
Derived from Arabic سلام (salam) meaning "peace" combined with the Turkic military title beg meaning "chieftain, master".