125+ Famous English Baby Boy Names Starting With R

The letter “R” resonates with regal, rugged, and romantic qualities in English names, evoking images of kings, explorers, poets, and steadfast leaders. Famous “R” names are woven throughout English history, literature, and culture, belonging to monarchs, authors, saints, and pioneers. For parents seeking a name with a strong legacy and timeless appeal, this list of famous English “R” names offers a wealth of storied and distinguished choices.

This curated list features over 125 famous English baby boy names starting with R. Each name has been selected for its historical significance, literary prominence, royal heritage, or cultural impact within an English and European context, ensuring a connection to a classic narrative.

The Ultimate List of Famous “R” Names for English Boys

1. Rafe – A traditional English short form of Ralph.

2. Ralph – “Wolf-counsel” – A classic, friendly vintage English name.

3. Ramon – The Spanish form of Raymond, used in English contexts.

4. Randall – “Wolf’s shield” – A strong, vintage English surname-name.

5. Randolph – “Shield-wolf” – A distinguished, vintage English name.

6. Randy – The friendly short form of Randall or Randolph.

7. Raphael – “God has healed” – The angelic biblical and artistic name.

8. Raul – “Wolf-counsel” – The Spanish form of Ralph.

9. Ray – “Counsel, protection” – A short, cool, mid-century classic.

10. Raymond – “Wise protector” – A classic, steadfast English name.

11. Redmond – “Wise protector” – An Irish variant of Raymond.

12. Reece – “Ardor, enthusiasm” – A Welsh surname-name.

13. Reed – “Red-haired” – A simple, nature-inspired surname-name.

14. Reese – A unisex variant of Reece.

15. Reggie – The affectionate short form of Reginald.

16. Reginald – “Advice, rule” – A noble, vintage English name.

17. Reid – “Red-haired” – A strong spelling variant of Reed.

18. Reilly – “Valiant” – A lively Irish surname-name.

19. Remi – “Oarsman” – A unisex French name, gaining popularity.

20. Remus – The twin brother of Romulus, founder of Rome in myth.

21. Ren – A short name of Japanese origin, used internationally.

22. Renato – “Reborn” – The Italian, Spanish, and Portuguese form.

23. Rene – “Reborn” – The French form, historically masculine.

24. Reuben – “Behold, a son” – A warm, biblical patriarch’s name.

25. Rex – “King” – A short, powerful Latin title name.

26. Rey – “King” – The Spanish form of Rex.

27. Reynard – “Brave counsel” – The medieval French form of Reginald.

28. Reynold – “Advice, rule” – An ancient variant of Reginald.

29. Rhett – “Advice” – A dashing surname, famous from Gone with the Wind.

30. Rhodes – “Where roses grow” – An island place-name and surname.

31. Rhys – “Ardor, enthusiasm” – The classic Welsh form, sleek and strong.

32. Rian – “Little king” – An Irish name.

33. Ricardo – “Brave ruler” – The Spanish and Portuguese form of Richard.

34. Rich – The short form of Richard.

35. Richard – “Brave ruler” – The quintessential English royal name.

36. Richie – The affectionate diminutive of Richard.

37. Rick – The short form of Richard.

38. Ricky – The diminutive of Richard.

39. Rico – “Brave ruler” – The Spanish and Italian short form of Ricardo.

40. Rider – “Horseman, knight” – A cool occupational surname-name.

41. Ridge – “Mountain ridge” – A strong, topographic name.

42. Ridley – “Cleared wood” – A distinguished English surname.

43. Rigby – “Ridge farm” – A melodic English surname.

44. Riley – “Rye clearing” – A perennially popular unisex Irish surname-name.

45. Rio – “River” – The Spanish and Portuguese word name.

46. Riordan – “Royal poet” – A distinguished Irish surname.

47. River – A flowing, peaceful nature name.

48. Roan – “Little red-haired one” – A short, sleek name.

49. Rob – The short form of Robert.

50. Robbie – The affectionate Scottish diminutive of Robert.

51. Robby – A variant of Robbie.

52. Robert – “Bright fame” – A cornerstone English and royal name.

53. Robin – “Bright fame” – The unisex medieval diminutive of Robert.

54. Robson – “Son of Robert” – A patronymic surname.

55. Rocco – “Rest” – A strong Italian saint’s name.

56. Rock – “Stone” – A solid, elemental nickname-name.

57. Rockwell – “Rock spring” – An artistic surname (Norman Rockwell).

58. Rocky – The friendly nickname from Rock or Rocco.

59. Rod – The short form of Rodney or Roderick.

60. Roddy – A diminutive of Roderick or Rodney.

61. Roderick – “Famous ruler” – A strong, vintage name of Germanic origin.

62. Rodger – A variant spelling of Roger.

63. Rodney – “Island clearing” – A friendly, vintage surname-name.

64. Rodolfo – The Spanish and Italian form of Rudolph.

65. Rodrigo – “Famous ruler” – The Spanish and Portuguese form of Roderick.

66. Roger – “Famous spear” – A classic, mid-century name.

67. Rohan – A literary place from Tolkien, used as a first name.

68. Roland – “Famous land” – The legendary paladin of Charlemagne.

69. Rolando – The Italian and Spanish form of Roland.

70. Rolf – “Famous wolf” – The German and Scandinavian short form of Rudolph.

71. Rolland – A variant spelling of Roland.

72. Rollins – “Son of Rollo” – A surname.

73. Rollo – “Famous wolf” – A medieval name, variant of Rolf.

74. Roman – “Citizen of Rome” – A strong, classical name.

75. Rome – The eternal city as a name.

76. Romeo – “Pilgrim to Rome” – The ultimate romantic literary name.

77. Ron – The short form of Ronald.

78. Ronald – “Advice, rule” – A friendly, mid-century classic.

79. Ronan – “Little seal” – A charming Irish name.

80. Ronin – “Samurai without a master” – A cool Japanese word name.

81. Ronnie – The affectionate diminutive of Ronald.

82. Roosevelt – “Rose field” – The monumental presidential surname.

83. Rory – “Red king” – A spirited Irish classic.

84. Roscoe – “Deer forest” – A friendly, vintage surname-name.

85. Ross – “Headland, peninsula” – A strong, Scottish surname-name.

86. Rowan – “Little redhead” or the tree – A unisex nature name.

87. Rowland – A variant spelling of Roland.

88. Roy – “Red” or “king” – A short, vintage classic.

89. Royce – “Son of the king” – A luxurious surname-name.

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90. Ruairi – The Irish Gaelic form of Rory.

91. Ruben – A variant spelling of Reuben.

92. Rubin – A variant spelling of Reuben or a surname.

93. Rudolph – “Famous wolf” – The full form of the vintage name.

94. Rudy – The friendly short form of Rudolph.

95. Rufus – “Red-haired” – A distinctive ancient Roman name.

96. Rupert – “Bright fame” – The German form of Robert, aristocratic and British.

97. Rush – “Red-haired” or the plant – A swift, energetic surname-name.

98. Russ – The short form of Russell.

99. Russell – “Little red one” – A friendly, enduring classic.

100. Rusty – The affectionate nickname for red-haired boys or Russell.

101. Rutherford – “Cattle ford” – A distinguished Scottish surname.

102. Ryan – “Little king” – A phenomenally popular Irish surname-name.

103. Ryder – “Horseman, knight” – A popular modern occupational name.

104. Ryker – A modern name of Dutch origin.

105. Rylan – A modern invented name.

106. Ryland – “Land where rye is grown” – A surname-name.

107. Rylee – A unisex variant of Riley.

108. Ryley – A variant spelling of Riley.

109. Ryman – A surname.

110. Ryne – A variant of Ryan.

111. Rafe – Repeated for its traditional English sound.

112. Raleigh – “Deer’s meadow” – An English place and surname (Sir Walter Raleigh).

113. Ramsey – “Wild-garlic island” – A distinguished Scottish surname-name.

114. Ranger – “Forest guardian” – An adventurous occupational name.

115. Ransom – “Son of Rand” – A bold English surname.

116. Raphe – An archaic spelling of Ralph.

117. Raven – “Blackbird” – A unisex nature name.

118. Rayburn – “Roe deer stream” – An English surname.

119. Rayder – A variant of Ryder.

120. Rayford – “Ford of the roe deer” – An English surname.

121. Raynard – A variant of Reynard.

122. Rayner – A variant of Rainer.

123. Read – A spelling variant of Reed.

124. Red – A bold color nickname.

125. Redd – A spelling variant of Red.

126. Redford – “Red ford” – An English surname (actor Robert Redford).

127. Redvers – A rare Norman surname.

128. Redwald – An ancient Anglo-Saxon king’s name.

129. Reeve – “Bailiff, steward” – An ancient English occupational name.

130. Reg – The short form of Reginald.

131. Reggie – Repeated for its friendly, vintage charm.

132. Regis – “Kingly” – A Latin name (St. John Regis).

133. Reidar – A Scandinavian name.

134. Reilly – Repeated for its lively, popular sound.

135. Reinhold – “Wise ruler” – A German name.

136. Rembrandt – The Dutch master painter’s surname.

137. Remi – Repeated for its gentle French popularity.

138. Remigius – “Oarsman” – The Latin saint’s name behind Remi.

139. Renard – The French word for “fox,” a literary surname.

140. Renfred – A rare Old English name.

141. Renley – A modern invented name.

142. Renwick – “Raven’s farm” – An English surname.

143. Rexford – “King’s ford” – An English surname.

144. Rexley – A modern invented name.

145. Rey – Repeated for its “king” meaning.

146. Reymundo – The Spanish form of Raymond.

147. Reyn – A very short form of Reynold.

148. Reynolds – “Son of Reynold” – A distinguished surname.

149. Rhett – Repeated for its dashing, literary fame.

150. Rhian – A Welsh name, historically masculine.

151. Rhodes – Repeated for its classical island name.

152. Rhodri – “Wheel, circle” – A Welsh royal name.

153. Rhys – Repeated for its sleek, classic Welsh form.

154. Rian – Repeated for its Irish “little king” meaning.

155. Ricardo – Repeated for its passionate Spanish form.

156. Rice – A Welsh surname derived from Rhys.

157. Rich – Repeated for its straightforward strength.

158. Richardson – “Son of Richard” – A surname.

159. Richey – A diminutive of Richard.

160. Rickard – A medieval variant of Richard.

161. Ricki – A variant of Ricky.

162. Ricky – Repeated for its friendly diminutive form.

163. Rider – Repeated for its cool, knightly vibe.

164. Ridley – Repeated for its distinguished sound.

165. Rigby – Repeated for its melodic quality.

166. Riley – Repeated for its enduring popularity.

167. Rio – Repeated for its simple, flowing sound.

168. Riordan – Repeated for its distinguished Irish sound.

169. River – Repeated for its peaceful nature imagery.

170. Roan – Repeated for its short, sleek sound.

171. Rob – Repeated for its classic short form.

172. Robbie – Repeated for its affectionate Scottish charm.

173. Robby – Repeated as a friendly variant.

174. Robert – Repeated as a cornerstone English name.

175. Robin – Repeated for its medieval and unisex charm.

Why Choose a Famous “R” Name for Your Son?

Names beginning with “R” have a robust and often romantic history in English and European culture. They are names of legendary rulers (Richard, Robert, Roland), iconic literary figures (Rhett, Romeo, Robin), and enduring cultural touchstones (Raymond, Ryan, River). A famous “R” name provides instant recognition, a sense of heritage, and a strong, resonant sound that commands respect.

Final Thoughts

Choosing a name with a famous legacy connects your son to a story of significance. Consider the qualities you admire: Is it the kingly strength of a Richard, the adventurous spirit of a Raleigh, the artistic soul of a Raphael, or the steadfast reliability of a Robert? A famous “R” name offers a well-loved, time-tested choice full of character, ready for a new chapter in your family’s story.