Riley? Rebecca? Rhiannon? Check out these popular, uncommon, and classic baby girl names that start with the letter R.
Looking for a baby girl name that begins with R? R is the first letter of some of the most trendy names-- Riley, Reagan, Ruby-- and also the first letter of some unusual baby name gems. Here are some popular, classic, and unusual names for little girls that begin with the letter R in the United States. This data comes from the U.S. Social Security Baby Name Index.
Popular & Trendy Baby Girl Names That Start With R
- Rachel. Other than Sarah, Rachel is probably the most enduring Old Testament name in the United States. Its popularity peaked in 1996 at #9. No doubt, this was in part due to the popularity of the character Rachel on Friends-- the "Rachel cut "was all the rage, and so was her name. By 2006, Rachel had fallen in popularity a bit, but still ranked highly at #49. Rachel comes from a Hebrew expression that means "ewe." An alternate spelling is Rachael, a spelling used by uber-cheerful food celebrity Rachael Ray, and the Spanish version is Raquel.
- Rebecca. Here's another popular Biblical name that begins with R. Rebecca was hot in the 1980s and has since fallen down to #96. Like Rachel, though, it's hard to imagine a Biblical name becoming outdated. The Hebrew version of this name, Rivka (which means "to bind'), is a more unique alternative.
- Riley/Rylee. This androgynous last-name-turned-first-name has exploded onto the popularity charts. In 2006, Riley was at #55 and Rylee was at #134-- and that's not even counting lesser used spellings such as Ryleigh and Rylie. Riley seems destined to be what Lindsay was in the 1980s-- an incredibly trendy name that dove down the charts after about a decade. A less popular but equally trendy choice for little girls is Ryan.
- Ruby. Ruby's climbing quickly-- #137 in 2006-- and seems a likely candidate for the next old-fashioned name that becomes all the rage, like Isabella and Olivia. In Great Britain, Ruby's been a popular name for quite some time. If you have a July baby, keep in mind that the ruby is July's birthstone.
- Reagan. Reagan's been leaping of the charts from obscurity to #155 in 2006, and may join Taylor and Morgan as a trendy last-name-turned-first-name. Of course, your opinion of this name probably depends on your feelings about the ex-president. Reagan is a Shakespearean name (from King Lear) that probably is Gaelic in origin.
Classic Baby Girl Names That Begin With R
- Rose, Rosa, Rosalind, Rosalie, & Rosita. It doesn't get more classic than a rose, a flower used as the namesake of children all over the world. Popular at the beginning of the 20th century, Rose is down to #350 on the baby name charts. However, Rose has become a very popular middle name.
- Ruth. Here's an Old Testament name that's not used nearly as much as Rachel or Rebecca. Like Rose , Ruth was very popular in the early twentieth century, but has since fallen from favor. Ruth comes from a Hebrew name that means "beloved."
- Rita. A popular American name between 1920 - 1960, Rita's fallen to the bottom of the Top 1000 chart, ripe for the picking of parents in search of an unusual classic. Rita comes from a Spanish name that means "pearl.'
- Renee. This quintessentially French name was moderately popular between 1960 - 1980, but now isn't used much-- so snatch it up! Renee comes from a Latin name that means "reborn."
- Robin. Robin was all the rage in the 1960s and 1970s, but it's hardly ever used now, It may sound a little dated, but then again, who doesn't like a robin? An alternate spelling is Robyn.
Unusual Baby Girl Names That Start With R
- Rhiannon. Americans probably best know this unusual Welsh name from the Fleetwood Mac song with this name. Rhiannon is a very old name that probably comes from the name of a Celtic goddess. Variants include Rhianna and Rihanna.
- Regina. Of Latin origin, Regina has a simple meaning-- "queen." A pretty variant of this name is Raina.
- Rhonda. Thanks to the Beach Boys, Rhonda has a permanently baby Boom feel, but it's actually an old Welsh name that means "good lance."
- Rashida. This Arabic name comes from an expression that means "rightly guarded."
See also:
Baby Girl Names That Begin With L
Baby Girl Names That Begin With P
The copyright of the article Baby Girl Names That Begin With R in Pregnancy & Childbirth is owned by Naomi Rockler-Gladen. Permission to republish Baby Girl Names That Begin With R in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.
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