This page lists 30 boy names and 36 girl names that begin with R. Each R name has its standard meaning and, where there is one, the nakshatra syllable it fits, so a family working from the Moon’s pada can see at a glance which names suit their baby. Only names in real use in India are included.
R is the र of Ravi and Radha. Names that begin with Ri, such as Rishi and Ritu, use either the vowel ऋ or the vowel sign ि, and the nakshatra table treats them together.
Boy names starting with R
| Name | Meaning | Nakshatra syllable |
|---|---|---|
| Rachit | created, composed | Chitra (Ra) |
| Raghav | descendant of Raghu; a name of Rama | Chitra (Ra) |
| Rahul | capable, efficient | Chitra (Ra) |
| Raj | king | Chitra (Ra) |
| Rajat | silver | Chitra (Ra) |
| Rajendra | king of kings | Chitra (Ra) |
| Rajesh | lord of kings | Chitra (Ra) |
| Rajiv | lotus | Chitra (Ra) |
| Rakesh | lord of the night; the moon | Chitra (Ra) |
| Raman | pleasing, charming | Chitra (Ra) |
| Ramesh | a name of Vishnu | Chitra (Ra) |
| Ravi | the sun | Chitra (Ra) |
| Revant | a son of the Sun; shining | Swati (Re) |
| Reyansh | a ray of light | Swati (Re) |
| Rijul | simple, upright | Chitra (Ri) |
| Rishabh | bull; excellent | Chitra (Ri) |
| Rishi | sage, seer | Chitra (Ri) |
| Rishikesh | lord of the senses; a name of Vishnu | Chitra (Ri) |
| Ritesh | lord of truth and order | Chitra (Ri) |
| Ritvik | priest who conducts rituals | Chitra (Ri) |
| Rochak | interesting, pleasing | Swati (Ro) |
| Rohan | ascending | Swati (Ro) |
| Rohit | red; rising | Swati (Ro) |
| Roshan | bright, shining | Swati (Ro) |
| Ruchir | pleasant, beautiful | Swati (Ru) |
| Rudra | a name of Shiva; the fierce one | Swati (Ru) |
| Rudraksh | eye of Rudra; the sacred rudraksha bead | Swati (Ru) |
| Rudransh | part of Rudra | Swati (Ru) |
| Rupam | beautiful form | Swati (Ru) |
| Rupesh | lord of beauty | Swati (Ru) |
Girl names starting with R
| Name | Meaning | Nakshatra syllable |
|---|---|---|
| Rachana | creation, composition | Chitra (Ra) |
| Radha | Krishna’s beloved; success | Chitra (Ra) |
| Radhika | Radha; one who succeeds | Chitra (Ra) |
| Ragini | a musical mode; melody | Chitra (Ra) |
| Rajeshwari | queen, goddess of kings | Chitra (Ra) |
| Rajni | night | Chitra (Ra) |
| Raksha | protection | Chitra (Ra) |
| Rama | pleasing; a name of Lakshmi | Chitra (Ra) |
| Rani | queen | Chitra (Ra) |
| Rashmi | ray of light | Chitra (Ra) |
| Rati | delight; the goddess of love | Chitra (Ra) |
| Ratna | jewel | Chitra (Ra) |
| Rekha | line, streak of light | Swati (Re) |
| Renu | particle of dust, atom | Swati (Re) |
| Renuka | mother of Parashurama; a speck of dust | Swati (Re) |
| Reshma | silk | Swati (Re) |
| Reva | a name of the Narmada river | Swati (Re) |
| Revati | a star; Balarama’s wife | Swati (Re) |
| Riddhi | prosperity | Chitra (Ri) |
| Rijuta | simplicity, uprightness | Chitra (Ri) |
| Rimjhim | the patter of rain | Chitra (Ri) |
| Rishika | female sage | Chitra (Ri) |
| Ritika | stream, flow | Chitra (Ri) |
| Ritu | season | Chitra (Ri) |
| Riya | singer, graceful | Chitra (Ri) |
| Rochana | shining, luminous | Swati (Ro) |
| Rohini | the star Rohini; ascending | Swati (Ro) |
| Roshni | light | Swati (Ro) |
| Ruchi | taste, liking; radiance | Swati (Ru) |
| Ruchika | pleasing, shining | Swati (Ru) |
| Rudrani | Parvati, consort of Rudra | Swati (Ru) |
| Ruhi | soul | Swati (Ru) |
| Rukmini | adorned with gold; Krishna’s wife | Swati (Ru) |
| Rupa | beauty, form | Swati (Ru) |
| Rupal | silver, beautiful | Swati (Ru) |
| Rupali | beautiful | Swati (Ru) |
R in the nakshatra table
The 108 naming syllables include 5 that begin with R: Ra in Chitra pada 3, Ri in Chitra pada 4, Ru in Swati pada 1, Re in Swati pada 2 and Ro in Swati pada 3. A baby whose Moon falls in one of those R padas takes that sound, and the R names above that match are shown in the last column of each table.
R in the rashi chart
In the first-letter chart, R belongs to Tula. Every name beginning with R sits in that one sign.
Move on to the previous letter, Q and the next letter, S, return to the letters index, or search every name together in the name finder. For the R names above, the baby names hub has a page for each of the 27 nakshatras, and the free nakshatra calculator works out your baby’s pada from the birth details.
Frequently asked questions
↳ What are some Indian baby names that start with R?
Among boys, Rachit, Raghav, Rahul are on this page and 27 more. Among girls, Rachana, Radha, Radhika are listed with 33 more. The tables above give every name with its meaning.
↳ Do all R names have a nakshatra syllable?
66 of the 66 names on this page fit one of the 108 syllables. The other 0 begin with a sound that no pada gives, so a family following the nakshatra rule would not use a name that starts with R.
↳ Which rashi is the letter R in?
The chart places R in Tula.
↳ Are the R names here real and traditional?
Yes. Every R name on this page is in real use in India with a standard meaning, drawn from Sanskrit, Hindi or regional tradition. A R name whose meaning could not be confirmed is left out.