Boy names ending in R cover all the styles. Traditional Arthur and so-modern Kyler were both among the fastest rising boy names last year. Plenty of favorites, like Carter and Hunter, feel downright traditional these days. Others, like Alexander, earned that title long ago.
Of course, boy names ending in R have plenty of competition these days. Boy names ending in S feel terribly fashionable, with Brooks leading the way. And vowel endings, like A and O, feel fresher than ever.
The first version of this list, complied in 2016, tallied 78 boy names ending in R from the current US Top 1000.
That number has shifted just a bit. For calendar year 2019, a grand total of 85 made the list – an increase of six.
BOY NAMES ENDING IN R: THE LIST
- OLIVER (#3)
- ALEXANDER (#11)
- CARTER (#30)
- THEODORE (#36)
- ASHER (#43)
- CHRISTOPHER (#44)
- HUNTER (#66)
- CONNOR (#68)
- COOPER (#80)
- XAVIER (#91)
- PARKER (#98)
- SAWYER (#106)
- RYDER (#116)
- TYLER (#128)
- AMIR (#131)
- RYKER (#135)
- JASPER (#136)
- KARTER (#164)
- RIVER (#168)
- XANDER (#169)
- ARTHUR (#178)
- VICTOR (#186)
- TUCKER (#196)
- OSCAR (#205)
- ARCHER (#207)
- PETER (#212)
- WALKER (#230)
- JAVIER (#235)
- KYLER (#236)
- OMAR (#246)
- ZANDER (#276)
- WALTER (#278)
- GUNNER (#294)
- SPENCER (#319)
- TANNER (#327)
- CESAR (#331)
- IKER (#337)
- HECTOR (#341)
- MAJOR (#351)
- NASIR (#357)
- CONNER (#373)
- EDGAR (#384)
- TREVOR (#400)
- DEXTER (#464)
- BAKER (#471)
- PORTER (#479)
- WILDER (#486)
- GUNNAR (#498)
- SKYLER (#504)
- ZYAIRE (#525)
- ZAIRE (#562)
- BAYLOR (#585)
- TAYLOR (#599)
- FLETCHER (#622)
- JAMIR (#627)
- DENVER (#637)
- SALVADOR (#649)
- JAGGER (#666)
- SAMIR (#693)
- ROGER (#696)
- MILLER (#767)
- KRISTOPHER (#771)
- BRIAR (#773)
- FISHER (#782)
- THATCHER (#799)
- YAHIR (#804)
- KAISER (#826)
- JUNIOR (#829)
- LEDGER (#835)
- SALVATORE (#856)
- AMEER (#876)
- KABIR (#884)
- ALEXZANDER (#886)
- ZAVIER (#890)
- TURNER (#895)
- BEAR (#896)
- BRIDGER (#907)
- EMIR (#922)
- ZAHIR (#935)
- XZAVIER (#940)
- FOSTER (#945)
- ALISTAIR (#967)
- COLTER (#974)
- AHMIR (#991)
- JAIR (#992)
TRADITIONAL FAVORITES ENDING WITH R
Many traditional names appear on the list of boy names ending in R, including Alexander and Christopher, but also fast-rising Oliver, comebacks like Arthur, and not-quite-rediscovered possibilities, like Walter and Peter.
ANTIQUE BOY NAMES ENDING IN R
Boy names tend to be slightly less subject to trends, so it’s no surprise that antique choices like Edgar, Dexter, and Roger remain in the US Top 1000. They’ve fallen dramatically from their heights, but they remain in steady use – and could easily make a comeback.
ESTABLISHED SURNAME NAMES ENDING WITH R
Carter, Cooper, Hunter, Sawyer, and Parker have become go-to names for boys.
Others, like Tucker and Tanner, belong to the same category, but have fallen in use.
And a few more and up-and-comers, like Wilder, Bridger, and Ledger.
ALMOST SURNAMES ENDING WITH R
Ryder and Ryker do occur as surnames. Others, like Kyler? Maybe not so much.
RESPELLINGS WITH R ENDINGS
Swap out the C for a K and you’ll find Karter and Kristopher. Playing with Scrabble tiles transforms Xavier into Zavier, Xzavier, and adds an extra letter to Alexzander.
IMPORTS ENDING WITH R
Plenty of names count as traditional elsewhere. But in the US? They’re imports. Think Omar, Amir, and Iker; Javier, Salvador, and Cesar; Nasir, Yahir, and Samir.
WORD NAMES ENDING WITH R
Then come the word names: Jasper boasts centuries of use. Major has more history than you might guess. Junior finds favor elsewhere in the English-speaking world, notably South Africa. Meanwhile River surged from a seldom-heard hippie pick to a mainstream favorite.
What are your favorite boy names ending in R? Is there a category you like best?
First published on November 2, 2016, this post was revised substantially and re-published on September 23, 2020.
I have an Alistair … and I love it!