Boy names ending in R are quite stylish. Not only is Oliver the fastest rising name for boys in the US, but fellow boy names ending in R like Carter, Karter, and Asher also made the list.
So move over, Mason, Aiden, and Jayden! You might say that R is the new N.
Or is it? Looking at the list of the 50 most popular boy names ending in R, it’s clear that while there’s a trend, this isn’t a completely new phenomenon. And not every r-ender is actually on the rise.
Why 78, you might ask? That was the number of boy names ending in R in the current US Top 1000. Just for comparison:
- 12 boy names ended in A.
- 32 boy names ended in D. Far more than I would have guessed!
- 34 boy names ended in H.
- Over 300 ended in N! Something like 328, but I was counting with a pencil, so I don’t trust that final number. Let’s just say that it’s about one-third of the list.
Read on for the boy names ending in R, and some thoughts on the trends that they represent.
Boy Names Ending in R: The Top 78
- Alexander
- Carter
- Christopher
- Oliver
- Hunter
- Connor
- Tyler
- Parker
- Cooper
- Xavier
- Asher
- Ryder
- Sawyer
- Ryker
- Victor
- Tucker
- Oscar
- Karter
- Peter
- Tanner
- Xander
- Amir
- Omar
- Iker
- Javier
- Jasper
- Conner
- Gunner
- Zander
- Spencer
- Trevor
- Cesar
- River
- Kyler
- Hector
- Edgar
- Archer
- Arthur
- Walker
- Walter
- Major
- Skyler
- Porter
- Gunnar
- Dexter
- Chandler
- Taylor
- Neymar
- Nasir
- Yahir
- Conor
- Roger
- Kristopher
- Salvador
- Skylar
- Xzavier
- Jagger
- Fletcher
- Harper
- Samir
- Alexzander
- Fisher
- Junior
- Jamir
- Lamar
- Thatcher
- Konnor
- Eliezer
- Miller
- Zavier
- Konner
- Cristopher
- Turner
- Ameer
- Baylor
- Bridger
- Foster
- Jair
Boy Names Ending in R: The Traditionals
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 Walter, and Peter, a name that I always expect to fare better than it has to date.
Others feel traditional, but stuck in style limbo. Think of Victor or Trevor.
Boy Names Ending in R: Antiques
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.
Boy Names Ending in R: The Established Surnames
Boy names ending in R like Carter, Cooper, Hunter, Sawyer, and Parker all appear high on the list. Call them modern staples. Maybe they felt uncommon fifty or eighty years ago, but today they seem like go-to names for boys.
Others fall in the middle – fading, but still steadily used. Think of Tucker, Tyler, Tanner, Spencer, and Chandler.
Taylor occupies a special place. After climbing into the Top 100 for boys and girls, Taylor now leans strongly girl. Harper’s numbers suggest a similar trajectory.
Boy Names Ending in R: Next Gen Surnames
Just as some surnames are fading, others are on the rise. Say hello to Thatcher, Fisher, Baylor, Bridger, Foster, Walker, Porter, Fletcher, and Turner.
Boy Names Ending in R: Edgy Almost-Surnames
Invented surnames make for an interesting twist on the surname trend. Names like Ryder and Ryker exist, but feel edgier and
You can find families with surnames like Archer, Jagger, Ryder and Ryker, so maybe they don’t quite belong in this category. But they feel edgy and cool, and not quite the same as preppy picks like Carter and Parker.
Others take us into the invented category. Skyler and Skyler twist the Dutch, scholarly Schuyler into something thoroughly modern, while Kyler mashes up the sounds of former favorites Kyle and Tyler.
Boy Names Ending in R: The Respellings
Some of the 78 boy names ending in R simply represent alternative spellings. Swap out the C for a K and you’ll find Karter, Kristopher, Konnor, and Konner. Cristopher drops an h. And we love to play with Xs and Zs, which gets us Zavier, Xzavier, and Alexzander.
Boy Names Ending in R: Imports
Plenty of names count as traditional elsewhere. But in the US? They’re imports. Other imports are just as new as Xzavier. This list includes some of both: Connor, Conor, Oscar, Xavier, Omar, Amir, Iker, Javier, Cesar, Hector, Jair, Ameer, Gunnar, Neymar, Nasir, Yahir, Salvador, and Samir.
Boy Names Ending in R: Biblical Boys
Parents love Biblical boy names – that’s really nothing new! But some of the boy names ending in R feel like relatively recent discoveries. Asher and Eliezer stand out in a sea of boys called Noah and Elijah.
Boys Names Ending in R: Moderns
Then come the moderns: names that aren’t completely new, but would not have been heard much before the mid-twentieth century. The list includes modern short forms of Alexander, Xander and Zander, as well as part-German, and part-tough guy Gunner.
I’ve added Lamar and Jamir here, too. They make for interesting studies. Lamar traces its roots to France, while Jamir seems like more of an invention. Both tend to be used among African American families, and they sound like heritage choices, even though the history is not quite as clear as, say, Jamal or Kwame.
Boy Names Ending in R: Word Names
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?
I have an Alistair … and I love it!