Girl names ending with R aren’t new at all. Just think of Old Testament Esther and medieval Eleanor.
But they are freshly popular in recent years.
It’s true for our daughters and sons alike, with Carter and Connor, Alexander and Asher so popular, to name just a few.
There’s an equally wide range when it comes to girl names ending with R.
Literary surname Harper is a fixture in the US Top 25, even briefly reaching the Top Ten.
Word names, like Juniper and River, are catching on.
Certain surnames rank better for boys, while other r-enders seem reserved for girls, like Piper. Plenty of them fall somewhere in between.
Read on for a round-up of girl names ending with R, from Top 100 favorites to obscurities no one is using – yet.
CLASSICS and VINTAGE GEMS
CLAIR, CLAIRE, and CLARE
A handful of single-syllable names sneak on to this list. No question that Claire – in any spelling is classic, storied, and very much an R-ending choice for a daughter, a favorite among traditional names.
ELEANOR and ELINOR
Strong and sensible, rich with nickname options, Eleanor has been worn of women of distinction from medieval France to twentieth century America. Spell it Elinor, and it picks up a sheen of Jane Austen heroine.
ESTHER
An Old Testament queen, Esther means star – just like Top 100 favorite Stella. But Esther offers the same sparkling meaning with a touch of sepia tone.
GUINEVERE
The name of a fictional medieval queen, Guinevere sounds exactly like what you’d name … well, a fictional medieval queen. But it seems versatile enough for a real girl, too.
HESTER
Most of us probably think The Scarlet Letter when we hear Hester, but it’s also the name of steampunk heroine Hester Shaw of Mortal Engines. Nickname Hettie is a bonus.
LEONOR and LENORE
The name Leonor is to Elinor as Hester is to Esther – a rarer, related form. In this case, Leonor is the Spanish version, sometimes heard in the US. And Lenore is simply a shortened version of Eleanor, immortalized in Edgar Allan Poe’s The Raven.
TAMAR
Another Old Testament name, Tamar feels sharp and modern. But there’s a medieval queen of Georgia – on the Black Sea, not in the southern US – by the name. Now that Tammy has slipped into style limbo, maybe there’s room for r-ending Tamar.
SURNAME NAMES
ADAIR
Light and spirited, Adair is a Scottish form of Edgar, and a thoroughly overlooked choice.
BAKER
Because surname names are one of the most popular categories for our children, we’re always on the lookout for new options. Football player Baker Mayfield put his name on parents’ radar for boys, but it’s also been used in steady numbers for our daughters.
BAYLOR
A surname name associated with a Texas university, Baylor sounds like an update to former favorite Bailey.
BLAIR and BLAIRE
Most of the girl names ending with R feature two syllables, but a few – like Blair – keep it brief. This has long been a favorite unisex surname style choice for our daughters, dating back to 1980s sitcom The Facts of Life with character Blair Warner and Gossip Girl’s Blair Waldorf.
CHANDLER
Some occupational names are obvious – we know how a Baker made a living. Chandler is a little more obscure, but the meaning is actually lovely: candle maker. Friends famously gave this name to a male character, but thanks to favorites like Chelsea and Shannon, Chandler fits with girl names ending with R, too.
COOPER
A Top 100 favorite in the US for boys, but steadily growing in use for our daughters, too.
DENVER
Colorado place name, in the key of Aspen, borrowed from an English surname.
GRIER and GREER
A contracted form of Gregory, made famous – and feminine – by celebrated 1940s actor Greer Garson. Brooke Shields used the spelling Grier for one of her daughters.
HARPER
Literary Harper surged up the popularity charts a few years ago, a fresh and modern choice rich with significance.
HUNTER
A mainstay among R-ending boy names, a lovely shade of green, and a frequent Top 1000 name for girls in the US, too, beginning in the 1990s.
KIMBER
During the 1960s, Kimberly became a chart-topping sensation for baby girls. Just Kimber saw some use, too, and fits nicely with current trends favoring girl names ending with R.
PALMER
Originally a surname for one who went on pilgrimage – holding palms together in prayer – Palmer now sounds tailored, unisex, and unexpected.
PARKER
Way before Harper, indie star Parker Posey made this a maybe name for girls. Fun fact: Posey was named for 1950s supermodel Suzy Parker.
PFEIFER
Or Pfeiffer, Fifer, or Fyer, maybe? A musical surname with potential spelling challenges, Pfeifer is the less expected version of Piper.
PIPER
Like Pfeifer, Piper one referred to a musician – one who played the pipes. Actor Piper Laurie put it on the list for girls way back in the 1960s. But it took Orange in the New Black debuting on Netflix to push this name into wider use.
SAILOR and SAYLOR
A sea-faring name, Sailor fits with names like Ocean and Kai. There’s also Sailor Moon, of anime fame. The ‘y’ spelling remains slightly more popular for girls, possibly thanks to Taylor.
SAWYER
This might be the perfect name for parents seeking something crisp and modern, with a hint of Americana. (Think Tom Sawyer.) It’s more popular for boys, but rose quickly for girls, too, beginning around 2010.
SINCLAIR
A contracted form of St. Clair, Sinclair updates a classic name.
SPENCER
Polished last name popular as a first for our sons, but occasionally heard for our daughters, too. Princess Diana was born Lady Diana Spencer, lending this name a certain aristocratic, British style.
TAYLOR
Before there was Harper, everybody loved Taylor. Singer Taylor Swift was born in 1989, just as the name was nearing peak popularity.
MODERN MEANINGFULS
EASTER
At different points in time, being born on a major holiday could determine your name. So yes, children have been named Christmas and Easter. Today it sounds rather religious, but also optimistic. After all, Easter is the season of spring and rebirth.
HONOR
A traditional feminine choice in English, also spelled Honor – and sometimes Honora and Honoria – this name is seldom heard in the US. It feels equally at home across the centuries.
NOOR
Noor means light. The Arabic name can get mixed up with Eleanor and Nora, but it’s a separate name, distinctive and elegant, too.
PILAR
It means pillar, yes. But Pilar is pronounced in Spanish with the emphasis on the second syllable: pee LAR. It’s often given in combination with Maria, as in María del Pilar, referring to a vision of Mary standing on a pillar. So it’s religious – and strong, too.
VESPER
This might be a straightforward nature name, since vesper is the Latin word for evening. But Vespers is also an evening prayer service in some Christian traditions, lending another type of meaning to the name.
NATURE NAMES ENDING WITH R
AMBER
A former favorite, Amber could be a smash hit today. Except, of course, most Ambers are the ones having babies themselves right now. Still, this 1980s favorite could fit right in on a playground now.
ASTER
Asters are a showy plant that look a little bit like a star. The surname Astor ultimately refers to a bird of prey. Either way, it is a solid nature name, though one with more teasing potential than some.
BRIAR
A thorny, thicket-forming plant, Briar takes on a Disney glow thanks to Sleeping Beauty. When Princess Aurora is living in the cottage, she answers to the alias Briar Rose. That said, Briar sounds – and is – unisex, and a name with a certain toughness.
CLOVER
Long considered lucky, Clover makes a distinctive choice for parents thinking of their Irish heritage – or just wishing to embrace their good fortune in welcoming a daughter.
EMBER
Nature name Amber is fading, but Ember is red hot – literally. The glowing coals of a barbecue might seem like strange inspiration for a child’s name, but factor her similarity to Amber and Emily, and the beauty of a roaring bonfire and suddenly Ember seems like a natural.
FLEUR, FLOR, and FLOWER
The word for flower in French, Spanish, and English, of course. Flora and Florence are rising favorites, making all three of these R-enders seem more accessible.
GINGER
Ginger suggests the most glamorous of the Gilligan’s Island castaways, a spice, dancing sensation Ginger Rogers – born Virginia – and a Spice Girl, too. It’s one of those names that’s so far out, it’s in – and being one of the girl names ending with R helps.
HEATHER
A former favorite that remains both strong and downright pretty.
HESPER
Hesper’s close cousin Vesper appears elsewhere on this list. Hesper is a poetic name for the evening star, as well as a name for the planet Venus. In Greek myth, the Hesperides were the nymphs living in Hera’s garden tended to the golden apples of immortality.
JUNIPER
A bouncy, high-energy choice borrowed from the natural world.
LAVENDER
A pretty shade of purple, and a flowering plant, too. Harry Potter fans will recognize this ends with R choice as a Hogwarts student.
PEPPER
Upbeat spice name associated with one of the orphans from comic strip-turned-Broadway musical Annie, 1980s hip hop pioneers Salt-n-Pepa, and Iron Man’s Pepper Potts.
RIVER
River is rising for boys and girls alike. Of course, sci fi fans – of Doctor Who or Firefly – will associate it with feminine character.
SAHAR
An Arabic name meaning dawn, Sahar is rarer than Aurora, but fits with current trends nearly as well.
SAPPHIRE
A blue gemstone name ending with the letter r.
SKYLAR, SKYLER
Strictly speaking, Skylar is a re-spelling of Dutch surname Schuyler, which meant scholar. Not only is this spelling more phonetic, it makes it a stylish nature name, too.
SUMMER
Among the most solidly established of season names, the name Summer is as gentle and warm as the season suggests.
WINTER
The hottest season name of the moment is this wintry nature name.
THE ECLECTICS
BLANCHEFLEUR
Borrowed from medieval romance, where Blanchefleur is the name of an innocent maid – literally, a white flower.
CHER
As in the legendary singer, but also the main character in Clueless. Cher is the French word for dear. It’s also sometimes short for longer names, like Cheryl.
CINNABAR
A deep shade of red sometimes called vermilion, cinnabar was long used to make luxury items, including dinnerware. Of course, it’s also the mineral from which we extract mercury – making all of those high-end items poisonous. But that’s in the past, and Cinnbar sounds like a surprising, but wearable, choice.
DAGMAR
A Scandi name, Dagmar appeared on the fringes of the US Top 1000 way back in the late 1800s. If Astrid and Ingrid work for modern girls, why not Dagmar?
DEMETER
A goddess name less expected than Athena, and a borrowing from myth every bit as wearable as Penelope. Demetria has seen some use, as has Demi, but it’s R-ending Demeter that feels like the most intriguing new option.
ELANOR
It looks like a not-quite-right spelling of traditional Eleanor. But JRR Tolkien invented the name in his language, Sindarin. It means “star sun,” and it’s a type of flower, as well as the name of Sam Gamgee’s eldest daughter.
JENNIFER
Just like Linda and Lisa and Barbara and even Mary, Jennifer is a former favorite that would be surprising on a daughter today. It’s a Cornish form of the Welsh name Gwenhwyfar, making it a cousin to Guinevere.
KESTER
Originally short for Christopher, Kester could be masculine. But it sounds like Esther-with-a-K. And nickname Kess brings to mind everybody’s favorite Tess.
LILLEMOR
It looks like a request for more lilies, but Lillemor is a Scandi rarity that means, more or less, “little mother.”
LIOR
A modern Hebrew name used for boys and girls, Lior means my light – a name rich with meaning and a modern sound.
LOIRE
A French place name, Loire sounds a little bit like laWAHR in English. That’s not the most accessible sound, but it is pretty.
SILVER
This color-metal-sometimes name isn’t often heard, but it has appeal in our age of Sylvie and Harper.
TREASURE
A word name that fits with baby girl names like Precious and Promise.
What are your favorite girl names ending with R?
First published on October 19, 2012, this post was revised on November 11, 2021 and March 19, 2025.
For a bit of background: Libelula is a Spanish name meaning dragonfly, but I don’t think it’s receiving much usage in its native Spain
It’s a recent add to Nameberry, meaning it was probably given to 0 babies.
It fits in with all those four syllable girl names that are on fire right now, plus the nickname potential galore! It’s a win-win either way!
She could be:
Libby
Liba
Bee
Belle
Billie
Blue
Lula
Lulu
Lola
Lily
Abeja (bc since they’re both Spanish insect names it seems to fit the bill, fyi this one means Bee)
Honestly the nn’s remind me SOO much of Elizabeth. Potential creative honor name while honoring heritage at the same time?
Another creative version could be Libeluna, with an N, therefore giving it the poetic meaning: Dragonfly Of The Moon
Of course, all those month names can fit the bill too. I love October “Toby”, but I’ve also heard of November “Nova”. September and December don’t seem too out of reach either.
So glad you added Hesper!! I love that name. Aster is another fave short form of Astoria.
Mark has suggested Esther with each pregnancy. I always veto it. It’s not that I particularly dislike the name, it just feels overly familiar to me. Not growing up in North America, I wasn’t surrounded by Amy’s, Jennifers, and Stephanies, but I did know quite a few Esthers.
If Guinevere counts as an ends-in-r name then she’s one of my favourites. Oh, and Dagmar too. I love me some good, hard G’s. Greer is also great.
Dagmar! I haven’t thought about Dagmar … and suddenly it seems like the greatest idea ever.
Maybe I missed it but why is Silver in the title and not in the post? I would love to meet a limitless girl named Silver possibly Silvie for short.
No, you didn’t miss it. Somehow I deleted it when moving her between categories! Silver is back now, and I love the idea of Silver, nn Silvie.
I love Briar and would love to see Demeter used more often – I find it more interesting than Demetria. I think your assessment of the lovely Eleanor is right on. The medieval French form, Aliénor, has made a comeback in France (along with Léonor and other forms), but I think the ‘alien’ will prevent it from crossing into the English-speaking world.
Dagmar is a guilty pleasure of mine, which I guess would fall into your ‘eclectic’ category. Although Jennifer is not very current, I think Guinevere and possibly variants Gaenor and Gwenivar appeal to a certain kind of parent.
I love Dagmar’s meaning, but this one might better stay GP. Though I can’t say much since Ragnar is a guilty pleasure of mine.
I love Alienore. I like Dagmar too, even though it’s not usable. I think Alienore could be.
My favorites from each category: Esther, Piper, Noor, River, Demeter (Lior has a prettier sound, but I love the strength of Demeter). Esther is my favorite of all of them.
I’d add Guinevere, Eilir (ay leer), Jennifer (I’d be fine with this coming back a bit), Heather (I think in the right combo it works nicely as a middle name), and Sinclaire.