Red names suit a baby born with red hair, ruddy cheeks or a rosy complexion, and they work just as well for parents who simply love the color. Red carries confidence and authority in almost every culture it turns up in, from Hindu wedding dresses to Japanese lacquer, so these names arrive with a little weight behind them.
What actually makes hair red goes deeper than most parents realize. A genome-wide study of 343,234 UK Biobank participants found that the MC1R gene explains only 73% of the inherited variation in red hair, with eight further stretches of DNA taking the total to about 90% (1). Those MC1R variants push pigment cells to make mostly pheomelanin, which is what produces red hair, fair skin and freckles (2). As Professor Albert Tenesa of the University of Edinburgh’s Roslin Institute, a co-author of that study, put it, “We are very pleased that this work has unravelled most of the genetic variation contributing to differences in hair colour among people.”
Below are 100 names that mean red outright or point straight at it, each with its origin, meaning and current U.S. ranking where the Social Security Administration records one. If you want one that already sounds at home on a playground, start with Scarlett, Rowan, Ruby, Autumn and Sienna, the only five here still inside the national top 100. Everything else on the list is rarer.
Popularity at a Glance
The most popular names on this list in the United States, 1965 to 2025: Scarlett, Rowan, Ruby, Autumn and Sienna.
100 Cool Names that Mean Red for Boys and Girls
Every name below is listed A to Z with its origin, meaning, style and, where the federal data records one, its current U.S. ranking.
Adam
Adam is the first man in the Bible, and his name comes from the Hebrew word adaman, meaning ground, or adom, meaning red, a nod to the red earth he was formed from. That double root makes Adam the quiet anchor of any list of names that mean red. Nobody hears it and pictures a color, yet the color sits right there in the etymology. It has been in the federal data since 1880 and has never needed a nickname to soften it, which is part of why it wears so well from preschool to boardroom. For a family raising a child in the Jewish or Christian tradition, the story travels with the name.
- Origin: Hebrew
- Meaning: Red, ground
- Pronunciation: AD-uhm
- Variations: Adem
- Namesakes: Adam Smith, a Scottish economist, and philosopher who was a key figure during the Scottish Enlightenment.
- Popularity: Adam ranked 101st for U.S. boys in 2025 with 3,501 births, according to Social Security Administration data, and his best year was 18th in 1983.
Adame
Adame is the Basque and Spanish form of Adam, and it doubles as a variant of Adama, the Danish feminine form of the same biblical name. The extra syllable does a lot of work: it keeps Adam’s grounded, red-earth meaning while softening the sound into something warmer and less expected. That makes it a good pick for parents who like the tradition but not the ubiquity.
- Origin: Spanish, Danish
- Meaning: Red, ground
- Pronunciation: AH-DOM-may
- Variations: Adama
- Namesakes: Adame Ba Konare, a Malian historian and writer.
- Popularity: The Social Security Administration has no U.S. record for Adame, so it stays genuinely rare Stateside.
Admon
Admon is the sharpest, most stripped-down of the Adam family, holding on to the Hebrew sense of red ground without any of the familiarity. It has the crisp consonants that make a short name sound decisive rather than cute. If you love Adam but flinch at how many Adams your child would share a classroom with, this is the version almost nobody has taken.
- Origin: Hebrew
- Meaning: Red, ground
- Pronunciation: AD-mon
- Popularity: Admon does not appear in U.S. Social Security Administration data at all, which is the clearest measure of how seldom it is given here.
Afra
Afra is an elegant variation of Aphrah, a biblical place named in the Book of Micah. It traces either to the Hebrew afar, meaning earth or dust, or the Arabic ufrat, meaning whitish red and dust-colored, so it sits at the pale, sandy end of the red spectrum rather than the fiery end. Two syllables, no silent letters, easy in almost any language. This earthy name suits a wholesome girl who will be the salt of the earth, and it pairs beautifully with a longer surname.
- Origin: Hebrew, Arabic
- Meaning: Whitish red, dust
- Pronunciation: AH-frah
- Variations: Aphrah, Aphara
- Namesakes: Saint Afra, a Christian martyr and patron saint of Augsburg, Germany.
- Popularity: Afra ranked 5,416th for U.S. girls in 2025 with 23 births, up about 46% on the previous decade, according to Social Security Administration data.
Aidan
Aidan means little fire, which puts it on this list by warmth rather than by pigment. It was one of the defining boy names of the early 2000s, rising alongside similar-sounding Hayden and Jaden, and it peaked at 39th in 2003 before the whole rhyming family cooled off. That retreat is good news if you loved the name and hated the crowd: Aidan is now familiar without being everywhere, which is a hard combination to find. It still reads friendly, still spells itself, and still carries that flicker of fire in the meaning.
- Origin: Irish, English
- Meaning: Little fire
- Pronunciation: AY-den
- Variations: Aden, Ayden, Aydan, Aiden
- Namesakes: Aidan Turner, an Irish actor with roles in The Hobbit, Being Human, and Desperate Romantics.
- Popularity: Aidan ranked 326th for U.S. boys in 2025 with 1,043 births. It is the steepest faller on this list, down 69% comparing the last ten years of births with the ten years before them, according to Social Security Administration data.
Akako
There are few sweeter names for a girl born with rosy cheeks than Akako, built from the Japanese aka, meaning red, plus ko, meaning child. The bouncing repeated vowel gives it a nursery-rhyme lilt that suits a baby and still holds up on an adult. It is rare even in Japan, so it will appeal to unique name lovers who want something outside the usual borrowing pool.
- Origin: Japanese
- Meaning: Red child
- Pronunciation: ah-KAH-koh
- Popularity: Akako has never appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration data.
Akane
Akane takes its name from the deep red dye drawn from the Rubia cordifolia plant, which makes it one of the few names on this list tied to an actual pigment rather than a metaphor. The rhythm is lovely, three light syllables that land softly, and it is well used in Japan across anime, manga and comics. It has barely registered on the U.S. charts, so an American Akane would be unlikely to meet another, one of just 13 U.S. births in 2025. Sophisticated without being stiff, it is the kind of name that grows into a signature.
- Origin: Japanese
- Meaning: Deep red
- Pronunciation: ah-KAH-nay
- Namesakes: Akane Yamaguchi, a Japanese badminton player who was the reigning World Champion in 2021.
- Popularity: Akane ranked 7,907th for U.S. girls in 2025 with 13 births, per the Social Security Administration, up about 36% on the previous decade.
Akari
Akari is the rare name whose meanings are all pretty: red jasmine, bright jasmine, red village, bright village. Red jasmine is a sweet-smelling plant with pink or red flowers, so the imagery is delicate rather than bold, which sets Akari apart from the crimsons and scarlets elsewhere on this list. It belongs to several notable Japanese actresses and singers. American parents use it for both boys and girls, though it is given to boys several times more often.
- Origin: Japanese
- Meaning: Red jasmine
- Pronunciation: ah-KAH-ree
- Namesakes: Akari Takeuchi, a Japanese singer and a second-generation member of the girl group Angerme.
- Popularity: Akari is the fastest riser on this entire list, up 680% comparing the last ten years of U.S. births with the ten years before them, according to Social Security Administration data. In 2025 it ranked 542nd for boys and 1,881st for girls.
Akashi
Akashi is one of the fieriest picks here, carrying the vermilion and crimson end of red rather than anything soft. Anime fans will connect it to Akashi Seijuro, the crimson-haired basketball captain in Generation of Miracles, which gives the name a ready-made hook for a certain generation of parents. It works mostly as a surname in Japan, but the youthful sound makes it a workable first name for a boy with red features and a lot of energy.
- Origin: Japanese
- Meaning: Vermilion, crimson
- Pronunciation: ah-KAH-shee
- Namesakes: Baron Akashi Motojiro, a general in the Imperial Japanese Army and the 7th governor-general of Taiwan.
- Popularity: Akashi has no entry in U.S. Social Security Administration data.
Alhambra
Alhambra is the palace in Granada, Spain, one of the best-preserved works of Islamic architecture anywhere, and the name is derived from the Arabic al-Hamra, meaning the red one, after the fortress’s red walls. It is a lot of name, four syllables with a rolling middle, so it wants a short surname to balance it. Bram, Hamra or even Ali all work as everyday shortenings. History and architecture lovers will fall hard for this exotic name.
- Origin: Spanish
- Meaning: The red one
- Pronunciation: a-LAM-bra
- Popularity: Alhambra has never been recorded in U.S. Social Security Administration data.
Alroy
Alroy comes from the Irish rua, meaning red, which makes it a natural fit for a red-haired boy. It has the vintage, slightly clubbable feel of a name from a black-and-white film, and it shortens neatly to Al or Roy for a cute nickname that will not date. Nobody else in his year will have it.
- Origin: Irish, Spanish
- Meaning: Red-haired, king
- Pronunciation: AL-roy
- Popularity: Alroy last appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration data in 1990 at 8,154th, and it has not been recorded since.
Altan
Altan means red dawn, and it is one of the more visual names on this list: the specific red of an early morning sky rather than a dye or a gemstone. Two clean syllables, a hard T in the middle, nothing to spell out twice. It sounds sophisticated on an adult without sounding heavy on a toddler, which is a genuinely difficult balance for a boy’s name to strike.
- Origin: Turkish
- Meaning: Red dawn
- Pronunciation: ahl-TAHN
- Namesakes: Altan Oymen, a Turkish journalist, author, and former politician.
- Popularity: Altan ranked 6,828th for U.S. boys in 2025 with 12 births, up about 43% on the previous decade, per Social Security Administration data.
Apple
Say apple and most people picture the red fruit, which is the entire case for the name. Gwyneth Paltrow choosing it for her daughter in 2004 is what put it on the map, and the U.S. data shows a small spike right after. It has cooled since, so it is no longer a celebrity-copy name so much as a genuinely uncommon one. Original name lovers should give it a bite.
- Origin: English
- Meaning: Apple
- Pronunciation: AP-uhl
- Namesakes: Apple Chan, a Singaporean actress, and singer known for playing Lieutenant Zhang Xinyi in the 2017 film Ah Boys to Men 4.
- Popularity: Apple ranked 9,516th for U.S. girls in 2025 with 10 births, down about 55% on the previous decade. Its best showing was 3,409th in 2005.
Aruna
In Hindu tradition, Aruna is the charioteer who drives the sun god Surya across the sky, which is exactly the right job for a name meaning reddish brown and dawn. It was traditionally masculine and is now given mostly to girls, with Arun serving as the modern male form. It has never made the U.S. top 1,000, so it stays original Stateside while remaining instantly readable to anyone who knows the story.
- Origin: Sanskrit
- Meaning: Reddish brown, dawn
- Pronunciation: ah-ROO-nah
- Variations: Arun
- Namesakes: Aruna Beth Abrams, an American singer-songwriter, DJ, and pianist best known as a vocalist in dance music since 2007.
- Popularity: Aruna ranked 3,106th for U.S. girls in 2025 with 52 births, up about 560% on the previous decade, according to Social Security Administration data.
Arusha
Arusha is a Hindu name carrying real symbolic weight, since red in Hinduism stands for purity, power and good fortune. That is why a red dot marks the forehead and why brides wear red at weddings, and it is why a name meaning red, shining and bright is a compliment rather than a description. For a Hindu family it can honor all of that without sounding solemn. The soft middle syllable keeps it gentle.
- Origin: Sanskrit
- Meaning: Red, shining, bright
- Pronunciation: ahr-OO-shah
- Popularity: Arusha last appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration data in 2019 at 15,816th.
Auburn
Auburn is the exact reddish brown people use to describe hair, so it is the most literal choice on this list for a family with a redhead on the way. It also makes a beautiful girl’s name in its own right, with the same warm vowel opening as Aubrey and Audrey but none of their frequency. Parents drawn to those two but tired of hearing them should look here first.
- Origin: English
- Meaning: Deep reddish-brown
- Pronunciation: AW-burn
- Popularity: Auburn ranked 4,369th for U.S. girls in 2025 with 32 births, essentially flat over the past decade.
Autumn
Autumn earns its place here through the leaves rather than the dictionary: the season turns everything red, and the name carries that image without ever saying the word. It has been in the federal data since 1910 and is one of only five names on this list still inside the U.S. top 100, which makes it the safe choice for parents who want a red name that will not raise an eyebrow. A daughter born in September or October gets a small extra layer of meaning. It also has a real advantage in daily life, since everyone can spell it and nobody asks twice.
- Origin: English
- Meaning: Autumn season
- Pronunciation: AW-tuhm
- Namesakes: Autumn Reeser, an American actress known for her roles as Taylor Townsend in The O.C. and Lizzie Grant on Entourage.
- Popularity: Autumn ranked 88th for U.S. girls in 2025 with 2,805 births, one of only five names on this list still inside the top 100, according to Social Security Administration data. Her best year was 64th in 2013.
Ayuna
Ayuna is as sweet as apple pie, built from the Japanese a, meaning red, and na, meaning apple tree. Other readings give beach walk, summer step or beautiful sweetfish, so the name carries a whole small orchard of possible meanings. The flowing vowels make it easy to say in English even though it is unfamiliar.
- Origin: Japanese
- Meaning: Red apple tree
- Pronunciation: ah-YOO-nah
- Popularity: Ayuna appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration data just once, in 2008, at 14,055th.
Brick
Brick began as an English nickname roughly equivalent to calling someone a good fellow, and it picked up its clay-red color meaning from the building material. Both senses point the same way: solid, plain-spoken, hard to knock over. It is a one-syllable name with no soft edges at all, which is either exactly what you want or exactly what you do not.
- Origin: English, German
- Meaning: Clay red
- Pronunciation: BRIK
- Namesakes: Brick Haley, an American football coach and player for the Minnesota Golden Gophers.
- Popularity: Brick ranked 9,863rd for U.S. boys in 2025 with 7 births, per the Social Security Administration.
Burgundy
Burgundy names both a deep red color and the French wine region behind it, which is a discreet way to put your love of a good bottle on your daughter’s birth certificate. Three syllables give it a grown-up rhythm, and Birdie or Bee make charming nicknames for the toddler years. It is sophisticated without being fussy, and almost nobody is using it.
- Origin: English
- Meaning: Deep red
- Pronunciation: BUR-guhn-dee
- Popularity: Burgundy last appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration data in 2014 at 14,914th.
Carmine
Carmine is a dark red pigment used in paint, ink and blush, and it is also the male form of Carmen, a medieval Spanish name meaning song. That pairing is why it works so well: it is strong and melodic at once, a color word that already sounds like a person. It has been in the federal data since 1891 without ever becoming common, which is close to the ideal position for a name. Carm and Cam are there if a shorter version is wanted.
- Origin: English, Latin, French, Persian
- Meaning: Crimson
- Pronunciation: CAR-mine
- Namesakes: Carmine Infantino, an American comics artist and editor for DC Comics.
- Popularity: Carmine ranked 1,035th for U.S. boys in 2025 with 214 births, holding steady over the past decade. Its best year was 396th in 1922.
Carnelian
Carnelian is a reddish brown mineral used as a semi-precious gemstone, named after the cornel cherry, a ruby red fruit native to Europe and Asia. It has never been a standard given name, but the -lian ending puts it in easy company with Julian, Maximilian and Killian, so it sounds far less invented than it looks on paper. Call him Neil or Carn day to day.
- Origin: English
- Meaning: Cornel cherry
- Pronunciation: car-KNEEL-ian
- Popularity: Carnelian has never been recorded in U.S. Social Security Administration data.
Cerise
Cerise is simply the French word for cherry, and it does what French usually does to an English idea: makes it lighter on the ear. It gives you the fruit imagery of Cherry with none of the retro baggage, which is the whole reason to choose it. The soft opening and the long final syllable make it feel finished without a nickname, though Ceci works if you want one. It has also had a small run among names for French girls.
- Origin: French
- Meaning: Cherry
- Pronunciation: SU-REEZ
- Popularity: Cerise ranked 6,595th for U.S. girls in 2025 with 17 births, up about 14% on the previous decade. Its best U.S. year was 1,984th in 1955.
Cherry
Cherry is an adorable name drawn straight from the red fruit, and it belongs to the same early twentieth-century wave of food names that gave us Olive and Clementine. Those two have come roaring back; Cherry has not, which means it is now the vintage option that has not been rediscovered yet. It is warm, it is short, and it has a built-in cheerfulness that most retro revivals lack. For a family already fond of Charlotte or Cherie, it is the cherry on top.
- Origin: English
- Meaning: Cherry
- Pronunciation: CHEH-ree
- Namesakes: Cherry Jones, an American actress known for The Village (2004), Signs (2002), and The Perfect Storm (2000).
- Popularity: Cherry peaked at 429th for U.S. girls in 1948 and ranked 3,588th in 2025 with 42 births, according to Social Security Administration data.
Cheyenne
The Cheyenne are an indigenous people of the Great Plains, and the word comes from the Lakota sahieyna, built from sa, meaning red, and ya, meaning speak. It was a fixture of American girls’ names in the 1990s and has fallen a long way since, which puts it in the sweet spot where a name feels familiar but no longer common. For a family with native roots it can carry real meaning, and the shortening to Shy or Anne is there if the full form feels like a lot.
- Origin: Lakota
- Meaning: Red speakers
- Pronunciation: shie-AN
- Namesakes: Cheyenne Kimball, an American singer-songwriter, guitarist, and mandolinist.
- Popularity: Cheyenne ranked 920th for U.S. girls in 2025 with 285 births, down 61% on the previous decade. Her peak was 68th in 1996, according to Social Security Administration data.
Chibeni
Chibeni is an unusual Japanese name for girls, rare both in and out of the country. Its readings include red as blood and blood lace, which makes it one of the more striking meanings on this list, though the sound itself is gentle rather than dramatic. Shorten it to Beni for an adorable gender-neutral nickname that stands perfectly well on its own.
- Origin: Japanese
- Meaning: Red as blood
- Pronunciation: chee-BEH-nee
- Popularity: Chibeni has never appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration data.
Chizuki
Chizuki means red moon, another name for the blood moon of a lunar eclipse, when the Moon passes into Earth’s shadow and turns copper red in the sunlight that bends around us. It is one of the few names on this list that describes a specific event rather than a shade. That gives it a quiet drama, and it suits parents who want something celestial without reaching for Luna or Nova.
- Origin: Japanese
- Meaning: Red moon
- Pronunciation: chee-ZOO-kee
- Popularity: Chizuki has never appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration data.
Clancy
Clancy means red warrior and comes from an Irish surname, though it also works as a short form of Clarence. It has the bouncing, slightly mischievous sound that surname names often lack, so it lands friendly rather than formal. American parents are now using it for both boys and girls, so treat it as genuinely open. Few names manage to be tough in meaning and warm in sound at the same time.
- Origin: Irish
- Meaning: Red warrior
- Pronunciation: KLAN-see
- Namesakes: Clancy Brown, an American actor who played villainous characters in several films and TV shows since the 1980s.
- Popularity: Clancy ranked 3,592nd for U.S. boys in 2025 with 31 births and 8,476th for girls, up about 45% on the previous decade.
Crimson
Crimson has been given sparingly since the late 1800s and comes from the Arabic qirmiz, describing a bright red with purple in it. Of all the color words on this list, it is the boldest: nobody chooses Crimson quietly. The sound helps it work as a name rather than a swatch, since that firm opening consonant and the soft ending give it the same shape as Emerson and Carson. Roughly two in five American babies given it are boys, which makes it one of the more evenly unisex options here.
- Origin: English
- Meaning: Deep purplish red
- Pronunciation: KRIM-suhn
- Popularity: Crimson ranked 4,793rd for U.S. girls in 2025 with 28 births and 5,076th for boys with 19, so it is used across the board.
Dandan
Dandan comes from the Chinese dan, meaning cinnabar, red or vermilion, or from a second dan meaning dawn and early morning. Since a morning sky often has a red-orange glow, both readings arrive at the same picture. The doubled syllable gives it the affectionate, sing-song quality that Chinese given names use so well, and it has had real use among Chinese girls.
- Origin: Chinese
- Meaning: Red
- Pronunciation: TAHN-TAHN
- Namesakes: Song Dandan, a Chinese skit and sitcom actress.
- Popularity: Dandan has never been recorded in U.S. Social Security Administration data.
Edom
Edom comes from the Hebrew adom, meaning red. In the Old Testament, Esau, the elder son of Isaac, is sometimes called Edom because he was born red all over, which makes this one of the oldest red names anyone has written down. It sits among the classical biblical names that get passed over for the familiar picks like Aaron and Caleb. Short, unfussy and completely unused, it is a real option for a family who wants scripture without the crowd.
- Origin: Hebrew
- Meaning: Red
- Pronunciation: EE-duhm
- Popularity: The Social Security Administration has recorded Edom only a handful of times, most recently in 2021.
Elmo
Elmo does not mean red, but its most famous bearer is the small red monster from Sesame Street, which is reason enough to mention it. The name also belongs to a fourth-century martyr who became the patron saint of sailors, and the weather phenomenon named for him, St. Elmo’s fire, was read by sailors as a warning of a coming lightning strike and a sign of his protection. That is a lot of story packed into two syllables. Whether the Muppet is a selling point or a dealbreaker is entirely a matter of taste.
- Origin: Germanic
- Meaning: Helmet, protection
- Pronunciation: EL-moh
- Namesakes: Elmo Zumwalt Jr., a United States Navy officer and the youngest person to serve as Chief of Naval Operations.
- Popularity: Elmo peaked at 261st for U.S. boys in 1916 and has barely registered since, most recently appearing in 2023.
Flanagan
Flanagan is the anglicized form of O’Flannagain, a traditional Irish surname built on flann, meaning blood red. It is a big, rolling three-syllable name that sounds like it belongs to someone with a firm handshake. Flan and Finn both work as everyday shortenings, and the second one lets him blend in whenever he wants to.
- Origin: English
- Meaning: Blood red
- Pronunciation: FLAN-uh-gun
- Popularity: Flanagan has never appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration data as a given name.
Flanna
Flanna is Irish, from flann, meaning blood red or crimson, and it has traditionally gone to red-headed girls. It is uncommon enough that most people will meet it for the first time in your daughter. If the hard opening F feels sharp, Lana softens it instantly without losing the name underneath.
- Origin: Irish
- Meaning: Blood red
- Pronunciation: FLAN-uh
- Popularity: Flanna has never appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration data.
Flannery
Flannery is an old Irish surname turned first name, from O’Flannghaile, meaning red valor. The literary association does most of the heavy lifting here, and it gives the name a bookish, slightly wry quality that few color names have. It reads unisex on paper and feminine in practice, and it shortens to Flan, Nell or Ry depending on the day.
- Origin: English
- Meaning: Red valor
- Pronunciation: FLAN-uh-ree
- Namesakes: Flannery O’Connor, an American novelist known for her books A Good Man is Hard to Find (1955) and Everything That Rises Must Converge (1965).
- Popularity: Flannery ranked 13,773rd for U.S. girls in 2025 with 6 births, down about 35% on the previous decade.
Flynn
Flynn means blood red and is one of the most usable Irish picks on this list. It first caught American attention in 2010 when Disney gave it to the charming thief in Tangled, and it rose through the 2010s, peaked at 654th in 2021, and now sits at 828th, up 86% on the previous decade. That is the pattern parents want: enough recognition that nobody misspells it, not so much that it feels used up. One syllable, no nickname required, and it sits well against almost any surname.
- Origin: Irish
- Meaning: Blood red
- Pronunciation: FLIN
- Namesakes: Flynn Atkins, an American producer, singer, and rapper known for his EP Bang the Drums.
- Popularity: Flynn ranked 828th for U.S. boys in 2025 with 299 births, up 86% on the previous decade. Its best year so far was 654th in 2021, according to Social Security Administration data.
Fox
Fox is usually a surname, and it has long doubled as a nickname for a clever person or someone with red hair, which is how it lands on a list of red names. The animal connection gives it a warmth that most one-syllable boy names lack. It has climbed 143% over the past decade, but it is still a long way from common.
- Origin: English
- Meaning: Fox
- Pronunciation: FOKS
- Popularity: Fox ranked 1,411th for U.S. boys in 2025 with 129 births, up 143% on the previous decade.
Garnet
Garnet is the deep red gem that serves as January’s birthstone, and it has been given as a name since the 1800s, peaking for American girls around the end of the First World War. It carries the same vintage-jewel charm as Ruby and Opal, but almost nobody has picked it back up yet. That makes it a strong choice for a January baby or for parents circling the gemstone names and hoping to avoid the popular ones. It is used for boys and girls in near-equal numbers today.
- Origin: English
- Meaning: Dark red
- Pronunciation: GAR-net
- Variations: Garnett
- Namesakes: Garnett Silk, born Garnet Damion Smith, a Jamaican reggae musician known for his powerful voice.
- Popularity: Garnet ranked 11,263rd for U.S. girls in 2025 with 8 births and 11,119th for boys with 6, up about 62% on the previous decade. Its best year was 407th in 1918.
Gilroy
Gilroy comes from the Irish surname Mac Giolla Ruaidh, meaning son of the red-haired servant, or from Mac Giolla Ri, son of the king’s servant. Either way it points back to a red-haired ancestor. It sounds friendly and open in a way that heavier Irish surnames do not, and Gil and Roy are both waiting as nicknames.
- Origin: Irish, English
- Meaning: Son of the red-haired servant
- Pronunciation: GIL-roy
- Popularity: Gilroy last appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration data in 1991 at 7,597th.
Ginger
Ginger is the classic Old Hollywood name for a red-haired girl, and it comes from the Sanskrit sringavera, meaning horn body, after the shape of the ginger root. It had a real run in the 1960s and 1970s and has faded far enough since that it now reads as a deliberate choice rather than a generational one. The word itself is affectionate British slang for a redhead, so the name states the case plainly. It has a zest to it that few vintage revivals can match.
- Origin: English, Sanskrit
- Meaning: Horn body
- Pronunciation: JIN-jer
- Namesakes: Ginger Rogers, an American actress, dancer, and singer during the Golden Age of Hollywood.
- Popularity: Ginger peaked at 187th for U.S. girls in 1971 and ranked 3,308th in 2025 with 47 births, down 54% on the previous decade.
Gough
Gough is a classic Welsh nickname for a red-headed person, from coch, meaning red. Its best-known bearer was Gough Whitlam, Australia’s 21st prime minister, remembered for progressive policies including universal health care and free university education. The spelling is the catch, since GOFF is not what most English speakers will guess, so expect to say it twice. What you get in return is a genuinely Welsh red name that almost nobody has used.
- Origin: Welsh, Irish
- Meaning: Red
- Pronunciation: GOFF
- Namesakes: Gough Whitlam, a former Prime Minister of Australia.
- Popularity: Gough has never appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration data as a given name.
Harkin
Harkin comes from the Gaelic surname O’Hearcain, glossed as red blood and piglet, which is a combination you do not see every day. It is barely used as a first name, so it works as an unfamiliar alternative to the now-common Anakin with the same two-beat rhythm and none of the film. It also has the useful property of sounding like a real word, hearken, which makes it easy to remember after one introduction. A strong and determined name for a boy who will do the work.
- Origin: Irish, Scottish, English
- Meaning: Red blood
- Pronunciation: HAR-kin
- Popularity: Harkin has never appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration data as a given name.
Humayra
Humayra was the Prophet Muhammad’s affectionate nickname for his wife Aisha, given for her rosy red cheeks, which makes it one of the warmest entries on this list. The meaning and the story arrive together, so the name explains itself to anyone who knows it. For a Muslim family it honors that history while still sounding modern, and the Humaira spelling is there if you prefer it. Three syllables with the stress at the end give it a graceful finish.
- Origin: Arabic
- Meaning: Red
- Pronunciation: hoo-mie-RA
- Variations: Humaira
- Namesakes: Humaira Begum, the wife of King Mohammad Zahir Shah and the last queen of Afghanistan.
- Popularity: Humayra ranked 8,557th for U.S. girls in 2025 with 12 births, up about 60% on the previous decade.
Kamala
In Hinduism, Kamala is another name for Lakshmi, goddess of wealth, good fortune, youth and beauty, and the name itself means pale red and lotus. It was traditionally a unisex name and now goes mostly to girls, with Kamal as the masculine form. The lotus imagery is the appeal for most families: a flower that opens out of muddy water is a good thing to name a daughter after. It has been climbing in the U.S. data over the past decade.
- Origin: Sanskrit
- Meaning: Pale red, lotus
- Pronunciation: KAH-mah-lah
- Variations: Kamal
- Namesakes: Kamala Harris, the first female vice president of the United States.
- Popularity: Kamala ranked 9,767th for U.S. girls in 2025 with 10 births, up about 73% on the previous decade. Its best year was 1,063rd in 1964.
Kapil
Kapil is a traditional Sanskrit name from kapi, meaning monkey, after the animal’s reddish brown coat. In the Mahabharata, Kapil is a sage who argues against animal sacrifice and calls for an end to cruelty, which gives the name a gentleness its blunt etymology does not suggest. That story makes it a good choice for animal lovers. Two syllables, no spelling trouble in English.
- Origin: Sanskrit
- Meaning: Reddish brown
- Pronunciation: kuh-PIL
- Variations: Kapila
- Namesakes: Kapil Sibal, an Indian lawyer and politician regarded as one of the most famous lawyers in India.
- Popularity: Kapil last appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration data in 2013 at 13,105th.
Kurenai
Kurenai originally referred to a bright red dye drawn from the safflower plant, and it remains far more a word than a name even in Japan. That is precisely the appeal for parents hunting something nobody else will have. It is a long name for English speakers to hold, four syllables with an unfamiliar shape, so Kure or Nai will probably do the daily work. Like a stop sign or a fire engine, it is red loudly rather than subtly.
- Origin: Japanese
- Meaning: Crimson
- Pronunciation: KOO-RE-NAH-EE
- Popularity: Kurenai has never appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration data.
Lali
Lali is a bright, youthful Georgian name of ultimately Sanskrit origin, and it refers to the ruby, a red gemstone prized for how hard it is to scratch. That gives the name a nice double reading: pretty on the surface, tough underneath. Two light syllables make it easy anywhere in the world, and it works just as well as a nickname for a longer formal name if you want the option.
- Origin: Georgian, Sanskrit, Catalan
- Meaning: Ruby
- Pronunciation: LAH-LEE
- Namesakes: Lali Esposito, born Mariana Esposito, an Argentine singer, actress, dancer, and model.
- Popularity: Lali ranked 16,246th for U.S. girls in 2025 with 5 births, holding roughly steady over the past decade.
Leroux
Leroux comes from the Old French ros, meaning red, and it began as a nickname for someone with red hair, a ruddy complexion, or a fondness for red clothes. It is a surname name with real French polish, and the silent X gives it a finish that Le Roy does not have. Expect to spell it out, and expect people to like it once they hear it.
- Origin: French
- Meaning: The red
- Pronunciation: LU-ROO
- Popularity: Leroux has never appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration data.
Ma’evehpota’e
Ma’evehpota’e comes from the Cheyenne ma’e, meaning red, and vehpotse, meaning leaf, giving red leaf woman. It is easily the most demanding name on this list to write and to say, and it is not one to borrow lightly. For a family with Cheyenne ancestry, though, it carries a connection that no color word on this list can match.
- Origin: Cheyenne
- Meaning: Red leaf woman
- Pronunciation: mah-ah-eve-po-TAH
- Popularity: Ma’evehpota’e has never appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration data.
Mars
Mars does not mean red, but it is the Red Planet, and that is a strong enough association to earn a place here. In Roman mythology he is the god of war, fond of violence and the blood of battle, so the name is not exactly gentle. It has risen fast in the past decade and is now used for girls as well as boys, which softens the edge considerably. For a family drawn to space names, it is bolder than Luna and shorter than Orion.
- Origin: Roman
- Meaning: Male
- Pronunciation: MARZ
- Namesakes: Mars Bonfire, born Dennis Edmonton, a Canadian rock musician known for his hit song Born to be Wild.
- Popularity: Mars ranked 1,615th for U.S. boys in 2025 with 105 births and 4,947th for girls, up 521% on the previous decade.
Miaka
Miaka is built from the Japanese mi, meaning beautiful, and aka, meaning vermilion red or bright, so the whole name reads as beautiful red. The three open syllables make it one of the easiest Japanese names on this list for English speakers to say correctly on the first try. Mia is sitting right there as a nickname, which gives you a familiar everyday form and a distinctive name on the certificate.
- Origin: Japanese
- Meaning: Beautiful red
- Pronunciation: MEE-AH-KAH
- Popularity: Miaka has never appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration data.
Miltiades
Miltiades was the Athenian general who led the Greeks to victory at the Battle of Marathon against the Persians, and the name comes from the Greek miltos, meaning red earth, with the patronymic ending -ides. It is a mouthful in English, four syllables and a stress most people will guess wrong. But it hands you Milt or Miles for daily use, and few names carry that much history for a child to grow into.
- Origin: Greek
- Meaning: Red earth
- Pronunciation: muhl-tee-AY-deez
- Namesakes: Miltiades the Younger, a Greek Athenian general.
- Popularity: Miltiades has never appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration data.
Phoenix
Phoenix was the name of a mythical bird that lived in the Arabian desert, burned to ash every 500 years, and rose again from it. Its listed meaning of dark red is what puts it here, though the fire and rebirth are what sell it. This badass name has risen 81% over the past decade without ever crowding the top 200, so it is recognizable and still rare enough to feel chosen. Nix makes an unexpectedly good nickname.
- Origin: Greek
- Meaning: Dark red
- Pronunciation: FEE-nuhks
- Namesakes: Phoenix Jones, an American mixed martial artist who acts as a superhero by intervening in public assaults.
- Popularity: Phoenix ranked 329th for U.S. boys in 2025 with 1,027 births, up 81% on the previous decade. Its best year so far was 236th in 2020, according to Social Security Administration data.
Piroska
Piroska comes straight from the Hungarian piros, meaning red, and is sometimes anglicized to Priscilla in English-speaking countries. The nickname Piri is so appealing that plenty of parents use it on its own. Outside Hungary the full form will need explaining, which is a fair trade for a red name with real cultural roots rather than a translated color word.
- Origin: Hungarian
- Meaning: Red
- Pronunciation: PEE-rosh-kaw
- Namesakes: Piroska Szamoransky, a Hungarian handball player.
- Popularity: Piroska has never appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration data.
Poppy
Poppy comes from the Old English poaeg and points straight at the bright red flower. Red poppies stand for peace and eternal sleep, and were laid on tombs in ancient times to help the dead rest, so the name carries more weight than its bouncy sound suggests. It has climbed steeply in the U.S. over the past decade after a long stretch of being read as strictly British. Cheerful, short and easy to spell, it is one of the few names here that is both a color and a whole small story.
- Origin: English
- Meaning: Red flower
- Pronunciation: PAH-pee
- Namesakes: Poppy Z. Brite, an American author who achieved notoriety in the gothic horror genre in the early 1990s.
- Popularity: Poppy ranked 292nd for U.S. girls in 2025 with 1,054 births, up 478% on the previous decade. Its best year so far was 289th in 2023.
Pyrrhus
Pyrrhus is related to the Greek pyr, meaning fire. In Greek mythology it was another name for Neoptolemus, son of Achilles, given for his flaming red hair. It is a bold, ancient choice that will suit a fiery personality whether or not your little one turns out to be a redhead, and Pyr or Rus will carry it day to day.
- Origin: Greek
- Meaning: Red, flame-colored
- Pronunciation: PEER-uhs
- Namesakes: Pyrrhus of Epirus, a Greek king, and statesman during the Hellenistic period.
- Popularity: Pyrrhus has never appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration data.
Qiong
Qiong has several readings in Chinese, including red jade, fine jade, exquisite and beautiful. In ancient China jade was the most precious stone of all, tied to purity, beauty and moral integrity, so this is a name about character as much as color. The spelling will stop English speakers cold, since TSHONG is nowhere near what the letters suggest. If you can live with correcting people, few names on this list mean more.
- Origin: Chinese
- Meaning: Red jade
- Pronunciation: TSHONG
- Namesakes: Qiong Yao, a Taiwanese writer regarded as the most popular romance novelist in the Chinese-speaking world.
- Popularity: Qiong has never appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration data.
Quynh
Quynh is an unusual pick among names meaning red, almost exclusively used in Vietnam. It is tied to the hoa quynh, a red or white night-blooming flower that stands for beauty and loyalty. One syllable on paper and two possible pronunciations in practice, so a Vietnamese-American family will have an easier time with it than most.
- Origin: Vietnamese
- Meaning: Deep red
- Pronunciation: KWING, KWIN
- Namesakes: Pham Quynh Anh, a Vietnamese singer and former member of the girl group Sac Mau.
- Popularity: Quynh ranked 9,322nd for U.S. girls in 2025 with 11 births, roughly flat over the past decade.
Radcliff
Radcliff is a classic Old English surname meaning red cliff, and the picture it paints is a big part of the appeal. Using last names as first names remains popular, so it fits current taste without being a name anyone else has taken. Rad is a genuinely fun nickname, and the longer Radcliffe spelling is there if you want the extra weight.
- Origin: English
- Meaning: Red cliff
- Pronunciation: RAD-clif
- Variations: Radclyffe, Radcliffe
- Popularity: Radcliff has never appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration data as a given name.
Radley
Radley comes from the Old English redleah, meaning red meadow, and began as a name for people living near an open field. It has the same easy -ley ending as Bradley and Finley while being far less used, which is exactly why it has been climbing. Rad works as a nickname, and Radlee or Radleigh are there if you want a different look on the page.
- Origin: English
- Meaning: Red field
- Pronunciation: RAD-lee
- Variations: Radlee, Radleigh, Radlie
- Namesakes: Radley Metzger, an American film director known for his artistic adult-oriented films.
- Popularity: Radley ranked 1,834th for U.S. boys in 2025 with 87 births, up about 66% on the previous decade. Its best year was 1,579th in 2024.
Raleigh
Raleigh is the North Carolina capital, named for the English poet and explorer Sir Walter Raleigh, and its own meaning of red clearing is what earns it a spot here. It was long a boys’ name, but the pull of the -leigh ending has moved it, and girls outnumbered boys in the 2025 data, 104 to 64. That makes it a rare thing: a surname name with genuine history that currently leans feminine. It reads as comfortably on a place name as it does on a person, which is part of why it travels so well.
- Origin: English
- Meaning: Red clearing
- Pronunciation: RAL-ee
- Variations: Rawley
- Namesakes: Raleigh Brown, a former State Representative of Texas.
- Popularity: Raleigh ranked 1,894th for U.S. girls in 2025 with 104 births and 2,222nd for boys with 64, up about 45% on the previous decade.
Red
Red is the classic American nickname for someone with auburn hair, and it has been used as a given name in small numbers since the 1880s. As a legal first name it is very short and very literal, so plenty of parents put Redford or Redding on the certificate and use Red every day instead. Either way it is warm, unpretentious and instantly understood, which is more than most color names manage.
- Origin: English
- Meaning: Red
- Pronunciation: RED
- Variations: Redd
- Namesakes: Arnold “Red’ Auerbach, an American professional basketball coach and executive.
- Popularity: Red ranked 6,075th for U.S. boys in 2025 with 15 births, up about 94% on the previous decade. Its best year was 1,948th in 1915.
Redding
Redding is a traditional surname first given to people from Berkshire, England, and it means red and advice. The Otis Redding connection gives it a soul-music warmth that few surname names carry. Practically speaking, it is the easiest route to the nickname Red, since the word is right there in the name and the full form still sounds grown-up on a resume. It has more than doubled in use over the past decade.
- Origin: English, German, Dutch
- Meaning: Red, advice
- Pronunciation: RED-ing
- Variations: Reading
- Popularity: Redding ranked 4,503rd for U.S. boys in 2025 with 23 births, up 128% on the previous decade.
Redford
Redford started as a habitational surname in England, marking a red river crossing, and the Robert Redford association gives it a clean Hollywood polish. It is one of the more confident-sounding options on this list without tipping into swagger. The Radford spelling is there as an alternative, though Redford keeps the color visible. Red is the obvious nickname and a very good one.
- Origin: English
- Meaning: Red ford
- Pronunciation: RED-ford
- Variations: Radford
- Popularity: Redford ranked 4,827th for U.S. boys in 2025 with 21 births, its highest count in the data so far and up about 105% on the previous decade.
Reed
Reed comes from the Old English read, meaning red, and began as a nickname for someone with a ruddy complexion. Most parents now choose it for the plant instead, the tall grass that bends by the water, which is a gentler picture than the etymology. It has sat comfortably inside the top 500 for years without ever spiking, so it is familiar and never faddish. One syllable, four letters, nothing to explain.
- Origin: English
- Meaning: Red
- Pronunciation: REED
- Variations: Read
- Namesakes: Reed Alexander, an American actor, journalist, and author who played Nevel Papperman on iCarly.
- Popularity: Reed ranked 419th for U.S. boys in 2025 with 770 births, roughly flat over the past decade. Its best year was 318th in 2014.
Reid
Reid is the Scottish route to the same red-haired root as Reed, and it has quietly overtaken its cousin in American use. Four letters and one syllable, yet it manages to sound mature rather than clipped, which is why it works as well on an adult as on a baby. The two spellings are pronounced identically, so the only real question is which look you prefer. Reid will carry your son from red-cheeked newborn to grown man without ever needing a longer form.
- Origin: Scottish, English
- Meaning: Red
- Pronunciation: REED
- Variations: Reed
- Namesakes: Reid Hoffman, an American internet entrepreneur and co-founder of LinkedIn.
- Popularity: Reid ranked 293rd for U.S. boys in 2025 with 1,150 births, ahead of its cousin Reed at 419th, according to Social Security Administration data.
Rogan
Rogan is the anglicized form of the Gaelic O’Ruadhagain, built on ruadh, meaning red. It has the same easy two-beat shape as Logan and Keegan, which are both far more common, so it gives you that familiar sound without the classroom collisions. The Rogen spelling exists if you want to shift it slightly. It peaked at 1,221st in 2020 and sits at 2,019th in 2025, up about 37% on the previous decade.
- Origin: Irish, English
- Meaning: Red
- Pronunciation: ROH-gun
- Variations: Rogen
- Namesakes: Rogen Ladon, an amateur Filipino boxer who’s won medals at the Asian Amateur Boxing Championships and the Southeast Asian Games.
- Popularity: Rogan ranked 2,019th for U.S. boys in 2025 with 75 births, up about 37% on the previous decade.
Rohit
Rohit is a traditional Sanskrit name from rohita, meaning red, and it is widely used in India, where athletes, actors and politicians share it. Its American peak came around the turn of the century and it has receded a long way since, which leaves it wide open for a family who wants it now. Two clean syllables and a spelling that gives English speakers no trouble.
- Origin: Sanskrit
- Meaning: Red
- Pronunciation: ROW-hit
- Namesakes: Rohit Sharma, an Indian international cricketer and current captain of the Indian national team.
- Popularity: Rohit ranked 1,228th for U.S. boys at its 2001 peak and has since fallen well down the list, last appearing in 2024.
Roisin
Roisin comes from the Irish ros, meaning rose, and it is tied to the Roisin Dubh, one of Ireland’s best-known political songs. Red roses stand for romance, beauty and courage, which is a good set of things to wish on a daughter. The pronunciation is the hurdle in America, since ro-SHEEN is not what the spelling suggests, and Rosheen is there for parents who would rather not fight it. Use for it in the U.S. is at an all-time high.
- Origin: Irish
- Meaning: Rose
- Pronunciation: ro-SHEEN
- Variations: Rosheen
- Namesakes: Roisin Murphy, an Irish singer and songwriter, part of the pop duo Moloko in the 1990s.
- Popularity: Roisin ranked 2,716th for U.S. girls in 2025 with 64 births, its best showing in the data so far and up about 81% on the previous decade.
Rojo
Rojo is simply the Spanish word for red, and it is about as commonly used as a given name as Red is in English, which is to say hardly at all. That directness is the whole charm: two bright syllables, no etymology to explain, the meaning on the surface. It suits a family who wants the color said out loud rather than smuggled in through a surname.
- Origin: Spanish
- Meaning: Red
- Pronunciation: ROW-HO
- Popularity: Rojo has never appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration data.
Rory
Rory means red king, and American parents give it to boys and girls in close to equal numbers. It was traditionally a boy’s name, swung toward girls after Lorelai‘s daughter on Gilmore Girls, and now sits comfortably on both sides. It has never been more popular in the U.S. than it is right now, which is worth knowing before you choose it. Warm, easy to say, impossible to misspell.
- Origin: Irish
- Meaning: Red king
- Pronunciation: RAWR-ee
- Variations: Rorie
- Namesakes: Rory McIlroy, a professional golfer from Northern Ireland, previously ranked world #1.
- Popularity: Rory ranked 199th for U.S. boys in 2025 with 1,768 births and 230th for girls with 1,332, its best showing yet and up 181% on the previous decade.
Rose
Rose has been in the federal data since 1880 and has never really left, which is the definition of a timeless name. Red roses stand for beauty, courage and love, so the flower does the meaning work while the name itself stays completely plain. It has doubled in use over the past decade. If you want a red name that nobody will ever ask you to spell, this is it.
- Origin: English, French
- Meaning: Famous type
- Pronunciation: ROHZ
- Variations: Rosa, Rosalie
- Namesakes: Rose Friedman, a free-market economist and co-founder of the Milton and Rose D. Friedman Foundation.
- Popularity: Rose ranked 114th for U.S. girls in 2025 with 2,386 births, up 108% on the previous decade. Her best year was 14th in 1913, according to Social Security Administration data.
Rossa
Rossa is unmistakably Italian, which makes it a lovely pick for a family with ties to the country or simply a soft spot for it. It has only just crossed the threshold to appear in American records at all, so your daughter would be among the very first. Rossella is the longer diminutive if you want more name, and it hands you Ella for everyday use.
- Origin: Italian
- Meaning: Red
- Pronunciation: ROH-sah
- Variations: Rossella
- Namesakes: Rossa Matilda Richter, an English aerialist, and actor who became the first human cannonball at age 17.
- Popularity: Rossa entered U.S. Social Security Administration data for the first time in 2025 at 16,787th with 5 births, making it the rarest name on this list that appears in the data at all, at roughly one in 333,333 births.
Roth
Roth began as a Germanic surname from rot, meaning red. One syllable, hard consonants at both ends, and no soft landing anywhere in it. Red stands for action, danger and bravery, which makes Roth a fitting name for a modern-day warrior and a good match for a longer, gentler middle name.
- Origin: German, Jewish
- Meaning: Red
- Pronunciation: ROTH
- Popularity: Roth last appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration data in 2010 at 11,909th. Its best year was 2,579th in 1985.
Rouge
Rouge is the French word for things that are red, most familiarly the makeup. Moulin Rouge does most of the cultural lifting, which gives the name a theatrical, slightly cabaret edge that not every family will want. If you do want it, there is nothing subtle about it, and that is the point.
- Origin: French
- Meaning: Red-colored
- Pronunciation: ROOZH
- Popularity: Rouge has never appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration data.
Roux
Roux is a color name for things that are dark red or reddish brown, and it suits a girl with auburn hair beautifully. It sounds identical to Rue, the Hunger Games tribute, but looks far more cosmopolitan on paper, which is a useful combination. Use has nearly quadrupled in the past decade across both boys and girls. Just be ready to spell it, every time.
- Origin: French
- Meaning: Red
- Pronunciation: ROO
- Variations: Rue
- Popularity: Roux ranked 5,071st for U.S. girls in 2025 with 26 births and 6,376th for boys with 14, up 273% on the previous decade.
Rowan
Rowan is the anglicized form of Ruadhan, an Old Irish name from ruad, meaning red. It is also the tree with red berries that Celtic folklore credited with warding off witchcraft, so the name carries both the color and a protective streak. It is one of only five names on this list still inside the U.S. top 100, and it is used for girls too, so expect company at the playground. That is the trade for a name this well balanced between familiar and meaningful.
- Origin: Irish
- Meaning: Red
- Pronunciation: ROH-uhn
- Variations: Ruadhan, Rowen, Rowanne
- Namesakes: Rowan Williams, a Welsh Anglican bishop, theologian, and poet.
- Popularity: Rowan ranked 59th for U.S. boys in 2025 with 5,212 births and 249th for girls with 1,240. It is the most popular boys’ name on this list and its best showing yet, up 257% on the previous decade.
Roy
Roy is the anglicized form of Ruadh, meaning red, and it doubles as a variant of the French roi, meaning king. It was a genuine American staple a century ago and has settled into the comfortable middle of the list since, which means it now reads as classic rather than dated. Three letters, one syllable, and it works as a first name or a middle.
- Origin: Irish, Scottish, French
- Meaning: Red
- Pronunciation: ROY
- Namesakes: Roy Orbison, an American singer, songwriter, and musician known for his emotional ballads.
- Popularity: Roy ranked 525th for U.S. boys in 2025 with 570 births, holding steady over the past decade. His best year was 31st in 1924.
Ruadh
Ruadh is an old Gaelic name given to red-haired men, and it is the root behind Rory, Rowan and Roy. Its most famous bearer was Raibeart Ruadh MacGregor, the Scottish outlaw and folk hero known in English as Rob Roy, often cast as a Scottish Robin Hood. The spelling will need explaining outside Ireland and Scotland, since ROO-AH is nowhere near obvious. For a family with Highland roots, it is the original rather than the translation.
- Origin: Irish, Scottish
- Meaning: Red
- Pronunciation: ROO-AH
- Namesakes: Raibeart Ruadh MacGriogair, a Scottish outlaw and folk hero.
- Popularity: Ruadh has never appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration data.
Ruaidhri
Ruaidhri means red king and belongs to the last High King of Ireland, who reigned in the twelfth century. It is the full Old Irish form that gave English the far easier Rory, and almost nobody uses it today. That is either a problem or the entire appeal, depending on how much spelling you are willing to do on your child’s behalf. For a red-headed boy with Irish ancestry, it is as authentic as this list gets.
- Origin: Irish
- Meaning: Red king
- Pronunciation: RUE-ree
- Namesakes: Ruaidrí mac Tairrdelbach Ua Conchobair, the last High King of Ireland.
- Popularity: Ruaidhri has never appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration data.
Rubina
Rubina is a Portuguese name drawn from the Italian rubino, meaning ruby. Rubies are red gemstones prized as much for their hardness as their color, which makes this a name about resilience as well as sparkle. It gives you Ruby as an everyday nickname while keeping something longer and less used on the birth certificate. Its best year was 3,990th back in 1929, and it has held near 14,596th for U.S. girls in 2025, roughly flat over the past decade.
- Origin: Portuguese, Italian
- Meaning: Ruby, red
- Pronunciation: roo-BEE-nah
- Variations: Rubena
- Namesakes: Rubina Ashraf, a Pakistani actress, director, and producer.
- Popularity: Rubina ranked 14,596th for U.S. girls in 2025 with 6 births, roughly flat over the past decade. Its best year was 3,990th in 1929.
Ruby
Ruby is the most complete comeback story on this list. She was an American staple before the First World War, peaked in 1913 at 7,867 births per million girls, bottomed out at 325 per million in 1986, and stood at 2,211 per million in 2025, a 6.8-fold recovery across 112 years, according to Social Security Administration data. The name comes from the gem, January’s traditional birthstone, and no matter what month your daughter arrives, that vintage girl’s name charm has clearly proved durable.
- Origin: Latin
- Meaning: Red
- Pronunciation: ROO-bee
- Namesakes: Ruby Dee, an American actress, and playwright known for her roles in The Jackie Robinson Story (1950) and Do the Right Thing (1989).
- Popularity: Ruby ranked 64th for U.S. girls in 2025 with 3,554 births, one of only five names on this list inside the top 100. Her best year was 23rd in 1913.
Rudyard
Literary families will know Rudyard Kipling, the Jungle Book author, who was himself named after Lake Rudyard in Staffordshire, England. That gives the name a red-yard meaning and a lakeside origin in one package. It is long, slightly formal and completely unused today, so it works best for parents who want a name with a bookshelf attached. Rudy is the obvious short form and a warm one.
- Origin: English
- Meaning: Red yard
- Pronunciation: RUD-yard
- Namesakes: Rudyard Kipling, an English journalist, short-story writer, and novelist.
- Popularity: Rudyard last appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration data in 1989 at 7,721st. Its best year was 2,861st in 1914.
Rufina
Rufina is the feminine form of Rufinus, an ancient Roman name carried by several early saints, and it means red-haired outright. It has the soft vowels and clear stress that make Roman names feel graceful rather than heavy, and it has a long history among Spanish girls. The soft ending pairs easily with a one-syllable middle name. Use in the U.S. has ticked up over the past decade from a very low base.
- Origin: Roman
- Meaning: Red-haired
- Pronunciation: roo-FEE-na
- Namesakes: Rufina Ubah, a former Nigerian sprinter specializing in the 100-meter dash.
- Popularity: Rufina ranked 14,599th for U.S. girls in 2025 with 6 births, up about 34% on the previous decade. Its best year was 1,390th in 1928.
Rufus
Rufus is a saintly pick among names that mean red, carried by several early saints, and it was also the nickname given to England’s King William II for his bright red hair. It was a genuine American staple before the First World War and has been out of fashion long enough now to sound fresh again. Big, rumbling and friendly, it is one of those names that makes people smile when they hear it on a baby.
- Origin: Roman
- Meaning: Red-haired
- Pronunciation: ROO-fuhs
- Namesakes: Rufus Wainwright, an American-Canadian singer, songwriter, and composer.
- Popularity: Rufus ranked 4,019th for U.S. boys in 2025 with 27 births. His best year was 169th in 1913, according to Social Security Administration data.
Rumen
Healthy babies often arrive with red, squeezable cheeks, and Rumen means exactly that: red-cheeked and ruddy. It is used mainly in Bulgaria and Macedonia, so a Rumen in an American classroom would be the only one. The sound is soft and easy for English speakers, which is not always true of Slavic names, and Ru works nicely as a short form.
- Origin: Bulgarian
- Meaning: Red-cheeked
- Pronunciation: ROO-men
- Namesakes: Rumen Petkov, a Bulgarian animator, painter, and comic creator known for his series Choko the Stork and Boko the Frog.
- Popularity: Rumen has never appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration data.
Rumo
This ancient Cornish name sounds startlingly modern, two open syllables that would not look out of place beside Milo and Arlo. German author Walter Moers used it for the hero of his novel Rumo and His Miraculous Adventures, but beyond that it has barely registered in pop culture. That leaves the field wide open for your Rumo to define it.
- Origin: Cornish
- Meaning: Red
- Pronunciation: ROO-moh
- Namesakes: Rumo von Ramstein, a German abbot of the Abbey of Saint Gall from 1274 to 1281.
- Popularity: Rumo has never appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration data.
Russell
Russell means little red one and began as an English surname before turning into a first name early in the twentieth century. It is nowhere near its early twentieth-century peak, but it has actually gained ground over the past decade, which is the pattern of a name coming back rather than fading. Russ is the nickname that keeps it from ever sounding stuffy. Solid, warm and thoroughly unlikely to be trendy.
- Origin: English, Norman
- Meaning: Little red one
- Pronunciation: RUH-suhl
- Namesakes: Russell Crowe, an Australian actor, and filmmaker known for his roles in Gladiator (2000) and A Beautiful Mind (2001).
- Popularity: Russell ranked 345th for U.S. boys in 2025 with 944 births, up about 32% on the previous decade. His best year was 49th in 1914.
Russo
Russo is a common surname across Southern Italy and Sicily, originally a nickname for men with red hair or red beards. It has only just started being used as a first name in America, which puts it firmly in out-of-the-ordinary territory. The O ending gives it the same easy modern sound as Enzo and Arlo, so it fits current taste while carrying real family history for an Italian-American household.
- Origin: Italian
- Meaning: Red
- Pronunciation: ROS-see
- Variations: Rossi
- Popularity: Russo first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration data in 2019 and last showed up in 2024 at 10,720th, so it is very new as a given name here.
Rusty
Rusty started as a nickname for someone with rust-colored hair, and it has stayed comfortably informal ever since. It had a real run in the mid-century and has been quiet for decades, so it now reads as a friendly throwback rather than a dated one. Some parents put Russell on the certificate and use Rusty at home, which gets you both the formality and the charm.
- Origin: English
- Meaning: Red-hair
- Pronunciation: RUS-tee
- Namesakes: Rusty Wallace Jr., an American former racing driver who won the 1984 NASCAR Cup series Rookie of the Year.
- Popularity: Rusty peaked at 328th for U.S. boys in 1961 and ranked 2,384th in 2025 with 58 births.
Scarlett
Scarlett began as an occupational surname for someone who sold scarlet, a costly red woolen cloth traded across medieval Europe. It is now the most popular name on this list, chosen for a sound that manages to be bold and elegant at once. Some parents come to it through Scarlett Johansson, some through the cloth, and plenty simply like how it looks written down. The single-T Scarlet spelling is available if you want the color word unadorned.
- Origin: English
- Meaning: Bright red
- Pronunciation: SKAR-let
- Variations: Scarlet
- Namesakes: Scarlett Johansson, an American actress, listed as the world’s highest-paid actress in 2018 and 2019.
- Popularity: Scarlett ranked 32nd for U.S. girls in 2025 with 5,644 births, the highest-ranked name on this entire list, up 111% on the previous decade. Her best year was 14th in 2022, according to Social Security Administration data.
Shani
Shani means scarlet thread in Hebrew, a biblical image tied to Jesus’s sacrifice on the cross, and the name also belongs to the Hindu god of karma and to a Swahili word meaning marvelous. Three traditions, one short and simple name. It had a brief American run around 1970 and has been quiet since, so it is both familiar-sounding and genuinely uncommon now. Shanie, Shanni and Shaney all exist if you want a different look.
- Origin: Hebrew, Hindu, Swahili
- Meaning: Scarlet thread
- Pronunciation: SHAH-nee
- Variations: Shanie, Shanni, Shaney
- Namesakes: Shani Davis, an American former speed skater who won the 1000-meter event at the 2006 Winter Olympics.
- Popularity: Shani ranked 12,980th for U.S. girls in 2025 with 7 births, down about 56% on the previous decade. Her best year was 665th in 1969.
Sherry
Sherry probably comes from the fortified wine named after the Spanish town of Jerez, though it may instead trace to the French cherie, meaning darling. Either origin is affectionate. It was everywhere in mid-century America and has fallen a very long way since, far enough that it is starting to sound retro rather than merely old. Shari, Sheree and Sherri are among the many spellings that had their own runs.
- Origin: Spanish, French,
- Meaning: Red fortified wine, darling
- Pronunciation: SHEH-ree
- Variations: Shari, Sheree, Sheri, Sherie, Sherri, Sherrie
- Namesakes: Sherry Jackson, a retired American actress and former child star known for her role as Terry Williams on The Danny Thomas Show.
- Popularity: Sherry peaked at 48th for U.S. girls in 1962 and ranked 5,532nd in 2025 with 23 births, down 45% on the previous decade.
Sienna
Sienna takes its name from the Italian city of Siena and means orange-red, after the clay pigment first dug from the earth around it. It has climbed steadily for three decades and has never been more popular in the U.S. than it is right now. The double N in the usual spelling separates the name from the city, which is handy. Warm, easy to say and instantly pretty, it is the softest of the top-100 red names.
- Origin: English
- Meaning: Orange-red
- Pronunciation: see-EN-uh
- Namesakes: Sienna Miller, an American and English actress known for her roles in Factory Girl (2006) and The Edge of Love (2008).
- Popularity: Sienna ranked 94th for U.S. girls in 2025 with 2,659 births, her best showing yet and up about 30% on the previous decade. She is one of only five names on this list inside the top 100.
Sohrab
In the Persian epic the Shahnameh, Sohrab is the son of the hero Rostam, killed by his own father in battle before either recognizes the other. It is one of the most affecting stories in world literature, and the name means redwater. That combination will speak to families who like their names to carry weight, and its long history in Persian culture makes it far more than a curiosity.
- Origin: Persian
- Meaning: Redwater
- Pronunciation: soh-RAWB
- Variations: Zurab, Zukhrab
- Namesakes: Sohrab Sepehri, an Iranian poet and painter considered one of the five most prominent Persian poets of all time.
- Popularity: Sohrab ranked 7,604th for U.S. boys in 2025 with 11 births, up about 33% on the previous decade.
Talutah
Talutah is a traditional Native American name meaning blood-red, and it is rarely used today. The rolling three-syllable rhythm makes it easy to say even though it will be unfamiliar to most people who meet it. Lulu and Tally both work as everyday nicknames.
- Origin: Sioux
- Meaning: Blood-red
- Pronunciation: tah-LOO-tah
- Popularity: Talutah has never appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration data.
Tokino
Tokino has several readings depending on the kanji used, including red moon, vermilion heron, dawn field and time field. Its connection to the moon gives it a calm, night-sky feel that sets it apart from the fierier entries here. Its most notable bearer was Tokino Minoru, an undefeated Japanese racehorse of the 1950s, so nature lovers get a double connection. Three even syllables make it easy to say in English.
- Origin: Japanese
- Meaning: Red moon
- Pronunciation: toh-KEE-noh
- Popularity: Tokino has never appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration data.
Vermilion
Vermilion comes from the Latin vermiculus, referring to the cochineal, a small insect crushed to make red dye. It is the most specific red on this list, the bright orange-red of lacquer and old paint boxes. As a name it rides the same -ilion ending as Maximilian, so it sounds far more plausible spoken than written. Milo or Vera would carry it day to day.
- Origin: Latin
- Meaning: Cochineal
- Pronunciation: ver-MIL-yuhn
- Popularity: Vermilion has never appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration data.
Wapasha
Wapasha was borne by several Dakota chiefs and comes from wahpe, meaning leaf, combined with sa, meaning red. Red leaf is a beautiful thing to name a child after, and the name carries genuine standing rather than being a translated color word. It is not one to take lightly outside a family with Dakota ties, but for those families it is a real link to the past.
- Origin: Dakota
- Meaning: Red leaf
- Pronunciation: wah-PAH-shah
- Namesakes: Wapasha I, a Mdewakanton Dakota chief born in Minnesota in 1718.
- Popularity: Wapasha has never appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration data.
Zurab
Zurab is the Georgian form of Sohrab, a Middle Persian name from swhr, meaning red, and ab, meaning water. Z-names have real momentum right now, which gives Zurab a better shot outside Eastern Europe than it would have had a generation ago. Two syllables, stress on the second, and Zu is right there for the toddler years.
- Origin: Georgian
- Meaning: Redwater
- Pronunciation: zoo-RAHB
- Variations: Sukhrab, Sohrab
- Namesakes: Zurab Tsereteli, a Georgian-Russian painter, sculptor, and architect known for his large-scale monuments.
- Popularity: Zurab has never appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration data.
