River
River is a baby name of English origin, meaning A flowing body of water.
What River means
A flowing body of water.
River sits at 5 letters, and ends on a consonant, which gives it a firmer stop.
Where River comes from
English names come from a long layering of Anglo-Saxon, Norman French, and biblical sources. Many began as surnames, place names, or occupations before they were ever used as first names.
River is recorded as English in origin. Browse other English names.
How popular is River?
River sits outside the top 100 baby names we currently track. For many parents that is the appeal: a name with genuine history behind it that has not been picked up by everyone at once.
The character of River
We group River under water and the sea and the natural world — an unusual pairing, and often the reason a name feels the way it does. Each theme opens a full list of names sharing it.
Names like River
These share River's themes, origin, or both — closest first.
- Lake — A still body of water.
- Reed — Red-haired; the riverside reed.
- Beckett — Dweller by the brook.
- Brooke — A small stream.
- Marlowe — From the hill by the lake.
- Oaklynn — From the oak meadow pool.
- Wells — From the springs.
- Rocio — Dew; Our Lady of the Dew.
- Clodagh — Named for an Irish river.
- Douglas — From the dark river.
- Eira — Snow.
- Lachlan — From the land of lakes.
More English names
- Ridge — From the mountain crest.
- Robin — The bright songbird.
- Reign — Sovereign rule; royal power.
- Roscoe — From the deer forest.
- Reginald — Counsel power; a wise ruler.
- Royalty — Of royal rank; majesty.
- Reed — Red-haired; the riverside reed.
- Royce — Son of the king; rose.
- Raven — The wise black bird.
- Rue — Herb of grace.