Rory

Rory - A very unique male name

Rory appeared on the charts for the first time in 1944 on position #1590. In this article you'll learn the history of this name, statistics, see famous people named Rory and more.
Are you having a baby or looking to learn more about the name Rory? Our experts and editorial staff have gathered trends and insights for 30,000+ baby names over the last 100 years -- And on this page you will learn everything you ever wanted to know about the name Rory. The baby boy name Rory was given to 1,760 baby boys in 2025, ranking #199 on the national boy baby name top chart.


With that position 1 in 833 baby boys were given this name - making this a very unique male name according to our Popularity Score algorithm. Rory peaked in popularity 1 years ago in 2025 on position 199.

Famous with this name

How would you rate Rory, 1-5?

Rory is currently topping the charts in...

Did you know that popularity can vary a lot between states? Rory is currently topping the baby name charts in Massachusetts at position #58 - and is the least popular in Arkansas at position #615.

Why care about state specific baby name charts? It could be that a name that is very popular on the national overall charts is less (or even more) popular where you live. So make sure you check out the state specific charts below and find out how popular or unique Rory is where you live.

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Rory origin and meaning

Irish and Scottish Gaelic

From Ruaidhrí, 'red king' — ruadh, 'red', plus rí, 'king'

Rory anglicises Ruaidhrí, the name of Irish high kings, most famously Ruaidrí Ua Conchobair, the last High King of Ireland. In Scotland it named red-haired men. For American boys it stayed modest for decades and has only recently climbed to a peak in 2025; it is also given to girls in smaller numbers.

Attested etymology

Rory is a 4 letter name with 2 syllables.

To see famous people named Rory, pop culture references for the name Rory and nicknames & variations - visit Nameberry or Wikipedia.

Similar to Rory

We've found the following names that sound similar to Rory, sorted by popularity.

Roy / Ray / Rey / Rio / Ryu / Rui / Ryo / Rye / Rei / Rai /

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Name statistics

Most parents-to-be know if they want a popular or unique name, and with these charts and data tables you can easily get a better understanding of how popular or unique this name is.

With a quick glance you can easily tell if this name is increasing or declining in popularity - But note that its current popularity can actually differ a lot from state to state.

Chart position per year (visualized)

Chart position per state (visualized)

Chart position per year (table view)

Chart position per state (table view)

Even more about Rory

These are some of the common questions you may want to have answered to know if this is the perfect name for your baby.

Is Rory a common or unique name?

By analyzing the number of births and frequency of this name we've determined that it's currently a very unique male name.

What is the number of syllables for the name Rory?

2 syllables. Why is this important? One of the things that makes a baby name sound good and have a nice rythm is the number of syllables - and especially the number of syllables along with the syllable count for your last name. A simple rule is to avoid having the same number of syllables in your first, middle and last name.

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Pronunciation

ROH-ree · /ˈrɔːri/

Around the world

• Ruairí (Irish) — The modern Irish form
• Ruairidh (Scottish Gaelic) — The Scottish Gaelic form

Spellings and nicknames

• Rori — Simplified spelling
• Ruaidhri — Older Irish spellings are not established in US data

Nicknames: Ro

Famous bearers

• Rory McIlroy — Northern Irish golfer, winner of multiple major championships (b. 1989) Contemporary
• Rory Stewart — British politician, diplomat and author (b. 1973) Contemporary

Style

InternationalClassic

Why parents choose it

Rory is a warm, tousled Celtic name with a kingly meaning and a friendly sound, now at its most popular in the US for boys.

Worth knowing

• The double r is genuinely hard for small children to say — many Rorys start as 'Wory'
• Increasingly used for girls too, boosted by Gilmore Girls' Rory (a nickname for Lorelai)