Every Boy Name

Boy's name

Rory

Say it ROR-ee 2 syllables

Scottish Gaelic · “red-haired king”

Loved in Scotland. Common in England and Wales, Ontario, Ireland, and 5 more places. Rare in France, Italy, Poland, and 16 more places.

1 in 65 boys born in Scotland in 2025. Number 3 there.

Rory in every place

Rank, count and share in all 40 places: loved in 1, common in 8, rare in 19.
Rory in every place we hold figures for
Place Rankyear Boysshare 5 years earlier
British Isles
England and Wales17 (up)20251,7601 in 155432020
Scotland3 (up)20253011 in 6572020
Northern Ireland20 (up)2025711 in 117652020
Ireland60 (up)2025931 in 255722020
North America
Ontario (province)97 (up)2024124about 1 in 4831562019
Quebec (province)623 (new in the list)20256about 1 in 4,842Not listed2020
British Columbia (province)164 (up)202321about 1 in 6201652018
Nova Scotia (province)Not in the published top 212025Not listed2020
Oceania
New South Wales (state)85 (new in the list)202599Not listed2020
Victoria (state)76 (new in the list)202596Not listed2020
Queensland (state)86 (new in the list)202568Not listed2020
South Australia (state)40 (up)202537452020
New ZealandNot in the published top 1002025Not listed2020
Western Europe
France2,171 (up)2025101 in 30,2692,2572020
Netherlands1,040 (new in the list)202510about 1 in 6,653Not listed2020
Central Europe
AustriaRare: below the complete list2025Not listed2020
Switzerland1,287 (up)202541 in 9,0001,8762020
Berlin (city)Rare: below the complete list2023Not listed2018
Munich (city)Rare: below the complete list2025Not listed2020
Cologne (city)Rare: below the complete list20239802018
Bonn (city)Rare: below the complete list2025Not listed2020
Leipzig (city)Rare: below the complete list2025Not listed2020
Rostock (city)Rare: below the complete list2025Not listed2020
Nordic countries
NorwayRare: below the complete list2025Not listed2020
SwedenRare: below the complete list2025Not listed2020
DenmarkNot in the published top 502025Not listed2020
FinlandNot in the published top 502025No list2020
IcelandNot in the published top 102025No list2020
Southern Europe
SpainNot in the published top 1002024Not listed2019
Catalonia (region)Rare: below the complete list2025Not listed2020
Italy4,915 (new in the list)202411 in 189,358Not listed2019
Central and Eastern Europe
PolandRare: below the complete list2025Not listed2020
HungaryNot in the published top 1002025Not listed2020
SloveniaRare: below the complete list2025Not listed2020
EstoniaNot in the published top 272025Not listed2020
Moscow (city)Not in the published top 612025Not listed2020
CroatiaNot in the published top 502025No list2020
Middle East
TurkeyNot in the published top 302025Not listed2020
IsraelRare: below the complete list2024Not listed2019
Latin America
ArgentinaNot in the published top 202024Not listed2019

Germany publishes no national list; the German rows are city registers. About: the publisher leaves out its smallest names, so the share is approximate. ▲ and ▼ compare the rank with five years earlier. Not listed five years earlier: not in that year’s list. No list: the place published no list that year. How these figures are computed.

About the name

Both the Scottish Gaelic Ruairidh and the Irish Ruairí mean 'red-haired king', and Rory is their anglicised form. They come from the Old Irish Ruaidrí, 'red king'.

2 more paragraphs

It has two syllables, ROR-ee, and a lively, rolling sound. Related forms include Ruairidh, Ruairi, Ruaraidh, Rorie and Rorey.

Rory is a Scottish favourite, ranking near the top in Scotland and well in England and Wales and Northern Ireland. It is very rare outside the British Isles. Canadian records show a long history, with the peak only in recent years, and it is rising in several places and falling in none.

Meaning, origin and how to say it

Say it
ROR-ee · 2 syllables · Stress on beat 1 of 2.
Meaning
“red-haired king”
Origin
Scottish Gaelic
Related names
Ruairidh, Ruairi, Rorie, Rhori, Roary, Roran, Rorey, Ruaraidh, Rhodri
Where Rory comes from (Wiktionary)

Anglicized form of Scottish Gaelic Ruairidh and Irish Ruairí (“red-haired king”), from Old Irish Ruaidrí (“red king”).

Shortened from the Wiktionary entry for Rory. Text available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Rory over time

Rising in 5 of the 8 regions we can compare over five years, falling in 0. Peak in Ontario and British Columbia: 2024.

Rank in England and Wales, 1996 to 2025

Rory in England and Wales: #93 in 1996, rising to a peak of #17 in 2025.

#1#10#50#100#300200020052010201520202025Top 101996: #93, 601 boys1997: #98, 541 boys1998: #103, 492 boys1999: #105, 478 boys2000: #118, 380 boys2001: #135, 316 boys2002: #138, 311 boys2003: #132, 360 boys2004: #137, 345 boys2005: #142, 357 boys2006: #138, 392 boys2007: #124, 439 boys2008: #142, 396 boys2009: #142, 418 boys2010: #132, 456 boys2011: #110, 586 boys2012: #99, 642 boys2013: #96, 652 boys2014: #87, 755 boys2015: #74, 912 boys2016: #80, 856 boys2017: #54, 1,187 boys2018: #47, 1,323 boys2019: #46, 1,357 boys2020: #43, 1,344 boys2021: #39, 1,483 boys2022: #38, 1,435 boys2023: #33, 1,468 boys2024: #24, 1,588 boys2025: #17, 1,760 boys#93 in 1996#17in 2025
Show the numbers
YearRankBoys
199693601
199798541
1998103492
1999105478
2000118380
2001135316
2002138311
2003132360
2004137345
2005142357
2006138392
2007124439
2008142396
2009142418
2010132456
2011110586
201299642
201396652
201487755
201574912
201680856
2017541,187
2018471,323
2019461,357
2020431,344
2021391,483
2022381,435
2023331,468
2024241,588
2025171,760

Source: Office for National Statistics (OGL v3)

The long view: in Ontario and British Columbia

Half of the boys named Rory in Ontario and British Columbia since 1925 were born in or after 1998. Peak: 2024, about 207 per 100,000 boys. Babies per 100,000 boys, five-year periods.

1925-1929: 0 per 100,000 boys1930-1934: 0 per 100,000 boys1935-1939: 0 per 100,000 boys1940-1944: 0 per 100,000 boys19401945-1949: 1.7 per 100,000 boys1950-1954: 15.7 per 100,000 boys1955-1959: 39.3 per 100,000 boys1960-1964: 33 per 100,000 boys19601965-1969: 32.1 per 100,000 boys1970-1974: 29.2 per 100,000 boys1975-1979: 46.3 per 100,000 boys1980-1984: 75.6 per 100,000 boys19801985-1989: 69.8 per 100,000 boys1990-1994: 52.1 per 100,000 boys1995-1999: 51.6 per 100,000 boys2000-2004: 46.7 per 100,000 boys20002005-2009: 45.5 per 100,000 boys2010-2014: 71.9 per 100,000 boys2015-2019: 122.1 per 100,000 boys2020-2024: 180.3 per 100,000 boys20202020-2024: about 1 in 555 boys
Show the numbers
YearsPer 100,000 boys
1925–19290
1930–19340
1935–19390
1940–19440
1945–19491.7
1950–195415.7
1955–195939.3
1960–196433
1965–196932.1
1970–197429.2
1975–197946.3
1980–198475.6
1985–198969.8
1990–199452.1
1995–199951.6
2000–200446.7
2005–200945.5
2010–201471.9
2015–2019122.1
2020–2024180.3

Source: Ontario Office of the Registrar General (Ontario Data Catalogue) (OGL-Ontario); BC Vital Statistics Agency (BC Data Catalogue) (OGL-BC). Dark bar: the period holding the median birth year.

Brothers and middle names for Rory

Brother names

Names that rose and fell with Rory, from the same generation, with no clashing sounds.

  1. 1 in 101, Scotland

  2. 1 in 214, Scotland

  3. 1 in 436, Northern Ireland

  4. 1 in 222, Ireland

  5. 1 in 157, England and Wales

  6. 1 in 112, Ireland

  7. 1 in 193, England and Wales

  8. 1 in 196, Scotland

  9. 1 in 289, Scotland

  10. 1 in 913, England and Wales

All 40 brother names for Rory

Middle names

Scored for rhythm against Rory's 2 syllables and for long, steady use.

  1. 1 in 50, Ireland

  2. 1 in 61, Northern Ireland

  3. 1 in 103, England and Wales

  4. 1 in 62, Poland

  5. 1 in 86, England and Wales

  6. 1 in 88, England and Wales

  7. 1 in 137, Scotland

  8. 1 in 224, Northern Ireland

Full-name check

Rory Jack

Syllables 2-1Initials R.J.No sound clashes between the parts.

All 40 middle names for Rory

Sisters for Rory: Skye, Georgia, Amber, and 5 more
  1. SkyeRose and fell with Rory · Scottish Gaelic, like Rory
  2. GeorgiaRose and fell with Rory
  3. AmberRose and fell with Rory · Same generation as Rory
  4. KatieRose and fell with Rory · Same generation as Rory
  5. SadieRose and fell with Rory · As common as Rory
  6. HopeRose and fell with Rory · Same generation as Rory
  7. BrookeRose and fell with Rory · Same generation as Rory
  8. RobynRose and fell with Rory · Same initial as Rory

Girls' names from the same engine, over the girls' lists of the same publishers.

Moved with Rory

The boy names whose popularity rose and fell most like Rory's across every region and decade we hold.

  1. Rare in France, Italy, Poland, and 16 more places.

  2. Rare in all 24 places we hold figures for.

  3. Rare in France, Italy, Poland, and 18 more places.

  4. Rare in France, England and Wales, Italy, and 20 more places.

  5. Rare in all 24 places we hold figures for.

  6. Rare in all 24 places we hold figures for.

  7. Rare in France, England and Wales, Italy, and 18 more places.

  8. Rare in France, England and Wales, Italy, and 20 more places.

Famous people named Rory

Rory Gallagher, Rory McIlroy, and 6 more

From Wikidata, ranked by how many Wikipedia language editions have an article on them. People: Wikidata (CC0). Links go to Wikipedia in this page's language when an article exists, else English.

Questions about Rory

How popular is Rory in Scotland?

Rory ranked #3 in Scotland in 2025, given to 301 boys, about 1 in 65.

Is Rory rising in popularity?

Yes, in most of the places we can check. Rising in 5 of the 8 regions we can compare over five years, falling in 0. Rising in: Northern Ireland, England and Wales, Ontario, Scotland, and Quebec.

What does Rory mean?

Rory means “red-haired king”, according to Wiktionary.

How many syllables does Rory have?

Rory has 2 syllables: ROR-ee.

Every rank and count on this page comes from an official birth register. How these figures are computed.

Meanings, origins and people: Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0), Wikidata (CC0).

The 42 birth registers behind these figures

0kept

Kept names collect here.

Compare