Skip to content
Name Lineage

    The first name Rory

    A unisex name from Irish meaning “red-haired king”, “red king”.

    Pronounced /ˈɹɔːɹi/ 2 syllables Unisex

    Meaning and origin

    Irish origin

    Rory means “red-haired king”, “red king” in Irish.

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

    More names that mean king.

    Rory is a short form of

    .

    From Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0).

    Popularity

    Babies registered in England and Wales, 1996–2025

    In 2025, 1,760 boys were named Rory, making it the 17th most popular boys’ name.

    01,0002,000 1996200020052010201520202025
    23,782
    babies named Rory, 1996–2025
    #17
    rank in 2025
    2025
    peak year

    Office for National Statistics; years with fewer than three births are not published and show as zero. Compare Rory with other names.

    Popularity in the United States

    Babies named Rory at birth, 1880–2025

    In 2025, 1,768 boys born in the United States were named Rory, the 199th most popular boys’ name that year.

    01,0002,000 188018851890189519001905191019151920192519301935194019451950195519601965197019751980198519901995200020052010201520202025
    GirlsBoys
    49,421
    babies named Rory since 1880
    #199
    rank in 2025
    2025
    peak year

    US Social Security Administration, from applications for a Social Security card. A name is only published for a year when at least five babies were given it, so quieter years show as zero.

    Rory in other languages

    Equivalent forms of the name, from Wiktionary

    Ruairí
    Irish
    Ruairidh
    Scottish Gaelic, also Ruaraidh
    Rhodri
    Welsh

    Famous people named Rory

    23 on Wikidata, most written-about first

    • Rory Culkin
      American actor, born 1989
    • Rory Cochrane
      American actor, born 1972
    • Rory Kinnear
      English actor (born 1978)
    • Rory Stewart
      British independent politician, born 1973
    • Rory Calhoun
      American actor (1922–1999)
    • Rory Kennedy
      American filmmaker, born 1968
    • Rory Gibbs
      British rower, born 1994
    • Rory McLeod
      English Jamaican snooker player, born 1971
    • Rory Block
      American blues guitarist and singer, born 1949
    • Rory Scovel
      American comedian and actor, born 1980
    • Rory MacDonald
      Canadian mixed martial arts (MMA) fighter, born 1989
    • Rory Sparrow
      American basketball player, born 1958

    More Irish unisex names

    All 142 names of Irish origin

    Questions

    What does the name Rory mean?
    Rory means “red-haired king”, “red king” in Irish.
    What is the origin of the name Rory?
    Anglicized form of Scottish Gaelic Ruairidh and Irish Ruairí (“red-haired king”), from Old Irish Ruaidrí (“red king”).
    How popular is the name Rory?
    In 2025, 1,760 boys born in England and Wales were named Rory, ranking 17th.
    Is Rory a boy's or a girl's name?
    Both. Of the 49,421 US babies named Rory since 1880, 27% were girls and 73% boys.
    When was Rory most popular?
    2025 in the United States, when 1,768 babies were named Rory, its highest rank at 199th.
    How do you pronounce Rory?
    Rory is /ˈɹɔːɹi/, 2 syllables.