Rory: Meaning, origin and popularity

Pronounced ROR-ee · 2 syllables

Rory means “red-haired king; red king”, from Irish.

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

How popular is Rory?

Rory was the #199 name in the US in 2025, given to 3,100 babies. It’s rising: up 158% on 2011–2015. It peaked around 2020.

Babies named Rory in the US by five-year period, relative to its peak (around 2020).

Half of US adults named Rory are older than 44; most are between 20 and 72. (Estimated from US births by year and life tables.)

Names that real brothers and sisters of people named Rory have, from family records on Wikidata, most common first.

Chosen by the same families or with a similar style and era.

Rory means “red-haired king; red king”. It comes from Irish.

Rory is pronounced ROR-ee.

Rory was the #199 name in the US in 2025, given to 3,100 babies. It’s rising: up 158% on 2011–2015. It peaked around 2020.

Half of US adults named Rory are older than 44. Most are between 20 and 72.