Unisex name · Irish Gaelic
Rory
Name meaning, origin and popularity
: red kingRory is a gender-neutral name that comes from Irish Gaelic and means "red king". It is used in English, Irish and Scottish.
- Meaning
- Red king
- Origin
- Irish Gaelic
- Gender
- Unisex
- US rank
- #230 in 2025
Meaning and origin of Rory
As a boy's name, Rory comes from Irish Gaelic and means "red king". It is used in English, Irish and Scottish.
As a gender-neutral name, Rory comes from Irish Gaelic and means "red king". It is used in Irish, Scottish and English.
In Irish, say ROR-ee. Respellings are a guide; accents vary by region.
Meanings come from published name dictionaries, led by Behind the Name. How we research names
Rory on Nomezo lists
What our editors wrote about Rory on 8 lists.
“Bright, chatty and energetic”
From Nicknames for ChatGPT, human-sounding names for an AI assistant
“Irish name meaning red king”
From Reindeer names, boy reindeer names
“Red king; Irish, the easy English form of Ruairí”
From Cute boy names, soft and gentle boy names
“Red king; Irish, from Ruairí, now given to girls too”
From Gender neutral names, popular gender-neutral names
“From the Gaelic for red king, perfect for a red bull”
From Highland cattle names, scottish bull names for boys
“English spelling of Ruairí, red king. Say ROR-ee.”
From Irish boy names, irish boys' names in English spelling
“Irish for red king”
From Orange cat names, names that mean red or fire
“English spelling of Ruairidh, red king; third in Scotland in 2025. Say ROR-ee.”
From Scottish boy names, popular Scottish boy names
How popular is Rory?
In 2025, 1,332 girls and 1,768 boys in the US were named Rory.
As a girl’s name
- US rank in 2025
- #230
- 1,332 babies, 829 per million girls
- Best rank
- #230 in 2025
- 1,332 babies that year
- Babies since 1947
- At least 13,580
- Years with under 5 are not listed
| 1880s | 0 per million |
|---|---|
| 1890s | 0 per million |
| 1900s | 0 per million |
| 1910s | 0 per million |
| 1920s | 0 per million |
| 1930s | 0 per million |
| 1940s | 9 per million |
| 1950s | 12 per million |
| 1960s | 10 per million |
| 1970s | 22 per million |
| 1980s | 20 per million |
| 1990s | 21 per million |
| 2000s | 113 per million |
| 2010s | 230 per million |
| 2020s | 603 per million |
| Year | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #637 | #566 | #581 | #459 | #458 | #399 | #336 | #305 | #287 | #230 |
As a boy’s name
- US rank in 2025
- #199
- 1,768 babies, 1,035 per million boys
- Best rank
- #199 in 2025
- 1,768 babies that year
- Babies since 1933
- At least 35,841
- Years with under 5 are not listed
| 1880s | 0 per million |
|---|---|
| 1890s | 0 per million |
| 1900s | 0 per million |
| 1910s | 0 per million |
| 1920s | 0 per million |
| 1930s | 1 per million |
| 1940s | 31 per million |
| 1950s | 179 per million |
| 1960s | 194 per million |
| 1970s | 162 per million |
| 1980s | 257 per million |
| 1990s | 139 per million |
| 2000s | 137 per million |
| 2010s | 372 per million |
| 2020s | 789 per million |
| Year | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #386 | #380 | #369 | #358 | #330 | #295 | #280 | #242 | #227 | #199 |
Source: US Social Security Administration baby-name data, 1880 to 2025, as published in 2026. Each spelling is counted separately, a name given to fewer than 5 babies of one sex in a year is left out, and few people born before 1937 have records, which is why the chart shows babies per million rather than raw counts.
Other forms of Rory
The same name in other languages and spellings, with the same meaning and origin.
- RuairíRed king (Irish Gaelic, boy)
Names spelled like Rory
One or two letters apart, but from a different root: they look alike without sharing a meaning.
- RoyRed (Scottish Gaelic, boy)
- RomyGerman pet form of Rosemarie (Germanic, girl)
- RosaRose flower (Latin, girl)
- RemyOarsman, rower (Latin, unisex)
- RolfFamous wolf (Germanic, boy)
- RoseFragrant garden flower (Latin, girl)
- RossHeadland, promontory (Scottish Gaelic, boy)
- RudyFamous wolf (Germanic, boy)
- RamyArcher (Arabic, boy)
Names with a similar meaning
- ReaganLittle king (Irish Gaelic, unisex)
- ReidRed-haired (Old English, boy)
- RowanLittle red one (Irish Gaelic, unisex)
- RufinaRed-haired (Latin, girl)
- AbdulmalikServant of the King (Arabic, boy)
- AdaezePrincess, king's daughter (Igbo, girl)
- AkaneDeep red, madder (Japanese, girl)
- BaltasarBel protect the king (Akkadian, boy)
- BedwyrWelsh form of Bedivere, a knight of King Arthur (Welsh, boy)
- CheyenneRed speakers (Lakota, girl)
Middle names for Rory
Picked from our middle-name lists with a different first letter and a longer length, so the full name flows.
- AbigailMy father is joy (Hebrew, girl)
- AbrahamFather of many (Hebrew, boy)
- ConstantineConstant, steadfast (Latin, boy)
- CosimaOrder, decency (Greek, girl)
- FrederickPeaceful ruler (Germanic, boy)
- LanceLand (Germanic, boy)
- MercyCompassion, forgiveness (Latin, girl)
- WayneWagon maker or driver (Old English, boy)
More names from Irish Gaelic
- OscarPossibly deer friend (Irish Gaelic, boy)
- FinnFair, white (Irish Gaelic, boy)
- FergusMan of vigor (Irish Gaelic, boy)
- KevinGentle birth (Irish Gaelic, boy)
- RonanLittle seal (Irish Gaelic, boy)
- AidanLittle fire (Irish Gaelic, boy)
- AidenLittle fire (Irish Gaelic, boy)
- AodhFire, flame (Irish Gaelic, boy)
- AydenVariant of Aidan, little fire (Irish Gaelic, boy)
- BarryFair-haired (Irish Gaelic, boy)
Rory: common questions
What does the name Rory mean?
Rory comes from Irish Gaelic and means "red king". It also has another origin: the same meaning in another language.
Is Rory a boy or girl name?
Rory is used for both boys and girls. In 2025, 1,332 girls and 1,768 boys in the US were named Rory, according to Social Security Administration data.
Where does the name Rory come from?
Rory comes from Irish Gaelic and means "red king". Today it is used in English, Irish and Scottish.
How popular is the name Rory?
Rory ranked #230 in the US in 2025, with 1,332 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.
What are other forms of Rory?
Forms of Rory with the same meaning and origin include Ruairí (Irish).
What middle names go with Rory?
Middle names that flow well with Rory include Abigail, Abraham, Constantine, Cosima and Frederick. A different first letter and a contrasting length usually sound best.