Rory is a distinctive choice, ranked #1603 in 2024. Your child is likely to be the only Rory in their class.
Origin & Meaning
Irish — Red king; great king
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UK Rank 2024
#1603
US Rank #286
About the Name Rory
Rory is climbing rapidly up the charts, having climbed 336 places in just five years. Its best recorded rank was #80 in 2016 — and current momentum suggests it could challenge that mark again. The name has been a consistent presence in UK records since 1996. It has broken into the UK top 100 on 5 occasions, signalling genuine mainstream interest.
The name carries Irish roots, where it means "Red king; great king". Names with strong etymological stories tend to age well — they carry weight beyond fashion cycles.
Rory is distinctive enough that your child will likely be the only one in both their class and their school — standing out on every register.
In the US it ranks even higher at #286, where it enjoys a particularly strong following.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about the name Rory
Unlikely. With around 19 UK babies named Rory per year, your child will almost certainly be the only Rory in his class, and possibly the only one in the whole school.
Rory is currently rising in popularity in the UK, up 336 places over the last five years to #1603 in 2024. If this trend continues, it will become more common in classrooms over the next decade.
The name Rory has Irish origins and means "Red king; great king". Names with clear etymological roots tend to age well — they carry weight beyond fashion cycles and give children a story to tell about their name.
Notable people named Rory include: Rory McIlroy — Rory Daniel McIlroy is a Northern Irish professional golfer who plays on the PGA Tour and the European Tour.; Rory Stewart — Roderick James Nugent "Rory" Stewart is a British academic, broadcaster, writer, and former diplomat and politician.; Rory McCann — Rory McCann is a Scottish actor, best known for portraying Sandor "The Hound" Clegane on the HBO series Game of Thrones, Michael "Lurch" Armstrong in Edgar....
Rory appears in the US top 500 at #226 in 2024 — moderately popular in America, though less so than in the UK.
19
UK babies named Rory (2024)
< 1
Expected classmates with this name (class of 28)
~0.0
In a school of 600
↑ 336 places
Rank change (last 5 years)
🏫 Who else is in the room?
In a typical UK class of 28, highlighted children share the name Rory
Likely around 1 other Rory in the class
UK Popularity (1996–2024)
Rank and birth count · ONS official data
US Popularity (2020–2024)
Rank · SSA official data
✨ Similar names to Rory
Names with a similar style — each with their own classroom story
Rory Daniel McIlroy is a Northern Irish professional golfer who plays on the PGA Tour and the European Tour. He is a former world number one in the Official World Golf Ranking and has spent over 100 weeks in that position during his career.
Roderick James Nugent "Rory" Stewart is a British academic, broadcaster, writer, and former diplomat and politician. He teaches and co-directs the Brady-Johnson Program in Grand Strategy at the Yale Jackson School of Global Affairs.
Rory McCann is a Scottish actor, best known for portraying Sandor "The Hound" Clegane on the HBO series Game of Thrones, Michael "Lurch" Armstrong in Edgar Wright's crime-comedy Hot Fuzz, Jurgen the Brutal in the adventure comedy Jumanji: The Next Level and the voice of Megatron in Transformers: EarthSpark.
Roderick Keith Ogilvy "Rory" Bremner, is a Scottish impressionist and comedian, noted for his work in political satire and impressions of British public figures. He is best known for co-starring with John Bird and John Fortune in the comedy sketch shows Rory Bremner...Who Else?
Rory O'Hanlon was an Irish Fianna Fáil politician who served as Ceann Comhairle of Dáil Éireann from 2002 to 2007, Leas-Cheann Comhairle of Dáil Éireann from 1997 to 2002, Minister for the Environment from 1991 to 1992, Minister for Health from 1987 to 1991, and Minister of State for Social Welfare Claims in 1982. He served as a TD for Cavan–Monaghan from 1977 to 2011.
Rory Douglas-Speed is a Scottish actor. He studied at Edinburgh Napier University, and is best known for playing Joel Dexter in the Channel 4 soap opera Hollyoaks from 2016 to 2025.
Rory Cochrane is an American actor. He is known for playing Ron Slater in Dazed and Confused, Lucas in Empire Records, Lee Schatz in Argo, Freck in A Scanner Darkly, and Tim Speedle in CSI: Miami.
Rory is a given name of Gaelic origin. It is an anglicisation of the Irish: Ruairí/Ruaidhrí and Scottish Gaelic: Ruairidh/Ruaraidh and is common to the Irish, Highland Scots and their diasporas.
Rory Jennings is a British actor , radio presenter and social media personality. He played Craig Dixon in the BBC soap opera EastEnders from 27 July to 7 September 2007.