Rory
Rory is a unisex name of Irish origin meaning “Red king or great king.” It ranked #199 in the United States in 2025. Anglicization of the Old Irish 'Ruaidhrí,' meaning red king.
how do you pronounce Rory?
ROR-ee
Hear it spoken aloud with our AI pronunciation tool.
what does Rory mean?
The name Rory means “Red king or great king.” It comes from the Irish language tradition.
Anglicization of the Old Irish 'Ruaidhrí,' meaning red king. Borne by the last High King of Ireland, Ruaidrí Ua Conchobair. Became newly popular for girls partly through the character Rory Gilmore in Gilmore Girls.
where does the name Rory come from?
Both sources agree Rory is an anglicisation of the Gaelic Ruairí/Ruaidhrí (Irish) or Ruairidh/Ruaraidh (Scottish Gaelic), composed of ruadh (red) and rígh (king), together meaning 'red king.'
the history of Rory
Wikipedia notes the name is common to the Irish and Highland Scots and their diasporas; nothing here confirms the specific High King Ruaidhrí Ua Conchobair or Gilmore Girls associations sometimes cited.
how popular is this name?
| Year | Rank |
|---|---|
| 2025 | #199 |
| 2024 | #227 |
| 2023 | #242 |
| 2022 | #280 |
| 2021 | #295 |
| 2020 | #330 |
Source: SSA National Baby Names Dataset
what are the nicknames and variants of Rory?
Variants around the world
who are famous people named Rory?
- Rory McIlroy
- Rory Gilmore (fictional)
- Rory Calhoun
what names are similar to Rory?
what names go well with Rory?
Sibling names that share Rory's rhythm and register without echoing it too closely.
Last reviewed April 30, 2026 · Curated by HushName editorial
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