Rory: meaning and UK use

What does Rory mean?

Rory is an anglicised form of Ruaidhrí and is used in Irish, Scottish and English contexts. The source also records feminine use; our finder grouping is not a restriction.

Language or name family covered

Irish and Scottish name family

Meaning or derivation

An anglicised form of Ruaidhrí

Our browsing group

boy; international, classic

Browsing groups describe our editorial shortlist, not rules about who may use a name. A name can cross languages and genders.

Sources for this entry — reviewed 2026-10-07:

• Behind the Name — Rory

Pronunciation and related forms

ROR-ee (English)

English respellings are approximate; IPA is labelled where used. Follow the pronunciation a person or family chooses, and check it with a speaker of the intended language if that connection matters to you.

Related forms recorded in the reference: Ruaidhrí, Ruairí, Rorie. These may be full forms, diminutives or forms in another language; they are not necessarily pronounced alike or counted together in statistics.

How popular is Rory?

In 2025, 1,760 baby boys in England and Wales were registered as Rory, making it the 17th most popular boys’ name. That is up 7 places on 2024, when it ranked 24th. Ten years earlier, in 2015, it ranked 74th, so it has climbed 57 places in a decade. 2025 is its highest ranking in the ONS series, which starts in 1996. These figures cover England and Wales, not the whole UK.

2025 rank (boys)

17th

2025 registrations

1,760

Best rank in this series

17th (2025)

Every year from 1996 to 2025

Rory: rank and number of baby boys by year (ONS)

Year	Rank	Babies
2025	17	1,760
2024	24	1,588
2023	33	1,468
2022	38	1,435
2021	39	1,483
2020	43	1,344
2019	46	1,357
2018	47	1,323
2017	54	1,187
2016	80	856
2015	74	912
2014	87	755
2013	96	652
2012	99	642
2011	110	586
2010	132	456
2009	142	418
2008	142	396
2007	124	439
2006	138	392
2005	142	357
2004	137	345
2003	132	360
2002	138	311
2001	135	316
2000	118	380
1999	105	478
1998	103	492
1997	98	541
1996	93	601

The sum of published counts in this 1996–2025 boys series is 23,630. This is a lower bound where years are suppressed, not the number of living people with the name. A best rank is the best position within this series; it does not establish an all-time record.

Sources: ONS release, 2025; girls' dataset; boys' dataset. Our 20 top-ten positions were checked against Table 1 in the 2025 workbooks. The history chart and spelling comparisons come from the separate ONS 1996–2025 workbook, checked 7 October 2026. Spelling variants are separate entries. Scotland and Northern Ireland have separate statistics.

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Names to compare with Rory

These suggestions share a browsing group and one or more of our style tags or source-context labels. They are taste comparisons, not etymological relatives or a popularity ranking.

• Arjuninternational, classic · A modern form of Arjuna
• Eliasinternational, classic · A form of Elijah
• Hugoclassic, international · An old German form of Hugh
• Kofiinternational, classic · Born on Friday
• Kwameinternational, classic · Born on Saturday
• Muhammadclassic, international · Praised or commendable

Read the UK naming guide for the difference between inspiration lists and official statistics, or return to the full name finder.

Registering or changing the name

Once you decide on Rory, confirm the registration process for your UK nation with the register office. If you later want to change a registered name, the route depends on the circumstances and may require consent from people with parental responsibility.

Start with GOV.UK birth registration or GOV.UK guidance on changing a child’s name. Our registration guide and child name-change guide explain where to find the relevant official process.