UK name, mostly boys
Rory
A masculine name of Irish origin meaning "red king" or "famous landowner".
For 2026, the newest official UK baby-name figures on this page are from 2024. That release is the current official benchmark rather than a forecast.
Rory is mostly registered for boys in the UK records. People looking for Rory popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2024 in this profile. In that release it ranked #24, with 1,588 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 2024, with 1,588 births.
This profile covers 21,870 England and Wales registrations across 29 recorded years from 1996 to 2024. The figures come from ONS England and Wales, NRS Scotland and NISRA Northern Ireland, so the page is a view of published baby-name registrations rather than a forecast or a live count of people using the name today.
Rory is at its recorded peak in the England and Wales series.
We estimate that about 30,020 living people in the UK are called Rory. This uses published birth registrations from England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, then applies ONS national life tables to estimate how many are likely still alive. It does not forecast extra births for 2025 or 2026.
Key insights
- • Rory ranked #24 for boys in England and Wales in 2024, with 1,588 registrations.
- • The name peaked in 2024, when 1,588 boys were registered as Rory.
- • Rory ranks best in Scotland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #3 in 2024.
- • About 30,020 living people in the UK are estimated to have Rory as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.
- • Across the England and Wales records shown here, 99.4% of Rory registrations are for boys.
Latest rank (E&W)
#24
2024
Births in 2024
1,588
Latest year
Peak year
2024
1,588 births
Estimated living
30,020
2026
Gender
Boy and girl registrations for Rory
In England and Wales birth records, Rory has been registered for both boys and girls. Across the years shown here, 99.4% of registrations are for boys and 0.6% are for girls.
These figures use the sex categories in the published baby-name files. They are useful for spotting how the name is used at registration, but they are not a live measure of gender identity or everyone living with the name today.
Rory registered for boys
- Ranked #24 in 2024
- 1,588 boys registered in 2024
- Peak: 2024 (1,588 births)
Rory registered for girls
- Ranked #1,603 in 2024
- 19 girls registered in 2024
- Peak: 2022 (21 births)
Meaning
What does Rory mean?
The name Rory is of Irish Gaelic origin, derived from the old Irish word "Ruaidhrí" or "Ruaidhri," which means "red king" or "king of the red people." This name has been in use since ancient times in Ireland and Scotland.
The name is believed to have originated in the 6th century CE when it was first recorded as the name of an Irish king, Rory O'Conor, who ruled from 1166 to 1198 CE. He was the last High King of Ireland before the Norman invasion.
In ancient Irish mythology, Rory is also the name of a legendary hero and warrior who was said to have fought against the invading Milesians. This mythological figure is mentioned in several Irish folktales and legends.
The earliest recorded use of the name Rory can be found in the Annals of Ulster, a chronicle of medieval Irish history, where it appears as the name of several Irish kings and noblemen from the 6th to the 12th centuries.
Throughout history, there have been several notable individuals named Rory, including Rory O'More (c. 1620–1655), an Irish rebel leader who fought against the English during the Irish Confederate Wars; Rory Gallagher (1948–1995), an Irish blues and rock musician; and Rory McIlroy (born 1989), a professional golfer from Northern Ireland who has won several major championships.
Other famous individuals with the name Rory include Rory Bremner (born 1961), a Scottish comedian and impressionist; Rory Cochrane (born 1972), an American actor known for his roles in films like "Dazed and Confused" and "Empire Records"; and Rory Underwood (born 1963), a former English rugby union player.
Sourced from namecensus.com.
Popularity
Rory over time
The chart below compares boys and girls registered as Rory in England and Wales, from 1996 to 2024. Empty years are left out so rare names are not stretched across long periods where the published files do not show any registrations.
For Rory, the clearest high point is 2024. The latest England and Wales figure is 1,588 births in 2024, compared with 1,588 at the peak.
Babies born per year
Decades
Rory by decade
Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Rory was a short-lived spike or a name that stayed in regular use. Average rank is calculated only from years where a published rank exists.
| Decade | Average rank | Total births | Years covered |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020s | #35 | 7,318 | 5 |
| 2010s | #83 | 8,726 | 10 |
| 2000s | #135 | 3,714 | 10 |
| 1990s | #100 | 2,112 | 4 |
Geography
Where Rory is most common
The bars show the latest published local birth counts for Rory. They are useful for spotting where the name is showing up in real numbers, while the rank beside each bar shows how strongly it performs inside that region.
Rory ranks best in Scotland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #3 in 2024.
Across the UK
Rory in Scotland and Northern Ireland
Scotland (NRS)
#3 in 2024
51 years of NRS records, 6,736 total registered
Northern Ireland (NISRA)
#33 in 2024
28 years of NISRA records, 1,641 total registered
Related
Names similar to Rory
- Ryan 68,692
- Riley 37,992
- Robert 27,462
- Reuben 25,122
- Rhys 24,418
- Reece 24,329
- Roman 16,609
- Ronnie 16,445
- Reggie 14,684
- Rowan 14,371
- Ralph 8,892
- Richard 8,565
FAQ
Rory: questions and answers
How popular is the name Rory in the UK right now?
In 2024, Rory was ranked #24 for boys in England and Wales, with 1,588 births registered.
When was Rory most popular?
The peak year on record was 2024, with 1,588 babies registered as Rory in England and Wales.
What is the meaning and origin of Rory?
A masculine name of Irish origin meaning "red king" or "famous landowner".
How many people are called Rory in the UK?
A total of 21,870 babies have been registered as Rory across the 29 years of ONS England & Wales records shown here, plus 6,736 more in Scotland and 1,641 in Northern Ireland.
Where is Rory most common?
In the latest published local rankings, Rory ranks best in Scotland, where it placed #3 in 2024. The regional bars on this page use birth counts, so they also reflect the size of each region.
Which records is this page based on?
The England and Wales timeline uses ONS baby-name records. Scotland figures come from NRS and Northern Ireland figures come from NISRA. Counts are registrations in published baby-name files. The living estimate uses those birth registrations with ONS national life tables.