Rory

Updated: October 17, 2023 by Stephanie Graham

Rory is a unisex baby name that means “red king.” In the US, Rory has become popular for both boys and girls since the early 00’s and continues to rise in popularity every year. Outside of the US, Rory is used almost exclusively for boys.

Meaning and Origin of the name Rory:

Rory is a gender-neutral name of Irish origin meaning “red king.”

Rory is an English, Scottish, and Irish given name that means “red king.” Rory is considered a masculine name in Ireland and Scottland but is a unisex name in the U.S. Rory is the Anglicized form of the Irish name Ruaidhrí, which is composed of ruadh (“red”) and rígh (“king”).

Symbolism of the name Rory:

Rory means “red king” and likely alluded to a king that had red hair. Red hair is more common among people of Irish and Scottish lineage than anywhere else in the world where up to 30% of the population has red hair.

Nicknames for the name Rory:

Rory is a short and sweet name for either boys or girls. Since this name is so short, there are only a handful of options for nicknames. We gathered those nicknames in the list below to help you find a great nickname for your baby.

Roar
Ree
Roro
Ory

Style of the name Rory:

Traditional/Modern

Gender of the name Rory:

Rory is a nam for both boys and girls.

Pronunciation of the name Rory:

RAWR-ee

Number of syllables in the name Rory:

Two

Emotion evoked from the name Rory:

Rory evokes feelings of strength and passion.

Alternative spellings for the name Rory:

Rori
Rorie
Ruairi

Popularity of the name Rory:

According to the Social Security Administration, Rory is a popular unisex baby name. As a boy’s name, Rory has been popular since the mid 1940’s and rising since 2006. As a girl’s name, Rory became popular in 2003 and is #457 as of 2020.