The name Rory is of Irish origin and means "red king." It is derived from the ancient Irish name Ruaidhri, which was borne by several historical figures, including the High King of Ireland, Rory II O'Connor (Ruaidhrí Ua Conchobair). The name has been popular throughout history in Ireland and Scotland, and today it is used as both a boy's name and a girl's name in English-speaking countries. Despite its popularity, Rory remains a unique and distinctive name with a rich historical heritage.
The name Rory experienced significant fluctuations in popularity over the past eight decades. After peaking at 45 births in 1949, it steadily declined until 1957, with as few as 9 births recorded in 1963 and 1964. There was a gap of three years from 1965 to 1968 with no reported births for Rory. However, starting in 1969, the name began to regain traction, reaching over 200 births annually by 2002. Since then, it has shown consistent growth, with a record-high of 1005 births recorded in 2023. Overall, there have been a total of 11,136 babies named Rory from 1947 to the present.