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The short answer
Rory is an anglicized form of the Irish name Ruaidhrí, built from roots meaning "red" and "king". Behind the Name calls it typically masculine, but notes it gained use for girls in the United States after the TV series Gilmore Girls (2000-2007), where it was a nickname for a character named Lorelai. It has since grown more common for boys again, especially after golfer Rory McIlroy's rise. Pronounced ROR-ee, it ranked #199 for boys and #230 for girls in the US in 2025.
Meaning and etymology
Behind the Name gives Rory as the "anglicized form of Ruaidhrí", built from the roots rúad ("red") and rí ("king"). The entry adds that Rory is typically a masculine name, but that it gained some use as a girls' name in America after the television series Gilmore Girls, where it served as a nickname for the character Lorelai; despite that, the name has grown more common for boys since 2011, which Behind the Name attributes partly to golfer Rory McIlroy.
Editorial confidence: established
Linguistic roots
| Language | Form | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Old Irish | rúad | red |
| Old Irish | rí | king |
Popularity
Rory ranked #199 among boys' names and #230 among girls' names in the United States in 2025, according to the Social Security Administration.
| Region | Year | Rank | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| United States (boys) | 2025 | #199 | ssa-2025 |
| United States (girls) | 2025 | #230 | ssa-2025 |
United States, 2025: #199 (Social Security Administration)
Nicknames, variants, and related names
Nicknames: None documented.
Variants: Rorie, Ruaidhrí, Ruairí, Ruairi, Ruairidh
Related names: Lorelai
What the name feels like
Rory feels brisk and a little tomboyish for a girl, and warm and traditional for a boy; its two-track popularity (a TV nickname for one sex, a golfer's given name for the other) is part of what keeps it feeling current for both.
Style tags: Irish, unisex, short and punchy, sports association
Editorial interpretation: This style framing is editorial opinion. Behind the Name documents the two population histories (Gilmore Girls for girls, Rory McIlroy for boys) as fact, but the impressions of tone are subjective.
If you like this name
Editorial picks for readers drawn to Rory's short Irish sound or its unisex use.
Similar by origin
Similar by popularity
Frequently asked questions
What does the name Rory mean?
Rory means "red king". It is the anglicized form of the Irish name Ruaidhrí, from roots meaning "red" and "king".
Is Rory a boy's name or a girl's name?
Both. Rory is traditionally masculine, but it also gained use as a girls' name after the TV series Gilmore Girls used it as a nickname for a female character. In the US in 2025 it ranked #199 for boys and #230 for girls.
Where does the name Rory come from?
Rory comes from Ireland and Scotland, as the anglicized form of Ruaidhrí (Irish) and Ruairidh (Scottish Gaelic).
Sources
- Behind the Name: Meaning, origin and history of the name Rory — supports etymology, history, variants, pronunciation.
- U.S. Social Security Administration: Popular Baby Names — national data, year of birth 2025 — supports popularity.
