Boy name · Irish
Rory
Rory is a boy's name of Irish origin, meaning "Red king". It works comfortably in more than one language and culture, and we file it here as an internationally-recognised and a classic name — useful shorthand if you're building a shortlist around a particular feel rather than starting from scratch.
At a glance
- Meaning
- Red king
- Origin
- Irish
- Name family
- Irish & Scottish
- Gender
- Boy
- Style
- international, classic
Names similar to Rory
Sharing at least one style with Rory — a starting point if you like the feel but want more options.
Sibling name pairings
Names that share Rory's style, if you're planning ahead for a brother or sister.
Questions about the name Rory
What does the name Rory mean?
Rory is of Irish origin and means "Red king".
Is Rory a popular baby name in the UK?
Naming trends shift every year, so rather than quote a number that goes stale, check the current official rankings on the Office for National Statistics' baby names release — search "Rory" at ons.gov.uk for the latest England & Wales data.
What names are similar to Rory?
Names with a similar style to Rory include Muhammad, Elias, Hugo, Arjun.
For current official UK popularity rankings, see the ONS baby names statistics for England and Wales — the only authoritative live source. Explore more names in our Baby Name Finder, or try our due date calculator if you're just getting started.
Reviewed July 2026.