Rory is the English form of the Irish and Scottish Ruaidhrí, which means "red king" or "red-haired king"; Ruaidhrí Ua Conchobair was the last High King of Ireland in the 12th century. Golfer Rory McIlroy is its best-known bearer today. Rory has been in the US top 1000 for boys since 2000, when it ranked number 631; it has climbed from number 379 in 2015 to number 199 in 2025, its best rank ever.