Today’s choice has appealing Irish roots and some old school Hollywood cred.
Thanks to Kelly for suggesting Rory as Name of the Day.
Like Ashley and Kelly and plenty of other masculine monikers, some might think Rory fit for a girl. And indeed plenty of girls have worn Rory, starting with the daughter of Hollywood icon Errol Flynn. (Her sisters were called Deirdre and Arnella; her brother was Sean.) Bobby Kennedy’s youngest daughter – now a documentary filmmaker – is another Rory. It also works as a nickname for feminissa choices like Aurora and Lorelei. There’s a strong case that Rory could go to the girls.
But so far that isn’t so. The name has charted in the US Top 1000 for girls just twice, in 2003 and 2008. That adds up to around 500 newborn girl Rorys, compared to ten times as many boy Rorys in the census data.
Given the reporting technique, female Rorys are probably underreported. Nonetheless, Rory is well established as a boys’ name. In fact, he’s charted in the US Top 1000 every year since 1947.
Rory peaked at #280 in 1959. It was the heyday of Rory Calhoun’s career. Born Francis, the juvenile delinquent turned a pretty face into a steady career on camera, often playing cowboys. News of his past incarcerations eventually leaked to the media – and bolstered his bad boy image. There was nothing feminine about Calhoun, and he still lends a rough’n'tumble, Western vibe to the name.
And why not? The original Rory was a legendary High King of Ireland, Ruaidrí Ua Conchobair. His given name traces back to ruadh – red. It’s the kind of historical link that lends a name strength.
Speaking of royalty, Bill and Melinda Gates used the name Rory for their only son. (Their daughters are Jennifer and Phoebe.)
There’s also Rory O’Moore, the well-born leader of the Irish Rebellion of 1641, standing up to the powerful King Charles I of England with little more than guts and determination on his side. There’s a bridge named after him in Dublin.
Other notable bearers of the name include:
- Rory Culkin, brother to fellow actors Macaulay and Kieran, best known for his role in the thriller Signs;
- There’s also CSI: Miami alum Rory Cochrane, – he played Speed – more recently seen on 24;
- South African golfer Rory Sabbatini and former NBA star Rory Sparrow lend the name a sporting edge. Sparrow also makes Rory more gentlemanly – he used his earnings to fund programs for underprivileged kids and was featured, along with seven other community-minded pro athletes – on a Sports Illustrated for his efforts;
- Rory Stewart is on the faculty at Harvard University’s Kennedy School of Government, heads a major British foundation and is recognized as a global expert on human rights issues;
- On a very different note, in the late 1950s and early 60s, Rory Storm fronted the Liverpool band the Hurricanes. It’s the group’s first drummer that makes the Hurricanes memorable – his name was Ringo Starr.
Overall, I think Rory wears well on a boy. Sure, you might meet a girl called Rory. But the same is true of many names. With his cowboy edge, he could stand in for Wyatt. And his Irish heritage makes him a possible alternative to Riley.
I just have trouble with those Rs right up close to each other. The name sounds awkward. I do think it’s better for a boy than a girl…but not my boy!
I knew a girl Rory in college who dated a boy Rory! Thankfully, they didn’t make it. Its more of a girl name to me, probably because of her as well as the the Gilmore Girls daughter. I agree with photoquiity, however, that its a bit too awkward to say.
I do agree that the double Rs are kinda hard to say. That said, though I went to school with a female Rory who would get nicknamed Rorita by our Spanish exchange students, I still prefer it on a boy and think it sounds too masculine on a female.
I like it but not for my son. I like the idea of Ruaidhrí (and its many spellings) as a middle. Ruaidhrí pretty much rhyming with brewery is a touch nicer than Rory but still a bit awkward to say and would more often than not get ROR ree here in NZ. I’m just being realistic although the Ruarí/Ruairí spellings looks vaguely Maori oddly enough and perhaps there would be a better attempt at pronunciation?
I like Rory (for a boy, I hate that I have to spell that out) but traditional Irish names will always be too incongruous with my distinctively German last name (à la Schweitzer.)
The other day I was talking on another forum about a name that I like but wouldn’t match my ethnicity/last name, and I had some people mention that they actually like the idea of a first name that is of a different ethnic origin than the last name. If you like Rory (for a boy, I agree with you that it is not my style at all for a girl) I think that you should go ahead and use it!
For me, Rory doesn’t scream Irish, so in general it goes OK with a variety of surnames from around the globe in my ear (Rory Schweitzer doesn’t sound terribly incongruous to me, for example, nor does Rory Sanchez or Rory Macelli). That said, I agree completely that those two Rs make it so the name doesn’t exactly roll off the tongue. My little brother had a friend called Rory (boy) when we were younger and I always thought it was tough to say. I’m not about to use it for my kid, but it’s not like I have a strong feeling about the name otherwise.
Love it. I too find it hard to say but I still love it. I do prefer Ruaidhrí or Ruarí rather than Rory or Ruairí (Ruairí reminds me too much of Ruairí Quinn, an Irish politician!)
I think both my oldest brother and fiance were both supposed to be Rory’s but ended up not.
I like Rory very much on a boy. It manages to be masculine and still sweet. There was a childrens program I remember watching that had a puppet named Gilbert on it and he had a stuffed lion named Rory.
I know it’s a name in its own right, but to me it always looks like a nickname, whether for a boy or a girl. Maybe it’s because I once read a book that had a character named Roderic who went by Rory?
My sons name is Rory, he is 2. Ill be honest i didnt like it at first but it grew on me. I think his name fits him perfectly. Alot of people give me a funny look when i tell them his name but i dont its not their kid they dont have to like it : )
My brother’s name is Rory. My mom gets a little huffy when she hears of a girl named Rory/i. Every time she exclaims, “But he was named after a red KING not queen!” So I’m slightly, biased, but with the meaning, it’s a boys name. No ambiguity here.
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