Formal Names for Rory: Popular Aurora, Classic Theodore

What is Rory short for?

The obvious answer is nothing. 

The name Rory is the English equivalent of the Irish Ruairí. It’s masculine, meaning “red king” from ruadh – red – combined with ri – king. 

Famous figures like professional golfer Rory McIlroy, guitarist Rory Gallagher, and actors Rory Calhoun and Rory Cochrane make it clear that this Irish name has a long history of usage for boys. 

But in the United States, the Gilmore Girls changed things. The long-running television series about a mother-daughter duo put Rory on the girls’ list. Both of the main Gilmores bore the name Lorelai, but the younger answered to nickname Rory.

(It wasn’t just presented as a fact, either – during the first season, Lorelai talked about the decision in some detail, and her daughter explained how Rory was a short form of Lorelai more than once.)

It wasn’t the first time Rory had been used for a girl. Errol Flynn named his daughter Rory way back in 1947. The youngest daughter of Bobby Kennedy? Filmmaker Rory Elizabeth Katherine Kennedy.

In fact, the idea fits with a big category – boyish nicknames for traditionally feminine choices. If you like the sound of Alex for Alexandra and Charlie for Charlotte, one of these might be the perfect nickname/formal name option for you.

Of course formal names for Rory aren’t necessary. But it’s easy to imagine parents seeking a formal version. It might make it clear that Rory is a masculine name – or a feminine one.

And it turns out lots of formal names for Rory exist, from traditional to modern.

FORMAL NAMES FOR RORY: GIRLS

ASTORIA

The surname Astor means hawk. The name – and the famously wealthy family – both come from the German and Swiss Alps. John Jacob Astor and his descendants owned real estate across the United States, as well as the United Kingdom. As a result, places are named Astor and Astoria throughout several English-speaking countries and beyond. There’s even a Mount Astor in Antarctica. But ultimately, Astoria succeeds as a girl’s name – and a possible formal name for Rory – becuase of sound.

AURORA

Disney used this name for Sleeping Beauty way back in 1959, but it didn’t crack the US Top 100 until 2015. It’s a place name (think Colorado) and a nature name, too. It refers to the polar lights, seen at the north and south poles. And it’s borrowed from mythology, too. The Romans made Aurora goddess of the dawn. Combined with the popular -ora sound, no surprise Aurora is more popular than ever today.

CAROLINE

Classic Caroline comes with a strong “ro” sound built in. Plus, it’s good to have more nickname options besides the obvious Carrie. And Caroline is almost crying out for a boyish nickname. After all, like Charlotte, it started out as a feminine form of the evergreen Charles.

CORALINE

Coraline claims distinct French roots, but author Neil Gaiman arrived at the name by reversing the ‘o’ and the ‘a’ in Caroline. While the RO sound isn’t quite present in Coraline, I still think it’s close enough to work. And maybe that’s true for other Cora names, too – Cordelia, Coralie, even just Cora?

DOROTHY

Dolly is darling, and Dot is downright sweet. But Rory might be the coolest possible nickname for this vintage, storybook name. Related name Theodore is a Top 100 favorite for boys nowadays. Dorothy Gale went somewhere over the rainbow; a Dorothy called Rory would surely have equally intriguing adventures.

FLORENCE

If Aurora and the Coras can get us to Rory, so can the Floras. Not that Florence is short on possible nicknames. (There’s Flossie, Florrie, and if you’re an insurance spokesperson, Flo.) It’s a strongly Irish nickname for a romantic Italian city, and yet I think it works just fine.

GLORIA

A triumphant, romantic name, Gloria comes from a title for the Virgin Mary: Maria de Gloria. It was imported to English in the late 1800s, and has since become a familiar choice. Once again, the strong OR sound makes Gloria a logical addition to the list.

LORELAI, LORELEI

Is this the name that started it all? For seven seasons, we watched two Lorelais, mother and daughter, make their way through life in tiny Stars Hollow and beyond. We later learned that there’s yet another Lorelai, a grandmother called Trix, who started the family custom. It’s a frilly name from German folklore, and a pretty one, too. It was heard in the US before Gilmore Girls, but the show made it mainstream.

MARJORIE

Marjorie-called-Marge is a beloved great aunt. Or the mom from The Simpsons. But this medieval form of Margaret, and 1920s favorite, feels like it should be ready for revival. Maybe all it would take is the idea of sparky nickname Rory to help parents see Marjorie as perfect for a newborn daughter.

ROSEMARIE, ROSEMARY

More than one of the Rose names might shorten to Rory. The likeliest candidates might be those with a second ‘r’ sound, like Rosemary and Rosemarie. There’s precedent for a contracted nickname: the German Romy comes from these longer names, too. They’re among the most obvious formal names for Rory.

THEODORA

If Dorothy and Theodore both make the list, then surely Theodora belongs here, too.

VICTORIA

File Victoria with those classic girl names rich in diminutives. Among them? Tori, long considered a reasonable nickname for Victoria. It’s just a hop, skip, and a jump from Tori to Rory. If you love the regal elegance of Victoria, but long for a playful nickname option, Victoria-called-Rory might be just the thing.

FORMAL NAMES FOR RORY: BOYS

DORIAN

Ancient Greece included the Dorians, an ethnic group. It became a given name thanks to Oscar Wilde’s The Portrait of Dorian Gray, and it’s been used steadily since then. Dorian could easily become Rory.

GREGORY

Greg is a Brady, still living in the early 1970s split-level with Peter, Bobby, Marcia, Jan, and Cindy. But Gregory, used in full, is quite a handsome choice, one that fits with Sebastian, Cameron, and Wesley. Shortening Gregory to Rory is a logical, twenty-first century update.

ROBERT

Former #1 name is nearly always Bob. Or Bobby, Rob, or Robbie. But lots of nicknames have been used for this enduring classic. Bo, for one. Bert is an obvious choice. And maybe Rory isn’t such a stretch, either.

RODERICK

A strong R-r sound makes this a possible formal name for Rory.

RONAN

Ask most people “what is Rory short for” and Ronan will never come up as an answer. Except both names nod to Ireland, and all things Irish heritage. It might just work.

ROWAN

A unisex name with a strong Ro sound, Rowan shares Rory’s Irish roots as well as meaning. Both names ultimately come from ruadh – red.

ROURKE

Does it seem like a stretch to shorten a one-syllable name to two-syllable one? Maybe. But Ruth becomes Ruthie and George is Georgie, so why couldn’t Rourke drop the final K sound and become Rory?

THEODORE

That strong OR sound suggests that Rory might be a logical nickname for Theodore if there are too many Theos in your circle.

So what is Rory short for? Do you like this name better for a boy or a girl?

First published on August 3, 2012, this post was revised substantially on March 16, 2020; September 1, 2022; and November 21, 2024.