Charlie vs Rory
Charlie and Rorycompared on official birth-registration statistics and Namewise's recorded data. This page states what each name's record shows — it never picks a winner or scores one name against the other.
Head to head
Ranks are only compared within one published list and one year. Two ranks from different years, from a boys' and a girls' list, or from different registrars are not comparable, so they are not placed side by side.
Scotland · Boys
In 2024, Charlie was ranked #19 and Rory #3 among boys in Scotland.
Northern Ireland · Boys
In 2024, Charlie was ranked #8 and Rory #33 among boys in Northern Ireland.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
In 2025, Charlie was ranked #12 and Rory #85 among boys in New South Wales, Australia.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2025, Charlie was ranked #13 and Rory #60 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2025, Charlie was ranked #22 and Rory #17 among boys in England and Wales.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2025, Charlie was ranked #747 and Rory #1271 among girls in England and Wales.
Charlie and Rory over time
Charlie and Rory appear together in 4 published lists, across 104 years of shared records. Charlie held the stronger position in more years in 4 of them, Rory in 0.
The order between them changed and held in 3 of those lists — a change in that published list, never a claim that one name displaced the other.
Charlie reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 3 of those lists, Rory in 1. Each position is a place inside its own list, so this compares when they peaked and never how high.
Counted list by list. Two names in the same published list are measured on the same scale in the same year, so those comparisons are real — but positions from different lists are not, so nothing here is combined into an overall standing.
How this pair is related
The relationship kinds these two qualify for, each under its own stated rule. Every one is drawn from a list they both appear in.
- One took the other's place near the top
In Northern Ireland · Boys, Charlie moved into the top 50 at #28 in 2005 as Rory fell out of it to #79, having been #50 the year before.
- One moved ahead of the other
In 2025, Rory moved ahead of Charlie in England and Wales · Boys — #17 and #24 the year before became #22 and #17.
- Closest over the longest run
Across 28 shared years in Northern Ireland · Boys, Charlie and Rory averaged 46.2 places apart, ending at #8 and #33.
- Longest-running competitions
Charlie and Rory were both ranked in England and Wales · Boys for 30 years, from 1996 to 2025, ending at #22 and #17.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Boys33 shared years, 1983–2025
Charlie held the stronger position in 21 of those years, Rory in 12.
Highest recorded here: Charlie #5 in 2022, Rory #42 in 2012.
The order changed in 2005: Charlie moved ahead. In 2004 they stood at #65 and #48; by 2005 that had become #52 and #68.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Charlie #13, Rory #60.
England and Wales · Boys30 shared years, 1996–2025
Charlie held the stronger position in 29 of those years, Rory in 1.
Highest recorded here: Charlie #4 in 2012, Rory #17 in 2025.
The order changed in 2025: Rory moved ahead. In 2024 they stood at #17 and #24; by 2025 that had become #22 and #17.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Charlie #22, Rory #17.
Northern Ireland · Boys28 shared years, 1997–2024
Charlie held the stronger position in 20 of those years, Rory in 8.
Highest recorded here: Charlie #3 in 2013, Rory #28 in 2022.
The order changed in 2005: Charlie moved ahead. In 2004 they stood at #54 and #50; by 2005 that had become #28 and #79.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Charlie #8, Rory #33.
England and Wales · Girls13 shared years, 2010–2025
Charlie held the stronger position in 13 of those years, Rory in 0.
Highest recorded here: Charlie #261 in 2010, Rory #1271 in 2025.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Charlie #747, Rory #1271.
Two names moving past each other in a ranking is a fact about the ranking. Namewise does not claim one name displaced the other, that families chose between them, or that either influenced the other — none of that is in this data.
Side by side
| Field | Charlie | Rory |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Editorially researched profile |
| Gender usage | male | male |
| Meaning | A diminutive of Charles, ultimately interpreted as 'man' or, by an alternative theory, 'army'. | Red king. |
| Origin | English, via Germanic Karl | Scottish and Irish Gaelic |
| Pronunciation | /ˈtʃɑːli/ | /ˈɹɔɹi/ |
| Syllables | 2 | 2 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Ruairidh, Ruaidhrí, Rorie, Ruaidhrí |
| Recorded regional usage | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | New South Wales, Australia · Boys #12 (2025) | England and Wales · Boys #17 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | 90/100 |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 82/100 | 95/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | high |
What the data shows
- Charlie is recorded with a English, via Germanic Karl origin, while Rory is recorded with a Scottish and Irish Gaelic origin.
- Charlie and Rory both have 2 syllables.
- Charlie's recorded meaning differs from Rory's — see the table above for each.
- Both names have recorded usage in AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NZ.
- The available evidence gives Charlie a "medium" Data Confidence level and Rory a "high" level — this reflects how complete and corroborated the underlying evidence is, not a judgement of either name.
How each name got here
Charlie
Popularity journey
First recorded1983
First recorded at #282 among boys in Republic of Ireland in 1983 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Highest recorded1997–2024
Highest recorded position: #3 among boys in Northern Ireland, in 2013 (recorded 1997–2024).
Northern Ireland · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #747 among girls in England and Wales, in 2025.
England and Wales · Girls
Rory
Popularity journey
First recorded1964
First recorded at #73 among boys in Republic of Ireland in 1964 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Highest recorded2024–2024
Highest recorded position: #3 among boys in Scotland, in 2024 (recorded 2024–2024).
Scotland · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #1271 among girls in England and Wales, in 2025.
England and Wales · Girls