Dylan vs Rory
Dylan 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, Dylan was ranked #104 and Rory #3 among boys in Scotland.
New Zealand · Boys
In 1994, Dylan was ranked #22 and Rory #99 among boys in New Zealand.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, Dylan was ranked #64 and Rory #24 among boys in England and Wales.
Northern Ireland · Boys
In 2024, Dylan was ranked #154 and Rory #33 among boys in Northern Ireland.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2025, Dylan was ranked #69 and Rory #60 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2024, Dylan was ranked #1743 and Rory #1603 among girls in England and Wales.
Dylan and Rory over time
Dylan and Rory appear together in 4 published lists, across 124 years of shared records. Dylan 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.
Dylan reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 4 of those lists, and Rory in none. 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 England and Wales · Boys, Rory moved into the top 50 at #46 in 2019 as Dylan fell out of it to #54, having been #43 the year before.
- One moved ahead of the other
In 2019, Rory moved ahead of Dylan in England and Wales · Boys — #43 and #47 the year before became #54 and #46.
- Closest over the longest run
Across 28 shared years in Northern Ireland · Boys, Dylan and Rory averaged 40.8 places apart, ending at #154 and #33.
- Longest-running competitions
Dylan and Rory were both ranked in Republic of Ireland · Boys for 55 years, from 1969 to 2025, ending at #69 and #60.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in England and Wales · Girls within 2 years — Dylan #1454 in 2021, Rory #1452 in 2022.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Boys55 shared years, 1969–2025
Dylan held the stronger position in 33 of those years, Rory in 22.
Highest recorded here: Dylan #7 in 1998, Rory #42 in 2012.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Dylan #69, Rory #60.
England and Wales · Boys29 shared years, 1996–2024
Dylan held the stronger position in 23 of those years, Rory in 6.
Highest recorded here: Dylan #16 in 2010, Rory #24 in 2024.
The order changed in 2019: Rory moved ahead. In 2018 they stood at #43 and #47; by 2019 that had become #54 and #46.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Dylan #64, Rory #24.
Northern Ireland · Boys28 shared years, 1997–2024
Dylan held the stronger position in 21 of those years, Rory in 7.
Highest recorded here: Dylan #7 in 2001, Rory #28 in 2022.
The order changed in 2019: Rory moved ahead. In 2018 they stood at #41 and #52; by 2019 that had become #51 and #32.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Dylan #154, Rory #33.
England and Wales · Girls12 shared years, 2010–2024
Dylan held the stronger position in 8 of those years, Rory in 4.
Highest recorded here: Dylan #1454 in 2021, Rory #1452 in 2022.
The order changed in 2022: Rory moved ahead. In 2021 they stood at #1454 and #2201; by 2022 that had become #3148 and #1452.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Dylan #1743, Rory #1603.
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 | Dylan | Rory |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Editorially researched profile |
| Gender usage | male | male |
| Meaning | Traditionally associated with the sea/tide — popularly glossed as 'great tide' or 'born from the sea', reflecting the mythological figure's role. Some scholars theorise the figure may reflect an earlier, otherwise unattested Celtic sea god — treat as a proposed origin, not settled fact. | Red king. |
| Origin | Welsh | Scottish and Irish Gaelic |
| Pronunciation | /ˈdɪlən/ | /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, NZ | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Boys #69 (2025) | Republic of Ireland · Boys #60 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | 90/100 |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 94/100 | 95/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | high |
What the data shows
- Dylan is recorded with a Welsh origin, while Rory is recorded with a Scottish and Irish Gaelic origin.
- Dylan and Rory both have 2 syllables.
- Dylan'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 Dylan 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
Dylan
Popularity journey
First recorded1969
First recorded at #246 among boys in Republic of Ireland in 1969 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Highest recorded1980–2020
Highest recorded position: #7 among boys in New Zealand, in 1992 (recorded 1980–2020).
New Zealand · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #69 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 2025.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
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 #60 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 2025.
Republic of Ireland · Boys