Gregory vs Rory
Gregory and Rory compared 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, Gregory was ranked #727 and Rory #3 among boys in Scotland.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2025, Gregory was ranked #1406 and Rory #17 among boys in England and Wales.
Northern Ireland · Boys
In 2012, Gregory was ranked #403 and Rory #44 among boys in Northern Ireland.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2025, Gregory was ranked #829 and Rory #60 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
New Zealand · Boys
In 1985, Gregory was ranked #70 and Rory #84 among boys in New Zealand.
Gregory and Rory over time
Higher on the chart is a stronger position. The scale is logarithmic, so the gap from #1 to #10 is drawn as large as the gap from #100 to #1,000.
Higher on the chart is a stronger position. The scale is logarithmic, so the gap from #1 to #10 is drawn as large as the gap from #100 to #1,000.
Gregory and Rory over time
Gregory and Rory appear together in 2 published lists, across 90 years of shared records. Rory held the stronger position in more years in 2 of them, Gregory in 0.
In none of those lists did their order change and stay changed.
Gregory reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 2 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.
- Repeatedly exchanged positions
Gregory and Rory changed places 6 times in Republic of Ireland · Boys between 1964 and 2025, ending at #829 and #60.
- Longest-running competitions
Gregory and Rory were both ranked in England and Wales · Boys for 30 years, from 1996 to 2025, ending at #1406 and #17.
- Started together, ended far apart
In 1964 they stood at #78 and #73 in Republic of Ireland · Boys, 5 places apart; by 2025 they were #829 and #60.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Boys60 shared years, 1964–2025
Gregory held the stronger position in 5 of those years, Rory in 55.
Highest recorded here: Gregory #72 in 1967, Rory #42 in 2012.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Gregory #829, Rory #60.
England and Wales · Boys30 shared years, 1996–2025
Gregory held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Rory in 30.
Highest recorded here: Gregory #117 in 1997, Rory #17 in 2025.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Gregory #1406, Rory #17.
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 | Gregory | Rory |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Editorially researched profile |
| Gender usage | male | male |
| Meaning | From Latin Gregorius, from Late Greek Gregorios, from 'gregoros' ('watchful, alert'), itself from 'egeiro' ('to awaken'). Borne by Saint Gregory the Illuminator and Pope Gregory I the Great. | Red king. |
| Origin | From Late Greek 'gregoros' ('watchful, alert'), via the Latin Gregorius | Scottish and Irish Gaelic |
| Pronunciation | /ˈɡɹɛɡ.ə.ɹi/ | /ˈɹɔɹi/ |
| Syllables | 3 | 2 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Ruairidh, Ruaidhrí, Rorie, Ruaidhrí |
| Recorded regional usage | New South Wales, Australia, England and Wales, Northern Ireland, Scotland, Republic of Ireland, New Zealand | New South Wales, Australia, England and Wales, Northern Ireland, Scotland, Republic of Ireland, New Zealand |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Boys #829 (2025) | England and Wales · Boys #17 (2025) |
| Data Confidence | medium | high |
What the data shows
- Gregory is recorded with a From Late Greek 'gregoros' ('watchful, alert'), via the Latin Gregorius origin, while Rory is recorded with a Scottish and Irish Gaelic origin.
- Gregory has 3 syllables, compared with 2 for Rory.
- Gregory'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 Gregory 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
Gregory
Popularity journey
First recorded1952
First recorded at #9 among boys in New South Wales, Australia in 1952 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
Highest recorded1952–1990
Highest recorded position: #7 among boys in New South Wales, Australia, in 1954 (recorded 1952–1990).
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #1406 among boys in England and Wales, in 2025.
England and Wales · 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
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #1271 among girls in England and Wales, in 2025.
England and Wales · Girls