John vs Rory
John 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, John was ranked #78 and Rory #3 among boys in Scotland.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, John was ranked #164 and Rory #24 among boys in England and Wales.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2025, John was ranked #29 and Rory #60 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
New Zealand · Boys
In 1994, John was ranked #32 and Rory #99 among boys in New Zealand.
Northern Ireland · Boys
In 2024, John was ranked #67 and Rory #33 among boys in Northern Ireland.
John and Rory over time
John and Rory appear together in 3 published lists, across 119 years of shared records. John held the stronger position in more years in 3 of them, Rory in 0.
The order between them changed and held in 2 of those lists — a change in that published list, never a claim that one name displaced the other.
John reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 3 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 Northern Ireland · Boys, Rory moved into the top 50 at #28 in 2022 as John fell out of it to #79, having been #48 the year before.
- One moved ahead of the other
In 2012, Rory moved ahead of John in England and Wales · Boys — #100 and #110 the year before became #104 and #99.
- Repeatedly exchanged positions
John and Rory changed places 7 times in Northern Ireland · Boys between 1997 and 2024, ending at #67 and #33.
- Closest over the longest run
Across 28 shared years in Northern Ireland · Boys, John and Rory averaged 24.3 places apart, ending at #67 and #33.
- Longest-running competitions
John and Rory were both ranked in Republic of Ireland · Boys for 62 years, from 1964 to 2025, ending at #29 and #60.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Boys62 shared years, 1964–2025
John held the stronger position in 62 of those years, Rory in 0.
Highest recorded here: John #1 in 1964, Rory #42 in 2012.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: John #29, Rory #60.
England and Wales · Boys29 shared years, 1996–2024
John held the stronger position in 16 of those years, Rory in 13.
Highest recorded here: John #46 in 1996, Rory #24 in 2024.
The order changed in 2012: Rory moved ahead. In 2011 they stood at #100 and #110; by 2012 that had become #104 and #99.
Most recent shared year, 2024: John #164, Rory #24.
Northern Ireland · Boys28 shared years, 1997–2024
John held the stronger position in 19 of those years, Rory in 9.
Highest recorded here: John #17 in 1997, Rory #28 in 2022.
The order changed in 2022: Rory moved ahead. In 2021 they stood at #48 and #49; by 2022 that had become #79 and #28.
Most recent shared year, 2024: John #67, Rory #33.
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 | John | Rory |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Editorially researched profile |
| Gender usage | male | male |
| Meaning | From Hebrew Yochanan, 'Yahweh is gracious', via Greek Ioannes and Latin Iohannes. One of the most widespread names in Christian Europe, associated with both John the Baptist and the apostle John. | Red king. |
| Origin | Biblical Hebrew | Scottish and Irish Gaelic |
| Pronunciation | /ˈjɔn/ | /ˈɹɔɹi/ |
| Syllables | 1 | 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 | Republic of Ireland · Boys #29 (2025) | Republic of Ireland · Boys #60 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | 90/100 |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 95/100 | 95/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | high |
What the data shows
- John is recorded with a Biblical Hebrew origin, while Rory is recorded with a Scottish and Irish Gaelic origin.
- John has 1 syllable, compared with 2 for Rory.
- John'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 John 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
John
Popularity journey
First recorded1945
First recorded at #20 among boys in Norway in 1945 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Boys
Highest recorded1952–2019
Highest recorded position: #1 among boys in New South Wales, Australia, in 1952 (recorded 1952–2019).
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #161 among boys in Norway, in 2025.
Norway · 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