Jude vs Rory
Jude 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, Jude was ranked #12 and Rory #3 among boys in Scotland.
Northern Ireland · Boys
In 2024, Jude was ranked #6 and Rory #33 among boys in Northern Ireland.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, Jude was ranked #11 and Rory #24 among boys in England and Wales.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
In 2025, Jude was ranked #54 and Rory #85 among boys in New South Wales, Australia.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2025, Jude was ranked #61 and Rory #60 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2024, Jude was ranked #1894 and Rory #1603 among girls in England and Wales.
Jude and Rory over time
Jude and Rory appear together in 4 published lists, across 121 years of shared records. Jude held the stronger position in more years in 3 of them, Rory in 1.
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.
Rory reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 2 of those lists, Jude 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, Jude moved into the top 50 at #34 in 2020 as Rory fell out of it to #65, having been #32 the year before.
- One moved ahead of the other
In 2022, Jude moved ahead of Rory in England and Wales · Boys — #40 and #39 the year before became #32 and #38.
- Repeatedly exchanged positions
Jude and Rory changed places 9 times in Northern Ireland · Boys between 1997 and 2024, ending at #6 and #33.
- Closest over the longest run
Across 28 shared years in Northern Ireland · Boys, Jude and Rory averaged 33.1 places apart, ending at #6 and #33.
- Longest-running competitions
Jude and Rory were both ranked in Republic of Ireland · Boys for 52 years, from 1965 to 2025, ending at #61 and #60.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in England and Wales · Boys within 2 years — Jude #11 in 2024, Rory #24 in 2024.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Boys52 shared years, 1965–2025
Jude held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Rory in 52.
Highest recorded here: Jude #61 in 2025, Rory #42 in 2012.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Jude #61, Rory #60.
England and Wales · Boys29 shared years, 1996–2024
Jude held the stronger position in 20 of those years, Rory in 9.
Highest recorded here: Jude #11 in 2024, Rory #24 in 2024.
The order changed in 2022: Jude moved ahead. In 2021 they stood at #40 and #39; by 2022 that had become #32 and #38.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Jude #11, Rory #24.
Northern Ireland · Boys28 shared years, 1997–2024
Jude held the stronger position in 15 of those years, Rory in 13.
Highest recorded here: Jude #6 in 2024, Rory #28 in 2022.
The order changed in 2020: Jude moved ahead. In 2019 they stood at #38 and #32; by 2020 that had become #34 and #65.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Jude #6, Rory #33.
England and Wales · Girls12 shared years, 2010–2024
Jude held the stronger position in 8 of those years, Rory in 4.
Highest recorded here: Jude #1438 in 2011, Rory #1452 in 2022.
The order changed in 2022: Rory moved ahead. In 2021 they stood at #2073 and #2201; by 2022 that had become #1849 and #1452.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Jude #1894, 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 | Jude | Rory |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Editorially researched profile |
| Gender usage | male | male |
| Meaning | Commonly interpreted through its Hebrew root as connected to 'praise', via its relationship to Judah — Behind the Name frames it more narrowly as a variant of Judas. | Red king. |
| Origin | Hebrew, via Greek and Latin New Testament forms | Scottish and Irish Gaelic |
| Pronunciation | /dʒuːd/ | /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 | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | New South Wales, Australia · Boys #54 (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
- Jude is recorded with a Hebrew, via Greek and Latin New Testament forms origin, while Rory is recorded with a Scottish and Irish Gaelic origin.
- Jude and Rory both have 2 syllables.
- Jude'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.
- The available evidence gives Jude 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
Jude
Popularity journey
First recorded1964
First recorded at #234 among girls in Republic of Ireland in 1964 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Highest recorded1997–2024
Highest recorded position: #6 among boys in Northern Ireland, in 2024 (recorded 1997–2024).
Northern Ireland · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #54 among boys in New South Wales, Australia, in 2025.
New South Wales, Australia · 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