Leo vs Rory
Leo 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, Leo was ranked #5 and Rory #3 among boys in Scotland.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, Leo was ranked #5 and Rory #24 among boys in England and Wales.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
In 2025, Leo was ranked #5 and Rory #85 among boys in New South Wales, Australia.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2025, Leo was ranked #10 and Rory #60 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
Northern Ireland · Boys
In 2024, Leo was ranked #12 and Rory #33 among boys in Northern Ireland.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2020, Leo was ranked #5493 and Rory #1939 among girls in England and Wales.
Leo and Rory over time
Leo and Rory appear together in 3 published lists, across 119 years of shared records. Rory held the stronger position in more years in 2 of them, Leo 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, Leo 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, Leo moved into the top 50 at #30 in 2013 as Rory fell out of it to #74, having been #44 the year before.
- One moved ahead of the other
In 2001, Leo moved ahead of Rory in England and Wales · Boys — #142 and #118 the year before became #101 and #135.
- Closest over the longest run
Across 28 shared years in Northern Ireland · Boys, Leo and Rory averaged 58.0 places apart, ending at #12 and #33.
- Longest-running competitions
Leo and Rory were both ranked in Republic of Ireland · Boys for 62 years, from 1964 to 2025, ending at #10 and #60.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in England and Wales · Boys within 2 years — Leo #5 in 2022, Rory #24 in 2024.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Boys62 shared years, 1964–2025
Leo held the stronger position in 13 of those years, Rory in 49.
Highest recorded here: Leo #10 in 2025, Rory #42 in 2012.
The order changed in 2013: Leo moved ahead. In 2012 they stood at #84 and #42; by 2013 that had become #63 and #65.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Leo #10, Rory #60.
England and Wales · Boys29 shared years, 1996–2024
Leo held the stronger position in 24 of those years, Rory in 5.
Highest recorded here: Leo #5 in 2022, Rory #24 in 2024.
The order changed in 2001: Leo moved ahead. In 2000 they stood at #142 and #118; by 2001 that had become #101 and #135.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Leo #5, Rory #24.
Northern Ireland · Boys28 shared years, 1997–2024
Leo held the stronger position in 12 of those years, Rory in 16.
Highest recorded here: Leo #6 in 2023, Rory #28 in 2022.
The order changed in 2013: Leo moved ahead. In 2012 they stood at #51 and #44; by 2013 that had become #30 and #74.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Leo #12, 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 | Leo | Rory |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Editorially researched profile |
| Gender usage | male | male |
| Meaning | Lion. | Red king. |
| Origin | Latin | Scottish and Irish Gaelic |
| Pronunciation | /ˈliːoʊ/ | /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 | New South Wales, Australia · Boys #5 (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
- Leo is recorded with a Latin origin, while Rory is recorded with a Scottish and Irish Gaelic origin.
- Leo has 1 syllable, compared with 2 for Rory.
- Leo'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 Leo 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
Leo
Popularity journey
First recorded1947
First recorded at #303 among boys in Norway in 1947 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Boys
Highest recorded2009–2025
Highest recorded position: #3 among boys in New South Wales, Australia, in 2022 (recorded 2009–2025).
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #5 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