Rory vs Stephen
Rory and Stephencompared 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, Rory was ranked #3 and Stephen #535 among boys in Scotland.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, Rory was ranked #24 and Stephen #651 among boys in England and Wales.
Northern Ireland · Boys
In 2024, Rory was ranked #33 and Stephen #305 among boys in Northern Ireland.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2025, Rory was ranked #60 and Stephen #232 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
New Zealand · Boys
In 1994, Rory was ranked #99 and Stephen #69 among boys in New Zealand.
Rory and Stephen over time
Rory and Stephen appear together in 3 published lists, across 119 years of shared records. Rory held the stronger position in more years in 2 of them, Stephen 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.
Stephen 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 #35 in 2006 as Stephen fell out of it to #81, having been #42 the year before.
- One moved ahead of the other
In 2003, Rory moved ahead of Stephen in England and Wales · Boys — #138 and #112 the year before became #132 and #136.
- Longest-running competitions
Rory and Stephen were both ranked in Republic of Ireland · Boys for 62 years, from 1964 to 2025, ending at #60 and #232.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Boys62 shared years, 1964–2025
Rory held the stronger position in 20 of those years, Stephen in 42.
Highest recorded here: Rory #42 in 2012, Stephen #4 in 1983.
The order changed in 2006: Rory moved ahead. In 2005 they stood at #68 and #42; by 2006 that had become #45 and #46.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Rory #60, Stephen #232.
England and Wales · Boys29 shared years, 1996–2024
Rory held the stronger position in 22 of those years, Stephen in 7.
Highest recorded here: Rory #24 in 2024, Stephen #60 in 1996.
The order changed in 2003: Rory moved ahead. In 2002 they stood at #138 and #112; by 2003 that had become #132 and #136.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Rory #24, Stephen #651.
Northern Ireland · Boys28 shared years, 1997–2024
Rory held the stronger position in 20 of those years, Stephen in 8.
Highest recorded here: Rory #28 in 2022, Stephen #21 in 1998.
The order changed in 2006: Rory moved ahead. In 2005 they stood at #79 and #42; by 2006 that had become #35 and #81.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Rory #33, Stephen #305.
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 | Rory | Stephen |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Editorially researched profile |
| Gender usage | male | male |
| Meaning | Red king. | From Greek Stephanos, meaning 'crown, wreath' — literally 'that which surrounds'. Saint Stephen, a deacon stoned to death in the New Testament, is regarded as the first Christian martyr. |
| Origin | Scottish and Irish Gaelic | Greek |
| Pronunciation | /ˈɹɔɹi/ | /ˈstiː.vən/ |
| Syllables | 2 | 2 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Ruairidh, Ruaidhrí, Rorie, Ruaidhrí | Steven, Stefan, Stephan |
| Recorded regional usage | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NZ | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Boys #60 (2025) | Republic of Ireland · Boys #232 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | 90/100 |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 95/100 | 82/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | high | high |
What the data shows
- Rory is recorded with a Scottish and Irish Gaelic origin, while Stephen is recorded with a Greek origin.
- Rory and Stephen both have 2 syllables.
- Rory's recorded meaning differs from Stephen's — see the table above for each.
- Both names have recorded usage in AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NZ.
How each name got here
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
Stephen
Popularity journey
First recorded1946
First recorded at #352 among boys in Norway in 1946 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Boys
Highest recorded1952–1997
Highest recorded position: #3 among boys in New South Wales, Australia, in 1955 (recorded 1952–1997).
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #232 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 2025.
Republic of Ireland · Boys