Rory vs Ursula
Rory and Ursulacompared 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.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2024, Rory was ranked #1603 and Ursula #2574 among girls in England and Wales.
Rory and Ursula over time
Rory and Ursula appear together in 1 published list, across 12 years of shared records. Ursula held the stronger position in more years in 1 of them, Rory in 0.
The order between them changed and held in one of those lists — a change in that published list, never a claim that one name displaced the other.
Ursula reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 1 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
Rory and Ursula changed places 5 times in England and Wales · Girls between 2010 and 2024, ending at #1603 and #2574.
List by list
England and Wales · Girls12 shared years, 2010–2024
Rory held the stronger position in 5 of those years, Ursula in 6.
Highest recorded here: Rory #1452 in 2022, Ursula #1433 in 2013.
The order changed in 2022: Rory moved ahead. In 2021 they stood at #2201 and #2073; by 2022 that had become #1452 and #2888.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Rory #1603, Ursula #2574.
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 | Ursula |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Official statistical record (evidence-only) |
| Gender usage | male | female |
| Meaning | Red king. | Not yet recorded |
| Origin | Scottish and Irish Gaelic | Not yet recorded |
| Pronunciation | /ˈɹɔɹi/ | Not yet recorded |
| Syllables | 2 | 3 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Ruairidh, Ruaidhrí, Rorie, Ruaidhrí | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NZ | GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Boys #60 (2025) | England and Wales · Girls #2574 (2024) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 95/100 | 88/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | high | medium |
What the data shows
- Rory has a recorded origin (Scottish and Irish Gaelic); Ursula does not have one recorded yet.
- Rory has 2 syllables, compared with 3 for Ursula.
- A meaning is recorded for Rory; Ursula doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE.
- The available evidence gives Rory a "high" Data Confidence level and Ursula a "medium" level — this reflects how complete and corroborated the underlying evidence is, not a judgement of either name.
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
Ursula
Popularity journey
First recorded1964
First recorded at #98 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 recorded1964–2012
Highest recorded position: #98 among girls in Republic of Ireland, in 1964 (recorded 1964–2012).
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Most recent2024
Most recently recorded at #2574 among girls in England and Wales, in 2024.
England and Wales · Girls