| Rory | Ronan | |
|---|---|---|
| Meaning | red king | Little seal |
| Origin | irish | Irish |
| Gender | Boy | Boy |
| Pronunciation | ROR-ee | ROH-nun |
| Syllables | 2 | 2 |
| First appeared | 1933 | 1959 |
| Peak year | 2025 (1,768) | 2025 (1,406) |
| In 2025 | 1,768 | 1,406 |
| Trend | Near its peak | Near its peak |
Source: US Social Security Administration.
| Decade | Rory | Ronan |
|---|---|---|
| 2020s | 8,172 | 7,749 |
| 2010s | 6,990 | 9,092 |
| 2000s | 2,737 | 3,343 |
| 1990s | 2,706 | 322 |
| 1980s | 4,738 | 84 |
| 1970s | 2,668 | 32 |
| 1960s | 3,737 | 47 |
| 1950s | 3,621 | 10 |
| 1940s | 462 | 0 |
| 1930s | 10 | 0 |
Anglicized form of Irish 'Ruaidhri', from 'ruadh' ('red') + 'ri' ('king') — 'red king'. Borne by Ruaidhri Ua Conchobair, the last High King of Ireland. Now also used for girls.
Rónán means “little seal,” from the Irish rón.
Rory is more popular than Ronan today: about 1,768 US babies were given the name Rory in 2025, compared with 1,406 named Ronan.
Rory means red king (irish origin), while Ronan means Little seal (Irish origin).
In US records, Rory first appears in 1933 and Ronan in 1959, so Rory has the longer recorded history.