| Rory | Rowan | |
|---|---|---|
| Meaning | red king | Little red one; rowan tree |
| Origin | irish | Irish |
| Gender | Boy | Boy |
| Pronunciation | ROR-ee | ROH-un |
| Syllables | 2 | 2 |
| First appeared | 1933 | 1916 |
| Peak year | 2025 (1,768) | 2025 (5,212) |
| In 2025 | 1,768 | 5,212 |
| Trend | Near its peak | Near its peak |
Source: US Social Security Administration.
| Decade | Rory | Rowan |
|---|---|---|
| 2020s | 8,172 | 24,763 |
| 2010s | 6,990 | 19,019 |
| 2000s | 2,737 | 5,491 |
| 1990s | 2,706 | 709 |
| 1980s | 4,738 | 182 |
| 1970s | 2,668 | 78 |
| 1960s | 3,737 | 71 |
| 1950s | 3,621 | 77 |
| 1940s | 462 | 76 |
| 1930s | 10 | 72 |
| 1920s | 0 | 72 |
| 1910s | 0 | 18 |
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.
Rowan has two roots that meet in the name: the Irish Ruadhán, “little red one,” and the English name of the rowan tree with its red berries.
Rowan is more popular than Rory today: about 5,212 US babies were given the name Rowan in 2025, compared with 1,768 named Rory.
Rory means red king (irish origin), while Rowan means Little red one; rowan tree (Irish origin).
In US records, Rory first appears in 1933 and Rowan in 1916, so Rowan has the longer recorded history.