Unisex · #12,237 in 2026

Ruari

Rory is a given name of Gaelic origin. It is an anglicisation of the Irish: Ruairí/Ruaidhrí and Scottish Gaelic: Ruairidh/Ruaraidh and is common to the Irish, Highland Scots and their diasporas. The meaning of the name is "red king", composed of ruadh ("red") and rígh ("king").

Current Rank
#12,237
Peak Rank
#7,227 (2016)
Total Babies
133
5-Yr Trend
Stable
👧 Girl peak #7,227 (133 total)
👦 Boy peak #5,997 (117 total)
👧As Girl Name
2004
First Year
2022
Last Year
2016
Peak Year
#7227
Peak Rank
133
Total Count
15
Years Active
👦As Boy Name
2003
First Year
2024
Last Year
2015
Peak Year
#5997
Peak Rank
117
Total Count
15
Years Active

Meaning & Origin of Ruari

What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.

Rory is a given name of Gaelic origin. It is an anglicisation of the Irish: Ruairí/Ruaidhrí and Scottish Gaelic: Ruairidh/Ruaraidh and is common to the Irish, Highland Scots and their diasporas. The meaning of the name is "red king", composed of ruadh ("red") and rígh ("king").

Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →

Origin & history
An early use of the name in antiquity is in reference to Rudraige mac Sithrigi , a High King of Ireland who eventually spawned the Ulaid (indeed, this tribe are sometimes known as Clanna Rudhraighe ). Ruadrí mac Domnall was the grandfather of famous Scottish king Macbeth and the eponymous founder of Clann Ruaidrí ( House of Moray ). Throughout the Middle Ages, the name was in use by various kings, such as Ruaidrí mac Fáeláin , Ruaidrí na Saide Buide and Ruaidrí Ua Conchobair , the last High King of Ireland. As well as this, Ruairí Óg Ó Mórdha , the famous King of Laois, and his nephew Ruairí Ó

The Story of Ruari

As a girl name

Ruari first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a girl name in 2004, with 5 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 2016, when 16 Ruaris were born — ranking #7,227 that year. As of 2026, Ruari ranks #12,237 for girls with 7 births, with steady use. In total, more than 133 Ruaris have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 2000s through the 2020s.

As a boy name

Ruari first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a boy name in 2003, with 7 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 2015, when 14 Ruaris were born — ranking #5,997 that year. As of 2026, Ruari ranks #12,301 for boys with 5 births, with steady use. In total, more than 117 Ruaris have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 2000s through the 2020s.

Popularity Over Time

Girls Boys

Popularity by State

ME
WA
MT
ND
MN
WI
MI
NY
VT
NH
MA
OR
ID
SD
IA
IL
IN
OH
PA
NJ
CT
RI
CA
NV
WY
NE
MO
KY
WV
VA
MD
DE
DC
UT
CO
KS
AR
TN
NC
SC
AK
AZ
NM
OK
LA
MS
AL
GA
HI
TX
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Top 10
11-50
51-100
101-500
500+
No data

Names that sound like Ruari

Phonetically similar names — useful when Ruari is the vibe but a different syllable count or letter feel might suit better. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.

Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.

Frequently Asked Questions about Ruari

What does the name Ruari mean?
Rory is a given name of Gaelic origin. It is an anglicisation of the Irish: Ruairí/Ruaidhrí and Scottish Gaelic: Ruairidh/Ruaraidh and is common to the Irish, Highland Scots and their diasporas. The meaning of the name is "red king", composed of ruadh ("red") and rígh ("king").
How popular is Ruari in 2026?
In 2026, Ruari ranks #12,237 among girls' names in the U.S., with 7 babies given the name that year.
When was Ruari most popular?
Ruari reached its peak popularity in 2016, ranking #7,227 that year with 16 babies given the name.
Is Ruari a unisex name?
Yes — Ruari is used for both girls and boys in U.S. records, with about 53% of Ruaris assigned female and 47% assigned male historically.
What names go well with Ruari?
Names that share a similar style or popularity range with Ruari include Avrielle, Annais, Man. These pairings are based on rank proximity and naming era in U.S. data.

About the name Ruari

Ruari is a unisex baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 2004 and has accumulated 133 births in the dataset. Ruari's peak popularity came in 2016 when it ranked #7,227. Use the chart and map above to compare Ruari's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.

Continue exploring

Data sources

  • Birth statistics (counts, ranks, years 1880–2026) — U.S. Social Security Administration . Predictions for years not yet released by SSA are computed by Peek a Name from historical trends; we update with official data as soon as it ships.
  • Etymology, cultural origins, and related forms — Behind the Name (used under their public API terms).
  • Meaning prose and editorial summary — Wikipedia article extracts, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 .
  • Predicted nationality distribution — Nationalize.io .
  • Phonetically similar names — Datamuse .

Peek a Name aggregates and presents the above data for informational purposes. Statistical predictions and external attributions are clearly labelled where shown; we make no guarantee of accuracy beyond what each source provides.