boy's name
Ruairidh
ROO-uh-ree
- Origin Scottish
- Gender Boy
- Letters 8
- Popularity Top 100 (Scotland)
- Births on record 1,690
Scotland
#56
2024 births
Ruairidh is a boy's name of Scottish Gaelic origin meaning "red king," the Gaelic spelling of Rory. It ranks 56th in Scotland and is at its peak in our records now.
- Ruairidh is a name of Scottish origin.
- Peaked in Scotland in 2024, when 84 babies were given the name.
- It has been rising over the past decade in Scotland.
- Today about 1 in 454 babies in Scotland is given this name.
- First appears in birth records in 1975.
Ruairidh over time
Births per decade in Scotland, 1970s to 2020s. The striped bar is the 2020s, still in progress — it covers 2020 to 2024, not a full ten years.
Show the numbers
| Decade | Births |
|---|---|
| 1970s | 21 |
| 1980s | 91 |
| 1990s | 372 |
| 2000s | 299 |
| 2010s | 421 |
| 2020s (to 2024) | 302 |
What Ruairidh means
Ruairidh means red king, from ruadh, red or red-haired, and rí, a king. The color word specifically means the red-brown of hair and cattle rather than true red, so red-haired king is the closer reading.
Where Ruairidh comes from
Ruairidh is the Scottish Gaelic form of the name anglicized as Rory, from the older Ruaidhrí — ruadh, red, and rí, king. The name was borne by rulers on both sides of the Irish Sea: Ruaidrí Ua Conchobair was the last High King of Ireland, and the Scottish line runs through the MacDonald and MacLeod families, where Ruairidh recurs for generations. The spelling is where Scotland and Ireland part company. Scottish Gaelic writes Ruairidh, Irish writes Ruairí, and both anglicize to Rory, which is why the same name appears three ways across two islands. Norse influence is sometimes claimed through Rurik, but that is a separate Germanic name from hrod, fame, and rik, ruler, and the similarity is accidental.
Ruairidh in use
Ruairidh ranks 56th in Scotland with 84 births in 2024 and is close to Scottish-only — 2,146th in England and Wales, and absent from the Irish tables, where Ruairí takes its place. Our records mark it rising with a peak in 2024 and carry it from 1975, so the full-Gaelic spelling is a modern choice rather than a survival.
How popular is Ruairidh?
In 2024, Ruairidh was given to 84 babies in Scotland, ranking #56 that year. It is one of the most popular names in Scotland.
Where Ruairidh is used
Figures for Scotland withhold any name given to fewer than three babies in a year, so a gap means the name fell below that floor rather than went unused. Data & sources.
Names that peaked alongside Ruairidh
These names rose and fell in the same era, which is why they tend to sound like they belong together.
Parents who like Ruairidh also like
Names whose popularity has risen and fallen in step with Ruairidh over the last century — the same taste, a different name.
1 nickname for Ruairidh
Each one is a name in its own right — the figure underneath is how it is doing today, so you can see which short forms are rising and which have faded.
Ruairidh in other languages
The same name as it is spelled elsewhere — not shortenings, and not different names that merely sound alike. Each one has its own record here.
- Irish
- Rory
Sibling names for Ruairidh
Names from the same era that won't rhyme or share an initial with Ruairidh — the two things that make a sibling set grate.
Common questions about Ruairidh
What does the name Ruairidh mean?
Ruairidh means "red king," from ruadh, red-haired, and rí, a king.
How do you pronounce Ruairidh?
ROO-uh-ree, the same as Rory. The dh is silent.
What is the difference between Ruairidh and Ruairí?
Ruairidh is the Scottish Gaelic spelling and Ruairí the Irish. Both anglicize to Rory.
How popular is Ruairidh?
Fifty-sixth in Scotland, and almost unused outside it.
Is Ruairidh a girl's or a boy's name?
Ruairidh is given almost entirely to boys in birth records.
What are the nicknames for Ruairidh?
Ruairidh is usually shortened to Ruairi.
Is Ruairidh a good name?
That is not something records can settle, but they can tell you what you would be choosing. Ruairidh currently ranks #56 in Scotland. It has been rising over the past decade. Everything else — how it sounds with your surname, who it reminds you of — is yours.