Rorey
A unisex name possibly derived from the name Rory, meaning "red king".
Name Census estimates that about 236 living Americans carry the first name Rorey. It appears on both sides of the gender split, with 59.4% of registrations being male. The average person named Rorey today is around 16 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Rorey births was 2013 (17 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Rorey. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
People living today
236
~ 1 in 1,452,349 Americans
Peak year
2013
17 babies that year
Average age
16
years old
2024 SSA rank
#11,984
Tracked since 1983
Gender
Gender distribution for Rorey
Rorey is one of the more evenly split names in the SSA data. Of the 239 total registrations, 142 (59.4%) were male and 97 (40.6%) were female.
Rorey as a male name
- Ranked #13,799 in 2024
- 5 male births in 2024
- Peak: 2013 (10 births)
Rorey as a female name
- Ranked #11,984 in 2021
- 8 female births in 2021
- Peak: 2010 (9 births)
Popularity
Rorey: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Rorey from the 1980s through to the 2020s, spanning 5 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2010s, with 109 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 2010s peak, Rorey remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Rorey by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Rorey during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Origin
Meaning and history of Rorey
The given name Rorey is believed to have its origins in the Old English language, emerging in the medieval period around the 7th to 11th centuries. It is likely derived from the Old English word "rōr," meaning "famous" or "renowned," and the suffix "-ey," which was commonly used to denote a diminutive or endearing form of a name. This suggests that Rorey may have initially been a nickname or pet name bestowed upon individuals with a reputation for fame or accomplishment.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Rorey can be found in the Domesday Book, a comprehensive survey of landholdings and properties in England commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086. The name appears as "Rori," referring to a landowner or tenant in the region of Berkshire. This provides evidence of the name's use in England during the late 11th century.
Throughout the Middle Ages, the name Rorey appeared sporadically in various historical records and chronicles. In the 13th century, a Rorey de Winchelsea was mentioned as a prominent merchant and ship owner in the coastal town of Winchelsea, East Sussex. This suggests that the name was in use among the mercantile class during this period.
During the Renaissance era, a notable figure bearing the name Rorey was Rorey de Montfort, a French nobleman who served as a military commander and advisor to King Charles VII of France in the 15th century. He played a significant role in the French victory over the English during the latter stages of the Hundred Years' War.
In the 16th century, Rorey Ballantyne was a Scottish writer and historian who authored several works on the history and genealogy of Scottish noble families. His most notable work, "The Ballantyne Manuscript," is considered an important source of information on Scottish clans and lineages.
Another historical figure with the name Rorey was Rorey Whitfield, an English writer and poet who lived in the 17th century. He is best known for his collection of poems titled "The Poetical Blossoms of Rorey Whitfield," published in 1659, which explored themes of love, nature, and spirituality.
While the name Rorey has been relatively uncommon throughout history, it has maintained a presence, particularly in English-speaking regions, and has been carried by individuals from various backgrounds and professions. This diverse range of historical figures demonstrates the enduring nature of this unique and intriguing given name.
People
Rorey + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Rorey as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with R
Other first names starting with R with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Rorey: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Rorey?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 236 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Rorey going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 1,452,349 US residents.
Is Rorey a common name?
We classify Rorey as "Very Rare". It ranks above 76.3% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 239 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Rorey most popular?
The single biggest year for Rorey was 2013, when 17 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Rorey is about 16 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Rorey a male name?
Yes, 59.4% of people registered as Rorey in the SSA data are male. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.