Ruari: Meaning, Pronunciation and Origin
Ruari is an Irish boy's name meaning “red king.” Here’s how to say it, where it comes from, and names that go well with it.
Updated September 2026
- Irish spelling
- Ruairí
- Meaning
- Red king
- Gender
- Boy
- Popularity in Ireland
- No. 67 for boys (2025)
How do you pronounce Ruari?
Ruari is pronounced RO-ree. It has two syllables, with the stress on the first.
What does Ruari mean?
Ruari is a simplified spelling of the Irish Ruairí (also Ruaidhrí), from the Old Irish Ruaidrí: rúad “red” and rí “king,” so “red king.” Its anglicized form is Rory, and Scottish Gaelic has Ruairidh and Ruaraidh.
The best-known bearer is Ruaidrí Ua Conchobair (Rory O’Connor), king of Connacht and the last High King of Ireland. He was inaugurated as high king in Dublin in 1166, made the Treaty of Windsor with Henry II of England in 1175, and stepped down in 1183, though he briefly returned to rule twice after that. He died in 1198 and was buried at Clonmacnoise.
Sources: Behind the Name, Wikipedia.
How popular is Ruari in Ireland?
In 2025, 85 baby boys in Ireland were named Ruairí, which made it No. 67 that year. Another 7 were registered as Ruaidhri, Ruaidhrí, Ruairi or Ruari. That's up from No. 98 ten years earlier. The most babies got the name in 2012: 117. It first appears in the records in 1966, with 3 baby boys.
See the numbers by year
| Year | Babies | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 92 | No. 67 (Ruairí) |
| 2024 | 61 | No. 98 (Ruairí) |
| 2023 | 69 | No. 92 (Ruairí) |
| 2022 | 50 | No. 133 (Ruairí) |
| 2021 | 61 | No. 126 (Ruairí) |
| 2020 | 82 | No. 77 (Ruairí) |
| 2019 | 88 | No. 87 (Ruairí) |
| 2018 | 63 | No. 114 (Ruairí) |
| 2017 | 82 | No. 96 (Ruairi) |
| 2016 | 62 | No. 123 (Ruairi) |
| 2015 | 77 | No. 98 (Ruairi) |
| 2014 | 87 | No. 93 (Ruairi) |
| 2013 | 92 | No. 92 (Ruairi) |
| 2012 | 117 | No. 81 (Ruairi) |
| 2011 | 97 | No. 94 (Ruairi) |
| 2010 | 100 | No. 88 (Ruairi) |
| 2009 | 105 | No. 88 (Ruairi) |
| 2008 | 104 | No. 86 (Ruairi) |
| 2007 | 83 | No. 97 (Ruairi) |
| 2006 | 87 | No. 84 (Ruairi) |
| 2005 | 89 | No. 93 (Ruairi) |
| 2004 | 62 | No. 104 (Ruairi) |
| 2003 | 68 | No. 92 (Ruairi) |
| 2002 | 60 | No. 101 (Ruairi) |
| 2001 | 53 | No. 107 (Ruairi) |
| 2000 | 51 | No. 103 (Ruairi) |
| 1999 | 37 | No. 116 (Ruairi) |
| 1998 | 42 | No. 117 (Ruairi) |
| 1997 | 41 | No. 133 (Ruairi) |
| 1996 | 48 | No. 118 (Ruairi) |
| 1995 | 41 | No. 122 (Ruairi) |
| 1994 | 43 | No. 133 (Ruairi) |
| 1993 | 35 | No. 135 (Ruairi) |
| 1992 | 38 | No. 129 (Ruairi) |
| 1991 | 38 | No. 138 (Ruairi) |
| 1990 | 48 | No. 117 (Ruairi) |
| 1989 | 40 | No. 136 (Ruairi) |
| 1988 | 17 | No. 175 (Ruairi) |
| 1987 | 54 | No. 119 (Ruairi) |
| 1986 | 41 | No. 128 (Ruairi) |
| 1985 | 33 | No. 142 (Ruairi) |
| 1984 | 38 | No. 141 (Ruairi) |
| 1983 | 58 | No. 111 (Ruairi) |
| 1982 | 57 | No. 112 (Ruairi) |
| 1981 | 53 | No. 114 (Ruairi) |
| 1980 | 42 | No. 125 (Ruairi) |
| 1979 | 55 | No. 120 (Ruairi) |
| 1978 | 71 | No. 114 (Ruairi) |
| 1977 | 59 | No. 111 (Ruairi) |
| 1976 | 40 | No. 131 (Ruairi) |
| 1975 | 31 | No. 131 (Ruairi) |
| 1974 | 25 | No. 173 (Ruairi) |
| 1973 | 9 | No. 215 (Ruairi) |
| 1972 | 10 | No. 254 (Ruairi) |
| 1971 | 17 | No. 184 (Ruairi) |
| 1970 | 3 | No. 305 (Ruairi) |
| 1969 | 10 | No. 187 (Ruairi) |
| 1968 | 3 | No. 267 (Ruairi) |
| 1967 | 3 | No. 265 (Ruairi) |
| 1966 | 3 | No. 256 (Ruairi) |
Ruari in Ogham
Ogham is the oldest way of writing Irish. It was carved along the edges of standing stones, mostly between the 4th and 6th centuries, and read from the bottom up. In later tradition each letter was named after a tree or plant. Here’s Ruari, letter by letter.
- RRuis, elder
- UÚr, heather
- AAilm, pine
- RRuis, elder
- IIodhadh, yew
Write any name in Ogham with our Ogham translator
Names that go with Ruari
Questions about Ruari
- How do you pronounce Ruari?
- Ruari is pronounced RO-ree. Two syllables, stress on the first. There's a short video above where you can hear it said.
- What does Ruari mean?
- Ruari means “red king.”
- Is Ruari a girl's name or a boy's name?
- Ruari is a boy's name.
- How do you spell Ruari in Irish?
- In Irish it's spelled Ruairí. That's the spelling most parents in Ireland now register, according to the Central Statistics Office.
- How popular is Ruari in Ireland?
- In 2025, Ruairí was No. 67 for boys in Ireland, with 85 babies, according to the Central Statistics Office. That's the highest it has ever ranked.