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Rhuari

Boy name · 26 babies recorded · 1974–2025

Rhuari: 26 babies born in Scotland since 1974, given to boys, peaking at 5 births in 2010.

Rhuari is the Scottish Gaelic form of Rory, itself derived from the Old Irish *Ruaidhrí*, meaning ‘red king’ from *ruadh* (red) and *rí* (king). Across Scotland it shares heritage with Roibeard Ruadh, a notable 16th-century clan chief, and resonates with Robert the Bruce’s grandson Ruaidhrí who held lands in Argyll. The name appears in the Hebridean place-name Rhu Arisaig, where the sea loch echoes the ‘red’ root. While Rory is the anglicised version common in Ireland, Rhuari retains a distinctly Highland air—it was rarely given in Scotland during the 19th century but saw a quiet revival from the 1970s, often favoured by families with clan MacGregor or MacLeod connections.