Given name & surname
Rourke
“a champion”
Rourke is a variant of Roark. One interpretation is “a champion.”
Meaning & origin
What it means
Rourke is a variant of Roark. One interpretation is “a champion.”
Explained through its name family
The story
Published U.S. birth records include this spelling as early as 1978. This is the earliest published observation available here, rather than a date for the name’s origin.
From dated birth records
Rourke through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 355
- 355 boys · 0 girls
- Most popular year
- 2012
- 17 babies
- 2025
- 10
- #8,117 for boys
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- 0%
- Steady
By the numbers
In 2025, this name appeared in 10 U.S. birth records for boys, ranking No. 8,117 among boys’ names. Average annual use for boys was virtually unchanged in 2021–2025 compared with 2016–2020. Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 366 as a first name in 2020; 3,520 as a surname in 2020.
From Social Security birth records and U.S. Census name counts for this exact spelling. Other spellings are counted separately.
Rourke’s family of names
Rourke has a related form in Roark. In English usage, Rourke as a surname has a related form in O'ROURKE. In English usage, Rourke as a surname has a related form in Rourk.
The ring: nicknames and forms.
Nicknames & forms 3
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
People named Rourke
Listed by how widely each person is written about, which says nothing about the name itself.
Similar names
If you love Rourke, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.