A spelling variant of Avery, from a Germanic-derived surname meaning 'ruler of the elves.'
Avory is a variant spelling of Avery, a name with Norman French and Old English roots that has undergone one of the more remarkable gender migrations in modern naming history. The name derives from the Old French Averi, itself from the Germanic Alberich — composed of alb ("elf" or "supernatural being") and ric ("power" or "ruler") — meaning essentially "ruler of the elves" or "elf-king." In medieval Europe, Alberich was a figure of genuine mythological power: a dwarf king of great cunning and magical ability appearing in Germanic legend and later in Wagner's Ring cycle as the scheming Alberich of the Nibelungs.
In England, Avery traveled as a surname through the Middle Ages, carried by Norman settlers and English families alike, appearing in records as far back as the twelfth century. As a given name it was firmly masculine for centuries, passing through the American colonial period as an occasional boys' name. The twentieth century, however, brought a remarkable transformation: by the 1990s and especially the 2000s, Avery had become one of the most popular girls' names in America, a phenomenon driven partly by its soft sound, its celebrity associations, and the broader fashion for gender-neutral surnames as first names.
Avory, with its "o" substitution, gives the name a slightly warmer, more rounded visual character — softening the "e" to something that feels just a touch more distinctive on the page. It appeals to parents who love the sound of Avery but want a version that feels uniquely crafted. The name works with easy grace across genders and ages, carrying its ancient supernatural pedigree so lightly that most bearers are blissfully unaware they are named, in some distant etymological sense, after a king of elves.