Cary

Cary - A very unique male name

Cary appeared on the charts for the first time in 1911 on position #650. In this article you'll learn the history of this name, statistics, see famous people named Cary and more.
Are you having a baby or looking to learn more about the name Cary? Our experts and editorial staff have gathered trends and insights for 30,000+ baby names over the last 100 years -- And on this page you will learn everything you ever wanted to know about the name Cary. The baby boy name Cary was given to 7 baby boys in 2025, ranking #3392 on the national boy baby name top chart.


With that position 1 in 209,469 baby boys were given this name - making this a very unique male name according to our Popularity Score algorithm. Cary peaked in popularity 60 years ago in 1966 on position 262.

Famous with this name

How would you rate Cary, 1-5?

Cary is currently topping the charts in...

Did you know that popularity can vary a lot between states? Cary is currently topping the baby name charts in New York at position #1,438 - and is the least popular in New York at position #1,438.

Why care about state specific baby name charts? It could be that a name that is very popular on the national overall charts is less (or even more) popular where you live. So make sure you check out the state specific charts below and find out how popular or unique Cary is where you live.

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Cary origin and meaning

English surname / place name

Transferred surname and place name (Castle Cary and related places, from Celtic river names); meaning of the river element is uncertain

Cary's fame rests on Cary Grant — born Archibald Leach, who took Cary as his stage first name — but as a given name it is an older surname transfer in use since 1911, peaking in 1962. It now appears only a handful of times a year.

Origin uncertain

Cary is a 4 letter name with 2 syllables.

To see famous people named Cary, pop culture references for the name Cary and nicknames & variations - visit Nameberry or Wikipedia.

Similar to Cary

We've found the following names that sound similar to Cary, sorted by popularity.

Corey / Cory / Cesar / Carey / Crew / Cairo / Caesar / Crue / Ceasar / Ciro /

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Name statistics

Most parents-to-be know if they want a popular or unique name, and with these charts and data tables you can easily get a better understanding of how popular or unique this name is.

With a quick glance you can easily tell if this name is increasing or declining in popularity - But note that its current popularity can actually differ a lot from state to state.

Chart position per year (visualized)

Chart position per state (visualized)

Chart position per year (table view)

Chart position per state (table view)

Even more about Cary

These are some of the common questions you may want to have answered to know if this is the perfect name for your baby.

Is Cary a common or unique name?

By analyzing the number of births and frequency of this name we've determined that it's currently a very unique male name.

What is the number of syllables for the name Cary?

2 syllables. Why is this important? One of the things that makes a baby name sound good and have a nice rythm is the number of syllables - and especially the number of syllables along with the syllable count for your last name. A simple rule is to avoid having the same number of syllables in your first, middle and last name.

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Pronunciation

KAIR-ee · /ˈkɛəri/

Around the world

No traditional forms in other languages — this name was created in America in our own time.

Spellings and nicknames

• Carey — The more common spelling of the surname name.

Famous bearers

• Cary Grant — Film star of the Golden Age of Hollywood; born Archibald Leach, he adopted Cary as his stage first name (1904–1986) Historical
• Cary Elwes — Actor known for The Princess Bride (b. 1962) Contemporary

Style

Surname

Why parents choose it

A smooth Golden Age surname name, kept alive almost single-handedly by Cary Grant's image.

Worth knowing

• Identical in sound to Carrie / Kerry — gender and spelling assumptions will vary.