Gary - A very unique male name
Gary at a glance
Gary is ranked #1103 among boy baby names in 2025, with 144 births in 2025. It peaked in 1954 at #9 and first appeared on the charts in 1913.
- Rank in 2025
- #1103
- Births in 2025
- 144
- Peak year
- 1954 (#9)
- First appeared
- 1913
- Trend
- #777 in 2020 → #1103 in 2025 (Falling)
- Popularity
- 1 in 10,183 boys
- Visitor rating
- 4.0/5 (15 recent votes)
Source: U.S. Social Security Administration · Data through 2025 · Updated 2026
With that position 1 in 10,183 baby boys were given this name - making this a very unique male name according to our Popularity Score algorithm. Gary peaked in popularity 72 years ago in 1954 on position 9.
Famous with this name
Gary Oldman
Gary Cole
Gary Busey
How would you rate Gary, 1-5?
Gary is currently topping the charts in...
Did you know that popularity can vary a lot between states? Gary is currently topping the baby name charts in Missouri at position #537 - and is the least popular in Georgia at position #1,413.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 Gary is where you live.
Comment and discuss
Gary origin and meaning
English surname and short form, from Germanic
Uncertain — usually traced to Germanic gar, 'spear', via a surname and as a short form of names such as Gareth and Gerald, but no single derivation is established
Gary rose as a fresh, modern-sounding name in the 1930s–50s, helped by actor Gary Cooper (born Frank Cooper, who took Gary from the town of Gary, Indiana). It was enormous at its 1952 peak — nearly 39,000 births — and has fallen a very long way since, which is exactly its current character.
Origin uncertain
Gary is a 4 letter name with 2 syllables.
To see famous people named Gary, pop culture references for the name Gary and nicknames & variations - visit Nameberry or Wikipedia.Similar to Gary
We've found the following names that sound similar to Gary, sorted by popularity.
Garry / Gerry / Grey / Gray / Geary / Ger / Garey / Gery / Gor / Garo /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)
| Year | Rank |
|---|---|
| 2025 | 1103 |
| 2024 | 1124 |
| 2023 | 1056 |
| 2022 | 930 |
| 2021 | 870 |
| 2020 | 777 |
| 2019 | 781 |
| 2018 | 680 |
| 2017 | 641 |
| 2016 | 605 |
| 2015 | 577 |
| 2014 | 557 |
| 2013 | 574 |
| 2012 | 518 |
| 2011 | 488 |
| 2010 | 473 |
| 2009 | 455 |
| 2008 | 427 |
| 2007 | 389 |
| 2006 | 349 |
| 2005 | 339 |
| 2004 | 328 |
| 2003 | 327 |
| 2002 | 285 |
| 2001 | 294 |
| 2000 | 274 |
| 1999 | 252 |
| 1998 | 234 |
| 1997 | 235 |
| 1996 | 201 |
| 1995 | 190 |
| 1994 | 167 |
| 1993 | 156 |
| 1992 | 139 |
| 1991 | 123 |
| 1990 | 113 |
| 1989 | 106 |
| 1988 | 100 |
| 1987 | 87 |
| 1986 | 84 |
| 1985 | 82 |
| 1984 | 75 |
| 1983 | 68 |
| 1982 | 64 |
| 1981 | 62 |
| 1980 | 63 |
| 1979 | 59 |
| 1978 | 60 |
| 1977 | 58 |
| 1976 | 52 |
| 1975 | 50 |
| 1974 | 48 |
| 1973 | 44 |
| 1972 | 41 |
| 1971 | 38 |
| 1970 | 35 |
| 1969 | 35 |
| 1968 | 32 |
| 1967 | 32 |
| 1966 | 28 |
| 1965 | 27 |
| 1964 | 26 |
| 1963 | 24 |
| 1962 | 22 |
| 1961 | 21 |
| 1960 | 22 |
| 1959 | 20 |
| 1958 | 17 |
| 1957 | 13 |
| 1956 | 13 |
| 1955 | 12 |
| 1954 | 9 |
| 1953 | 10 |
| 1952 | 10 |
| 1951 | 10 |
| 1950 | 10 |
| 1949 | 12 |
| 1948 | 12 |
| 1947 | 12 |
| 1946 | 12 |
| 1945 | 13 |
| 1944 | 15 |
| 1943 | 16 |
| 1942 | 18 |
| 1941 | 19 |
| 1940 | 19 |
| 1939 | 21 |
| 1938 | 22 |
| 1937 | 29 |
| 1936 | 38 |
| 1935 | 44 |
| 1934 | 60 |
| 1933 | 81 |
| 1932 | 134 |
| 1931 | 152 |
| 1930 | 193 |
| 1929 | 231 |
| 1928 | 402 |
| 1927 | 561 |
| 1926 | 742 |
| 1925 | 703 |
| 1924 | 907 |
| 1923 | 858 |
| 1922 | 900 |
| 1921 | 849 |
| 1920 | 867 |
| 1919 | 934 |
| 1918 | 828 |
| 1917 | 803 |
| 1916 | 908 |
| 1915 | 804 |
| 1914 | 785 |
| 1913 | 973 |
Chart position per state (table view)
| State | Rank |
|---|---|
| Missouri | 537 |
| Minnesota | 850 |
| Michigan | 864 |
| Tennessee | 870 |
| Florida | 928 |
| Pennsylvania | 946 |
| Ohio | 969 |
| Indiana | 993 |
| Washington | 1056 |
| Illinois | 1062 |
| New Jersey | 1084 |
| California | 1129 |
| Virginia | 1142 |
| Texas | 1184 |
| New York | 1236 |
| North Carolina | 1339 |
| Georgia | 1413 |
Even more about Gary
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 Gary 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 Gary?
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.Pronunciation
GAIR-ee · /ˈɡɛəri/
Around the world
No traditional forms in other languages — this name was created in America in our own time.
Spellings and nicknames
- Garry — Double-r spelling, a separate entry
- Garey — Occasional respelling, not a separate SSA entry
Nicknames: Gaz
Famous bearers
- Gary Cooper — American film actor, star of High Noon; born Frank Cooper and famous under the stage name Gary Cooper (1901–1961) Historical
- Gary Oldman — English actor, Oscar winner for Darkest Hour (b. 1958) Contemporary
- Gary Lineker — English football striker turned broadcaster (b. 1963) Contemporary
Style
ClassicSurname
Why parents choose it
Gary is now a grandad name in steep decline — choosing it today is usually a family honour name rather than a fashion choice.
Worth knowing
- Reads strongly as a 1950s name; expect surprise at a baby Gary
