Boy nameCurrently #1,130 in the USFalling
Gary
GAIR-ee//ˈɡɛəri//
2 syllablesPeak year: 19524 lettersStarts with G
Meaning & origin
Spear (short form of Gerald, popularized independently)
Gary shares roots with Gerald and other spear-related Germanic names, though it was popularized in America largely as an independent choice, boosted by the naming of Gary, Indiana, and actor Gary Cooper's stage name. It carries a warm, mid-century American familiarity.
Gary's popularity over time
| Year | Births named Gary |
|---|---|
| 1880 | 6 |
| 1881 | 6 |
| 1882 | 10 |
| 1884 | 5 |
| 1885 | 7 |
| 1886 | 7 |
| 1887 | 7 |
| 1888 | 6 |
| 1890 | 11 |
| 1891 | 6 |
| 1892 | 15 |
| 1893 | 7 |
| 1894 | 10 |
| 1895 | 12 |
| 1896 | 13 |
| 1897 | 13 |
| 1898 | 7 |
| 1899 | 8 |
| 1900 | 9 |
| 1901 | 10 |
| 1902 | 18 |
| 1903 | 8 |
| 1904 | 11 |
| 1905 | 16 |
| 1906 | 16 |
| 1907 | 16 |
| 1908 | 26 |
| 1909 | 12 |
| 1910 | 16 |
| 1911 | 25 |
| 1912 | 44 |
| 1913 | 40 |
| 1914 | 59 |
| 1915 | 84 |
| 1916 | 72 |
| 1917 | 79 |
| 1918 | 79 |
| 1919 | 89 |
| 1920 | 81 |
| 1921 | 95 |
| 1922 | 78 |
| 1923 | 85 |
| 1924 | 90 |
| 1925 | 120 |
| 1926 | 114 |
| 1927 | 130 |
| 1928 | 239 |
| 1929 | 542 |
| 1930 | 728 |
| 1931 | 1,004 |
| 1932 | 1,308 |
| 1933 | 2,274 |
| 1934 | 3,369 |
| 1935 | 4,506 |
| 1936 | 5,219 |
| 1937 | 6,801 |
| 1938 | 8,897 |
| 1939 | 9,708 |
| 1940 | 12,617 |
| 1941 | 14,618 |
| 1942 | 17,127 |
| 1943 | 17,926 |
| 1944 | 20,125 |
| 1945 | 21,405 |
| 1946 | 27,010 |
| 1947 | 30,120 |
| 1948 | 28,470 |
| 1949 | 28,988 |
| 1950 | 33,808 |
| 1951 | 38,230 |
| 1952 | 38,838 |
| 1953 | 37,033 |
| 1954 | 38,009 |
| 1955 | 34,520 |
| 1956 | 31,906 |
| 1957 | 29,618 |
| 1958 | 25,354 |
| 1959 | 23,376 |
| 1960 | 21,762 |
| 1961 | 22,261 |
| 1962 | 20,966 |
| 1963 | 19,000 |
| 1964 | 17,270 |
| 1965 | 15,311 |
| 1966 | 14,210 |
| 1967 | 12,676 |
| 1968 | 12,044 |
| 1969 | 11,211 |
| 1970 | 10,780 |
| 1971 | 9,243 |
| 1972 | 7,808 |
| 1973 | 6,898 |
| 1974 | 6,490 |
| 1975 | 6,162 |
| 1976 | 5,630 |
| 1977 | 5,498 |
| 1978 | 5,150 |
| 1979 | 5,092 |
| 1980 | 5,079 |
| 1981 | 4,983 |
| 1982 | 4,683 |
| 1983 | 4,316 |
| 1984 | 3,976 |
| 1985 | 3,847 |
| 1986 | 3,752 |
| 1987 | 3,516 |
| 1988 | 3,270 |
| 1989 | 3,142 |
| 1990 | 3,085 |
| 1991 | 2,685 |
| 1992 | 2,407 |
| 1993 | 2,073 |
| 1994 | 1,903 |
| 1995 | 1,633 |
| 1996 | 1,551 |
| 1997 | 1,333 |
| 1998 | 1,345 |
| 1999 | 1,253 |
| 2000 | 1,168 |
| 2001 | 1,013 |
| 2002 | 1,043 |
| 2003 | 912 |
| 2004 | 925 |
| 2005 | 878 |
| 2006 | 870 |
| 2007 | 779 |
| 2008 | 679 |
| 2009 | 611 |
| 2010 | 547 |
| 2011 | 527 |
| 2012 | 492 |
| 2013 | 446 |
| 2014 | 493 |
| 2015 | 479 |
| 2016 | 444 |
| 2017 | 407 |
| 2018 | 374 |
| 2019 | 303 |
| 2020 | 288 |
| 2021 | 253 |
| 2022 | 237 |
| 2023 | 203 |
| 2024 | 187 |
Gary through the decades
- Gary peaked in 1952, when 38,838 babies were named Gary in the US.
- Over the last 10 years of data (2015–2024), use of Gary has fallen 50% compared to the 10 years before that.
- Gary currently ranks #1,130 in the US and is cooling off.
Nicknames
Gary
Variants & spellings
Garry
Famous people named Gary
- Gary Cooper — actor