Cary
Cary is a given name. Notable people with the name include:Cary Angeline, American football player Cary Brothers, American singer-songwriter Cary Elwes, English actor and writer Cary Joji Fukunaga, American film director Cary Grant (1904–1986), English-American actor Cary Guffey, American former child actor Cary Huang, American animator and YouTuber Cary Kaplan,, sports marketer Cary Kwok, Hong…
Meaning & Origin of Cary
What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.
Cary is a given name. Notable people with the name include:Cary Angeline, American football player Cary Brothers, American singer-songwriter Cary Elwes, English actor and writer Cary Joji Fukunaga, American film director Cary Grant (1904–1986), English-American actor Cary Guffey, American former child actor Cary Huang, American animator and YouTuber Cary Kaplan,, sports marketer Cary Kwok, Hong…
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
The Story of Cary
As a girl name
Cary first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a girl name in 1882, with 7 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 1975, when 204 Carys were born — ranking #722 that year. As of 2026, Cary ranks #15,243 for girls with 5 births, with steady use. In total, more than 5K Carys have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1880s through the 2020s.
As a boy name
Cary first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a boy name in 1880, with 17 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 1957, when 788 Carys were born — ranking #268 that year. As of 2026, Cary ranks #3,631 for boys with 31 births, holding steady (+4%). In total, more than 25K Carys have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1880s through the 2020s.
Popularity Over Time
Popularity by State
Names that sound like Cary
Phonetically similar names — useful when Cary is the vibe but a different syllable count or letter feel might suit better. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.
Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.
Frequently Asked Questions about Cary
What does the name Cary mean?
How popular is Cary in 2026?
When was Cary most popular?
In which U.S. states is Cary most popular?
Is Cary a unisex name?
What names go well with Cary?
About the name Cary
Cary is a unisex baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1880 and has accumulated 25K births in the dataset. Cary's peak popularity came in 1957 when it ranked #264. Use the chart and map above to compare Cary's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.
Continue exploring
- Top names of 1957 →
- Names of the 1950s →
- Names starting with "C" →
- Browse all boy names →
- Top names of 2026 →
- Browse unisex names →
Data sources
- Birth statistics (counts, ranks, years 1880–2026) — U.S. Social Security Administration . Predictions for years not yet released by SSA are computed by Peek a Name from historical trends; we update with official data as soon as it ships.
- Etymology, cultural origins, and related forms — Behind the Name (used under their public API terms).
- Meaning prose and editorial summary — Wikipedia article extracts, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 .
- Predicted nationality distribution — Nationalize.io .
- Phonetically similar names — Datamuse .
Peek a Name aggregates and presents the above data for informational purposes. Statistical predictions and external attributions are clearly labelled where shown; we make no guarantee of accuracy beyond what each source provides.