Boy · #5,667 in 2026

Garry

Gary and Garry are English language masculine given names.

Current Rank
#5,667
Peak Rank
#138 (1954)
Total Babies
48K
5-Yr Trend
-37%
1934
First Year
1984
Last Year
1957
Peak Year
#3489
Peak Rank
179
Total Count
26
Years Active

Meaning & Origin of Garry

What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.

Gary and Garry are English language masculine given names.

Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →

Etymology
Gary is likely derived from the Norman French name Geiree , itself descended from the Old Frankish name Geiserich , composed of two elements: "*gaizaz" (spear, pike, javelin) plus "*rīkijaz" (kingly, royal). A variant form of Gary is Garry , the spelling of which has been influenced by that of Barry . An informal pet form of Gary is Gaz , a variant of which is Gazza . A given name associated with Gary and Garry is Garrison ; the latter is sometimes borne by sons of men bearing the former names. The Gaelic Garaidh is also associated with Gary . Because of the "Gare" sound at the beginning in Am
Origin & history
The usage of Gary as a given name is intertwined with the success of the actor Gary Cooper (1901–1961). The American industrialist Elbert Henry Gary left his name to the town of Gary, Indiana . The theatrical agent Nan Collins, who lived in this town, suggested the name Gary to Frank Cooper, one of her clients, who went on to have a successful film career as Gary Cooper. According to the Social Security Administration , Gary was relatively rare as a given name in the 1900–1920s period (e.g., in the 1910s it was the 677th most frequent name, given to less than 0.01% of the babies born in that d

The Story of Garry

The earliest SSA record of Garry as a baby boy name dates back to 1880, when 6 babies received it. 1954 was its biggest year on record, with 2,218 newborns named Garry — #138 in the national rankings. About 39% of every Garry on record arrived during the 1950s, its defining decade. As of 2026, Garry ranks #5,667 for baby boys with 16 births, falling sharply (-37%). All told, over 48K Americans have carried the name since 1880, from the 1880s to the 2020s.

Popularity Over Time

Popularity by State

ME
WA
MT
ND
MN
WI
MI
NY
VT
NH
MA
OR
ID
SD
IA
IL
IN
OH
PA
NJ
CT
RI
CA
NV
WY
NE
MO
KY
WV
VA
MD
DE
DC
UT
CO
KS
AR
TN
NC
SC
AK
AZ
NM
OK
LA
MS
AL
GA
HI
TX
FL
Top 10
11-50
51-100
101-500
500+
No data

Names that sound like Garry

Phonetically similar names — useful when Garry 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 Garry

What does the name Garry mean?
Gary and Garry are English language masculine given names.
How popular is Garry in 2026?
In 2026, Garry ranks #5,667 among boys' names in the U.S., with 16 babies given the name that year.
When was Garry most popular?
Garry reached its peak popularity in 1954, ranking #138 that year with 2,218 babies given the name.
In which U.S. states is Garry most popular?
Garry has historically been most popular in Indiana, Kentucky, Arkansas. Rankings vary year to year, but these states show the strongest concentration of births named Garry.
Is Garry a unisex name?
In U.S. Social Security records, Garry is primarily a boy's name. We don't have meaningful data for it as a girl's name.
What names go well with Garry?
Names that share a similar style or popularity range with Garry include Dick, Kirk, Felix. These pairings are based on rank proximity and naming era in U.S. data.

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About the name Garry

Garry is a boy baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1880 and has accumulated 48K births in the dataset. Garry's peak popularity came in 1954 when it ranked #138. Use the chart and map above to compare Garry's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.

Continue exploring

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.