Boy · #1,224 in 2026

Gary

Gary and Garry are English language masculine given names.

  • English
Current Rank
#1,224
Peak Rank
#9 (1952)
Total Babies
902K
5-Yr Trend
-40%
1915
First Year
1997
Last Year
1961
Peak Year
#1135
Peak Rank
3K
Total Count
80
Years Active

Meaning & Origin of Gary

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 →

Cultural Origins (via Behind the Name)

  • English
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 Gary

Gary first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a baby boy name in 1880, with 6 babies given the name that year. The name hit its high-water mark in 1952: 38,753 births, good for #10 nationwide. About 37% of every Gary on record arrived during the 1950s, its defining decade. As of 2026, Gary ranks #1,224 for baby boys with 164 births, falling sharply (-40%). All told, over 902K 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

Variants & Related Forms of Gary

Foreign forms, alternate spellings, and nicknames that share roots with Gary. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.

  • Gaz

Names that sound like Gary

Phonetically similar names — useful when Gary 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 Gary

What does the name Gary mean?
Gary and Garry are English language masculine given names.
What is the origin of the name Gary?
Gary has roots in the following cultural and linguistic traditions: English.
How popular is Gary in 2026?
In 2026, Gary ranks #1,224 among boys' names in the U.S., with 164 babies given the name that year.
When was Gary most popular?
Gary reached its peak popularity in 1952, ranking #9 that year with 38,753 babies given the name.
In which U.S. states is Gary most popular?
Gary has historically been most popular in Hawaii, Montana, North Dakota. Rankings vary year to year, but these states show the strongest concentration of births named Gary.
Is Gary a unisex name?
In U.S. Social Security records, Gary is primarily a boy's name. We don't have meaningful data for it as a girl's name.
What names go well with Gary?
Names that share a similar style or popularity range with Gary include Austin, Ronald, Jeffrey. These pairings are based on rank proximity and naming era in U.S. data.
What are nicknames or variants of Gary?
Common variants and related forms of Gary include Gaz. These cover foreign-language equivalents, alternate spellings, and short forms.

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About the name Gary

Gary is a boy baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1880 and has accumulated 902K births in the dataset. Gary's peak popularity came in 1952 when it ranked #9. Use the chart and map above to compare Gary'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.