Gary
Gary was the 1073rd most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 201 babies. Its best year was 1954, when it ranked 9th; the most babies were born in 1952 (38,754). Over the last ten years it has moved down 492 places. More babies were named Gary in the 1950s than in any other decade.
Meaning spear (from names in Gar-/Ger-) · English, Germanic
Say it GAIR-ee /ˈɡɛɹi/
- Rank in 2025
- #1,073 boys, down 266 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 201boys
- Girls and boys
- Almost always a boy’s name2021–2025
- Peak year
- 195238,754 babies
- Total since 1880
- 905,438babies recorded
What does the name Gary mean?
Gary is a medieval short form of Germanic names beginning with gari or geri 'spear', such as Gerard and Garrett, as Wiktionary notes; it can also be short for Gareth. Wiktionary attributes its 20th-century popularity to the American actor Gary Cooper (born Frank Cooper), who took his stage name from Gary, Indiana, a city named after the steel executive Elbert Gary.
gēr / gari (Old High German, “spear”)
How sure is this? Well established.
Related names: Garry, Gerard, Garrett, Gareth.
See also: Germanic names, names that mean warrior.
Sources for this meaning
- Wiktionary, entry 'Gary', Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0; facts restated, no text reused)
- Dictionary of Medieval Names from European Sources, ed. S. L. Uckelman, Edition 2023 no. 1, s.v. 'Gerald', DMNES (Durham University)
Gary popularity since 1880
A few girls are given the name too: 3,286 since 1915.
| Year | Rank (boys) | Babies (boys) |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #1,073 | 201 |
| 2020 | #807 | 288 |
| 2010 | #475 | 547 |
| 2000 | #275 | 1,168 |
| 1990 | #114 | 3,069 |
| 1980 | #63 | 5,037 |
| 1970 | #35 | 10,716 |
| 1960 | #22 | 21,693 |
| 1950 | #10 | 33,737 |
| 1940 | #19 | 12,573 |
| 1930 | #194 | 713 |
| 1920 | #770 | 74 |
| 1910 | #766 | 16 |
| 1900 | #934 | 9 |
| 1890 | #613 | 11 |
| 1880 | #857 | 6 |
How popular is Gary, counting every spelling?
Gary is the most common spelling of a name family that ranked #983 for boys in 2025 once every spelling is counted together, compared with #1,073 for Gary on its own. Together these spellings went to 216 boys in 2025.
| Spelling | Babies 2025 | Official rank | Babies 2021–2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gary | 201 | #1,073 | 1,081 |
| Garry | 15 | #5,949 | 91 |
Spellings count together when they sound the same in American English and are used for the same sex; nicknames and forms that sound different (such as Theo and Theodore) are kept apart. How we group spellings.
How many kids will share the name Gary?
201 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Gary (0.06 per 1,000 births). For a boy named Gary born in 2025, the chance that another child with the same name is in a class of 20 children the same age is under 1 in 50. If every grade liked the name as much as the 2025 babies do, only about one elementary school in 42 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Gary.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Gary?
About 585,100 people born in the US named Gary are alive today, with a median age of 68; half are between 58 and 75. That makes Gary a name most people associate with older generations.
Babies given the name each year (SSA) times the share of that birth year still alive (SSA life tables). Counts people born in the US only. Method.
Gary by state
How common Gary was among boys born in each state in 2021–2025. It is notably more common than nationally in Georgia (1.9×), Tennessee (1.8×), Louisiana (1.6×). In 21 states fewer than five boys a year got the name, too few for SSA to publish, so those states show as zero.
Names with a similar history
These names rose and fell in step with Gary: their share of US boys followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Gary, they share its era and feel.
Middle names for Gary · Sibling names for Gary
Gary is also a nickname for Garrett.
Questions about the name Gary
What does Gary mean?
Gary means “spear (from names in Gar-/Ger-)” (English, Germanic origin). Certainty: well established.
How popular is the name Gary?
Gary was the 1073rd most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 201 babies. Its best year was 1954, when it ranked 9th; the most babies were born in 1952 (38,754). Over the last ten years it has moved down 492 places. More babies were named Gary in the 1950s than in any other decade.
Is Gary a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, almost always a boy’s name given the name Gary in the US.
Where is Gary most popular?
In 2021–2025, Gary was most common in Georgia (0.24 per 1,000 boys), followed by Tennessee and Kansas.