Nameling

Cary

Gender
Boy
Say it
KAIR-ee
Origin
English
UK rank, 2025
#5,065 for boys
US rank, 2025
#3,657 for boys

Cary is a boys' name of English origin. In 2025 it ranked 5,065th for boys in the UK (3 babies) and 3,657th for boys in the US (30 babies).

What does Cary mean?

English: English surname from the River Cary in Somerset

Archibald Leach took the stage name Cary Grant and became one of Hollywood's great leading men.

More on Wiktionary.

Is Cary a girl's or a boy's name?

Cary is a boys' name. In 2025, it was given to 3 boys in the UK and 30 boys in the US. Too few girls were given it to be listed.

How popular is Cary in the UK?

Rank in 2025
#5,065among boys
Babies in 2025
3about 1 in 100,000 boys
Five-year trend
Steadyup 11% in five years
Same name in a class
under 1%chance among 15 boys

In 2025, 3 boys in the UK were named Cary, making it the 5,065th most popular name for boys. Its busiest year was 1996, with 6 boys.

Half of all the boys named Cary in the UK since 1996 were born between 1999 and 2019. It was already well used in 1996, when the records begin, so earlier boys aren't counted.

Among boys in 2025, it was 4,974th in England and Wales.

1996Busiest: 6 in 19962025
Cary in the UK, year by year
YearBoysRank
20253#5,065
20246#3,335
20231#6,556
20224#4,195
20210–
20200–
20193#4,913
20186#3,162
20176#3,191
20164#4,214
20153#4,955
20140–
20130–
20120–
20110–
20100–
20090–
20080–
20070–
20060–
20050–
20041#4,870
20030–
20020–
20010–
20004#2,612
19994#2,513
19982#3,848
19974#2,438
19966#1,840

How popular is Cary in the US?

Rank in 2025
#3,657among boys
Babies in 2025
30about 1 in 57,000 boys
Five-year trend
Steadydown 4% in five years
Same name in a class
under 1%chance among 15 boys

In 2025, 30 boys in the US were named Cary, making it the 3,657th most popular name for boys. Five years earlier, in 2020, it was 3,915th. Its busiest year was 1957, with 788 boys.

Half of all the boys named Cary in the US since 1880 were born between 1952 and 1971, the years shaded on the chart below.

Girls were 26% of the babies named Cary in the US in 1910, and 14% in 2024.

1880Busiest: 788 in 19572025
Cary in the US, year by year
YearBoysRank
202530#3,657
202432#3,522
202323#4,452
202237#3,214
202127#3,908
202026#3,915
201941#2,941
201822#4,472
201731#3,514
201635#3,229
201532#3,430
201421#4,534
201322#4,311
201228#3,711
201129#3,604
201024#4,098
200925#4,033
200834#3,284
200735#3,186
200627#3,684
200530#3,315
200434#2,949
200339#2,575
200234#2,751
200149#2,113
200053#1,940
199947#2,020
199881#1,403
199781#1,363
199665#1,530
199587#1,239
1994105#1,092
1993113#1,034
1992125#958
1991143#878
1990157#808
1989172#748
1988161#745
1987177#682
1986182#665
1985197#625
1984179#643
1983157#682
1982177#653
1981186#628
1980195#626
1979198#609
1978231#547
1977270#495
1976325#430
1975360#405
1974306#459
1973385#396
1972411#388
1971543#336
1970570#331
1969622#304
1968663#287
1967629#290
1966763#264
1965689#286
1964749#282
1963764#279
1962784#275
1961624#315
1960760#286
1959779#283
1958583#315
1957788#268
1956556#315
1955490#334
1954510#316
1953407#341
1952462#323
1951442#327
1950443#323
1949447#325
1948436#319
1947357#362
1946305#370
1945237#387
1944248#381
1943261#380
1942207#425
1941175#443
1940134#501
193997#581
193899#590
193773#700
193680#653
193561#790
193458#822
193355#834
193243#1,004
193147#959
193053#915
192944#1,026
192844#1,041
192755#924
192642#1,092
192552#933
192459#907
192359#882
192260#891
192175#772
192061#877
191957#877
191850#943
191756#855
191642#984
191553#846
191432#986
191328#930
191220#1,023
191121#689
191023#598
190924#530
190813#744
190714#699
190616#590
190513#666
190412#686
19039#783
190212#650
190110#683
190012#742
18998#786
189810#700
189711#652
189621#424
189511#640
189418#464
189316#459
189211#640
18918#699
18909#667
188911#581
188816#484
18879#631
188613#512
188517#439
18849#663
188310#597
188213#514
188112#503
188017#425

Names like Cary

Names given in the same years and the same naming tradition, with a similar sound.

Tommy Teddy Stanley Chester Woody Billy Harry Sidney Sonny Bobby Henry David

Names related to Cary

Carey Cari

More English names

Lily Evelyn Hudson Ivy Harper Grace Violet Willow Daisy Poppy Riley Oakley Mason Cooper Ruby Hallie

Every English name

Sources

Figures from Baby names in England and Wales (Office for National Statistics), Babies' first names (National Records of Scotland), Baby names (Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency) and Popular Baby Names (US Social Security Administration). Nameling last updated them on 20 October 2026. How the figures are worked out, and the data to download.

To cite this page: Nameling, “Cary: name meaning, origin and popularity”, https://www.nameling.co.uk/names/cary, updated 20 October 2026.