Gary
Boy · GARR-ee · Germanic
Big in Scotland
Gary is a boys' name of Germanic origin, meaning “spear”. In 2025 it ranked 2,511th for boys in the UK (9 babies) and 1,073rd for boys in the US (201 babies).
What does Gary mean?
Germanic: English surname from Germanic names beginning with gar
“spear”
Actor Gary Cooper took his stage name from the town of Gary, Indiana.
- Say it
- GARR-ee
More on Wiktionary.
Is Gary a girl's or a boy's name?
Gary is a boys' name. In 2025, it was given to 9 boys in the UK and 201 boys in the US. Too few girls were given it to be listed.
How popular is Gary in the UK?
- Rank in 2025
- #2,511among boys
- Babies in 2025
- 9about 1 in 33,000 boys
- Five-year trend
- Fallingdown 54% in five years
- Same name in a class
- under 1%chance among 15 boys
In 2025, 9 boys in the UK were named Gary, making it the 2,511th most popular name for boys. Five years earlier, in 2020, it was 1,733rd. Its busiest year was 1996, with 392 boys.
2025 had the fewest boys named Gary since the records began in 1996.
Half of all the boys named Gary in the UK since 1996 were born between 1998 and 2007. It was already well used in 1996, when the records begin, so earlier boys aren't counted.
In 2025, 12 boys in the UK were given Gary or a name that sounds the same. With every name's spellings counted this way, that ranks #1,763, up from #2,511 for this spelling alone.
- Gary 9
- Garry 3
Among boys in 2025, it was 3,239th in England and Wales and 762nd in Scotland.
In the England and Wales top 100 for boys, which the ONS has published every ten years since 1904: 1944 (#95), 1954 (#34), 1964 (#16), 1974 (#30) and 1984 (#26).
Gary in the UK, year by year
| Year | Boys | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 9 | #2,511 |
| 2024 | 12 | #2,009 |
| 2023 | 10 | #2,303 |
| 2022 | 22 | #1,312 |
| 2021 | 24 | #1,227 |
| 2020 | 14 | #1,733 |
| 2019 | 28 | #1,082 |
| 2018 | 26 | #1,142 |
| 2017 | 46 | #806 |
| 2016 | 49 | #762 |
| 2015 | 40 | #857 |
| 2014 | 47 | #750 |
| 2013 | 40 | #843 |
| 2012 | 52 | #711 |
| 2011 | 48 | #737 |
| 2010 | 70 | #550 |
| 2009 | 90 | #464 |
| 2008 | 81 | #493 |
| 2007 | 97 | #412 |
| 2006 | 93 | #409 |
| 2005 | 101 | #350 |
| 2004 | 152 | #249 |
| 2003 | 124 | #278 |
| 2002 | 151 | #234 |
| 2001 | 182 | #202 |
| 2000 | 170 | #206 |
| 1999 | 204 | #185 |
| 1998 | 290 | #147 |
| 1997 | 350 | #133 |
| 1996 | 392 | #125 |
How popular is Gary in the US?
- Rank in 2025
- #1,073among boys
- Babies in 2025
- 201about 1 in 8,500 boys
- Five-year trend
- Fallingdown 39% in five years
- Same name in a class
- under 1%chance among 15 boys
In 2025, 201 boys in the US were named Gary, making it the 1,073rd most popular name for boys. Five years earlier, in 2020, it was 806th. Its busiest year was 1952, with 38,754 boys.
Half of all the boys named Gary in the US since 1880 were born between 1948 and 1963, the years shaded on the chart below.
In 2025, 216 boys in the US were given Gary or a name that sounds the same. With every name's spellings counted this way, that ranks #945, up from #1,073 for this spelling alone.
- Gary 201
- Garry 15
Gary in the US, year by year
| Year | Boys | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 201 | #1,073 |
| 2024 | 187 | #1,133 |
| 2023 | 203 | #1,066 |
| 2022 | 237 | #956 |
| 2021 | 253 | #907 |
| 2020 | 288 | #806 |
| 2019 | 303 | #774 |
| 2018 | 374 | #671 |
| 2017 | 407 | #637 |
| 2016 | 444 | #606 |
| 2015 | 479 | #581 |
| 2014 | 493 | #561 |
| 2013 | 446 | #578 |
| 2012 | 492 | #530 |
| 2011 | 527 | #495 |
| 2010 | 547 | #475 |
| 2009 | 611 | #452 |
| 2008 | 679 | #427 |
| 2007 | 779 | #388 |
| 2006 | 870 | #349 |
| 2005 | 879 | #338 |
| 2004 | 925 | #326 |
| 2003 | 912 | #323 |
| 2002 | 1,043 | #285 |
| 2001 | 1,013 | #294 |
| 2000 | 1,168 | #275 |
| 1999 | 1,253 | #251 |
| 1998 | 1,345 | #234 |
| 1997 | 1,327 | #232 |
| 1996 | 1,543 | #201 |
| 1995 | 1,625 | #190 |
| 1994 | 1,898 | #167 |
| 1993 | 2,064 | #156 |
| 1992 | 2,393 | #139 |
| 1991 | 2,677 | #124 |
| 1990 | 3,069 | #114 |
| 1989 | 3,127 | #106 |
| 1988 | 3,244 | #100 |
| 1987 | 3,486 | #87 |
| 1986 | 3,719 | #84 |
| 1985 | 3,812 | #82 |
| 1984 | 3,951 | #76 |
| 1983 | 4,266 | #68 |
| 1982 | 4,642 | #64 |
| 1981 | 4,946 | #62 |
| 1980 | 5,037 | #63 |
| 1979 | 5,038 | #59 |
| 1978 | 5,111 | #60 |
| 1977 | 5,447 | #58 |
| 1976 | 5,592 | #52 |
| 1975 | 6,114 | #50 |
| 1974 | 6,444 | #48 |
| 1973 | 6,851 | #44 |
| 1972 | 7,758 | #41 |
| 1971 | 9,190 | #38 |
| 1970 | 10,716 | #35 |
| 1969 | 11,142 | #35 |
| 1968 | 11,973 | #32 |
| 1967 | 12,616 | #32 |
| 1966 | 14,155 | #28 |
| 1965 | 15,259 | #27 |
| 1964 | 17,206 | #26 |
| 1963 | 18,929 | #24 |
| 1962 | 20,884 | #22 |
| 1961 | 22,174 | #21 |
| 1960 | 21,693 | #22 |
| 1959 | 23,303 | #20 |
| 1958 | 25,287 | #17 |
| 1957 | 29,530 | #13 |
| 1956 | 31,842 | #13 |
| 1955 | 34,433 | #12 |
| 1954 | 37,920 | #9 |
| 1953 | 36,967 | #10 |
| 1952 | 38,754 | #10 |
| 1951 | 38,160 | #10 |
| 1950 | 33,737 | #10 |
| 1949 | 28,935 | #12 |
| 1948 | 28,397 | #12 |
| 1947 | 30,029 | #12 |
| 1946 | 26,931 | #12 |
| 1945 | 21,345 | #13 |
| 1944 | 20,058 | #15 |
| 1943 | 17,868 | #16 |
| 1942 | 17,068 | #18 |
| 1941 | 14,568 | #19 |
| 1940 | 12,573 | #19 |
| 1939 | 9,684 | #21 |
| 1938 | 8,861 | #22 |
| 1937 | 6,763 | #29 |
| 1936 | 5,192 | #38 |
| 1935 | 4,490 | #44 |
| 1934 | 3,354 | #60 |
| 1933 | 2,254 | #80 |
| 1932 | 1,295 | #136 |
| 1931 | 990 | #153 |
| 1930 | 713 | #194 |
| 1929 | 537 | #234 |
| 1928 | 227 | #395 |
| 1927 | 130 | #541 |
| 1926 | 104 | #614 |
| 1925 | 115 | #585 |
| 1924 | 84 | #722 |
| 1923 | 85 | #701 |
| 1922 | 73 | #780 |
| 1921 | 86 | #698 |
| 1920 | 74 | #766 |
| 1919 | 82 | #686 |
| 1918 | 74 | #748 |
| 1917 | 72 | #723 |
| 1916 | 72 | #698 |
| 1915 | 78 | #657 |
| 1914 | 59 | #658 |
| 1913 | 40 | #734 |
| 1912 | 44 | #622 |
| 1911 | 25 | #605 |
| 1910 | 16 | #755 |
| 1909 | 12 | #840 |
| 1908 | 26 | #489 |
| 1907 | 16 | #634 |
| 1906 | 16 | #590 |
| 1905 | 16 | #592 |
| 1904 | 11 | #723 |
| 1903 | 8 | #846 |
| 1902 | 18 | #507 |
| 1901 | 10 | #683 |
| 1900 | 9 | #901 |
| 1899 | 8 | #786 |
| 1898 | 7 | #884 |
| 1897 | 13 | #584 |
| 1896 | 13 | #592 |
| 1895 | 12 | #609 |
| 1894 | 10 | #667 |
| 1893 | 7 | #836 |
| 1892 | 15 | #525 |
| 1891 | 6 | #840 |
| 1890 | 11 | #603 |
| 1889 | 0 | – |
| 1888 | 6 | #917 |
| 1887 | 7 | #752 |
| 1886 | 7 | #758 |
| 1885 | 7 | #765 |
| 1884 | 5 | #971 |
| 1883 | 0 | – |
| 1882 | 10 | #611 |
| 1881 | 6 | #780 |
| 1880 | 6 | #809 |
Nicknames for Gary
- Gaz
Names like Gary
Names given in the same years and the same naming tradition, with a similar sound.
Billy Bobby Michael Robert Harry Rudy David William Tommy Robin Patrick Anthony
Other spellings of Gary
Names related to Gary
More Germanic names
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