Gary
Medieval short form of Germanic compound names beginning with gari or geri ("spear"), such as Gerard, Garrett, Gerald, or Gerbert.
Every Gary since 1880 — 905,438 of them. Popularity, births, and rankings for each year, from official Social Security records.
The story of Gary
Gary is uncommon for boys in the United States, ranked #1,073 in 2025 with 201 babies given the name. It is currently declining compared with a decade ago.
Since 1880, 905,438 American babies have been named Gary. Its peak came in 1952, when 38,839 newborns received the name — the signature sound of the 1950s.
The chart above shows the full history: the popularity view (births per 1,000 babies) is the honest comparison across generations, since total US births have changed enormously since 1880. Switch to the rank view to see where Gary stood among all boys' names in any year, or use the compare tool to plot it against other names.
Gary year by year
Every year since 2001, and five-year steps back to 1880. Rank is within each sex.
| Year | Girls | Girls rank | Boys | Boys rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | — | — | 201 | #1,073 |
| 2024 | — | — | 187 | #1,133 |
| 2023 | — | — | 203 | #1,067 |
| 2022 | — | — | 237 | #956 |
| 2021 | — | — | 253 | #908 |
| 2020 | — | — | 288 | #807 |
| 2019 | — | — | 303 | #774 |
| 2018 | — | — | 374 | #671 |
| 2017 | — | — | 407 | #637 |
| 2016 | — | — | 444 | #606 |
| 2015 | — | — | 479 | #581 |
| 2014 | — | — | 493 | #561 |
| 2013 | — | — | 446 | #580 |
| 2012 | — | — | 492 | #532 |
| 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 | #324 |
| 2002 | — | — | 1,043 | #285 |
| 2001 | — | — | 1,013 | #294 |
| 2000 | — | — | 1,168 | #275 |
| 1995 | 8 | #9,883 | 1,625 | #190 |
| 1990 | 15 | #5,918 | 3,069 | #114 |
| 1985 | 35 | #2,719 | 3,812 | #82 |
| 1980 | 42 | #2,319 | 5,037 | #63 |
| 1975 | 47 | #1,919 | 6,114 | #50 |
| 1970 | 64 | #1,532 | 10,716 | #35 |
| 1965 | 52 | #1,550 | 15,259 | #27 |
| 1960 | 79 | #1,229 | 21,693 | #22 |
| 1955 | 87 | #1,084 | 34,433 | #12 |
| 1950 | 68 | #1,117 | 33,737 | #10 |
| 1945 | 60 | #996 | 21,345 | #13 |
| 1940 | 44 | #1,089 | 12,573 | #19 |
| 1935 | 16 | #2,035 | 4,490 | #44 |
| 1930 | 15 | #2,238 | 713 | #194 |
| 1925 | 5 | #5,283 | 115 | #587 |
| 1920 | 7 | #4,139 | 74 | #770 |
| 1915 | 6 | #3,959 | 78 | #660 |
| 1910 | — | — | 16 | #766 |
| 1905 | — | — | 16 | #601 |
| 1900 | — | — | 9 | #934 |
| 1895 | — | — | 12 | #617 |
| 1890 | — | — | 11 | #613 |
| 1885 | — | — | 7 | #794 |
| 1880 | — | — | 6 | #857 |
Famous people named Gary
- Gary Cooper Actor · 1901–1961
- Gary Oldman Actor · b. 1958
- Gary Moore Musician · 1952–2011
- Gary Becker Economist · 1930–2014
- Gary Sinise Actor · b. 1955
Ranked by global fame across Wikipedia editions (Pantheon project, MIT).
Frequently asked questions
What does the name Gary mean?
Medieval short form of Germanic compound names beginning with gari or geri ("spear"), such as Gerard, Garrett, Gerald, or Gerbert.
How popular is the name Gary in 2025?
Gary ranked #1,073 among boys' names in the United States in 2025, with 201 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.
How many people are named Gary?
905,438 babies have been named Gary in the United States since 1880, based on Social Security card applications.
When was the name Gary most popular?
Gary peaked in 1952, when 38,839 newborns received the name.
Is Gary a boy or girl name?
Gary is overwhelmingly a boy's name — 100% of babies with the name.
Is the name Gary rising or falling?
Gary is declining — less popular now than a decade ago.
Who are famous people named Gary?
Well-known people named Gary include Gary Cooper (actor), Gary Oldman (actor), Gary Moore (musician).