Gary
Boy name · #1073 in 2025 · Rare
In 2025, 201 baby boys were named Gary, placing it at #1073 in the official national rankings. A decade ago it stood at #581, so the name has been falling over the past ten years. Roughly one in every 8,955 boys born in 2025 was named Gary.
The 145-year story
Gary first appears in the Social Security records in 1880, when 6 boys received the name. Its peak came in 1952, when 38,754 boys were named Gary — good for #10 that year. Today's parents encounter it as a name from their grandparents’ generation, which is precisely the vintage window from which names get revived. Following the curve matters more than today's snapshot: a name's position on its rise-peak-decline arc is the best predictor of how common it will feel in a kindergarten class five years from now.
Babies named Gary per year. Source: SSA.
Unlock the 5-year forecast and compare Gary against up to 5 other names.
Uniqueness: will there be another Gary in class?
On our rarity read — which blends how common Gary is today with its five-year momentum — the name reads as "rare". A high score means genuine rarity — your Gary will likely be the only one in the room, with the occasional spelling-out as the price.
Where Gary is most common
Geography matters for names, and Gary is no exception. Adjusted for how many boys are born in each state, Gary is most common in MO (0.4 per 1,000), FL (0.2 per 1,000), TX (0.1 per 1,000), CA (0.1 per 1,000) — against a national average of about 0.1 per 1,000 boys. These are per-capita rates, so they show where Gary is a genuine regional favorite rather than just where the most babies are born.
Names like Gary
Statistically, parents drawn to Gary tend to be choosing among names with similar popularity arcs, era profiles, and sounds — the closest matches in our model are Terry, Larry, Cary, Jerry, and Guy.
TerryLarryCaryJerryGuyPerryBarryRandy
Rank history (last 25 years)
| Year | Babies named Gary | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 201 | #1073 |
| 2024 | 187 | #1133 |
| 2023 | 203 | #1066 |
| 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 |
Frequently asked questions
Is Gary a popular boy name?
Gary ranked #1073 among boys in 2025 with 201 babies given the name — outside the top 500, making it an uncommon pick. Ten years earlier it ranked #581.
When was the name Gary most popular?
Gary peaked in 1952, when 38,754 American boys received the name (ranked #10 that year). Since 1952 the name has declined from that high.
How rare is the name Gary?
In 2025, roughly 1 in 8,955 newborn American boys was named Gary. On our rarity scale (rarity blended with momentum) we classify it as "rare".
Data source: U.S. Social Security Administration name statistics, 1880–2025, national and state files. Counts reflect Social Security card applications; names with fewer than 5 occurrences in a state-year are suppressed by the SSA.