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Boy · English
Gary
Say it: GAIR-ee
Meaning
Of uncertain origin; possibly from a surname with the Germanic element gar 'spear'. Its use as a first name grew from actor Gary Cooper, who took it from Gary, Indiana, a city named after the businessman Elbert Gary.
Uncertainseveral explanations, none settled.
A top-ten US boys' name in the 1950s.
Its wave through time
A fashion of the 1950s
In the United States
- 904,309 babies given this name since 1880
- At its height in 1951, about 1 in 49 boys
- 286 babies in 2020
Through the ages
Used by
The family of the name
Other spellings: Garry
Famous bearers
- Gary Cooper, US actor
Names worth a look
Where this comes from
- United States Social Security birth records, 1880 to today source
- United States Social Security birth records, 1880 to today source
Meanings and histories are compiled from the study of names and their languages and checked by a second review.
Meanings and histories are drawn from the study of names and their languages, each with a confidence rating; popularity figures come from official birth records. Name histories are a living field: if you know of a correction, we would be glad to hear it.