Cary

Last seen for girls in 2024 at #15,293 · #3,658 for boys in 2025, 30 births
Given to boys 82.2% of the time

Showing
Show data for
Peak · boys
1966 · 763 births
Debut · boys
17 births
In top 100 · boys
never
of 146 years
Total births · boys
24,504
since 1880

Cary over time

girlsboys

Rank within each sex, plotted together. Click any year to open it.

#1#10#100#1,000#10,000rank188019001920194019601980200020201929peak #722, 1975peak #264, 1966girlsboys
Hover or use arrow keys to read values by year; click or press Enter to open that year.

Gaps mean fewer than 5 babies received the name that year, so the SSA doesn't publish it.

Show data table
Yeargirlsboys
rankbirthsrankbirths
2025—#3,65830
2024#15,2935#3,52432
2023—#4,45623
2022—#3,21637
2021—#3,91227
2020—#3,91826
2019—#2,94341
2018#15,6825#4,47622
2017#15,9025#3,51831
2016—#3,23035
2015—#3,43132
2014#13,0697#4,53821
2013#14,5826#4,31322
2012#16,8695#3,71428
2011#11,1819#3,60529
2010#13,4487#4,09924
2009#13,7047#4,03525
2008#13,8327#3,28634
2007#12,6768#3,18835
2006—#3,68627
2005#7,89114#3,31930
2004#9,26411#2,95334
2003—#2,57939
2002#11,1088#2,75534
2001#7,72413#2,11749
2000#5,70519#1,94453
1999#6,19116#2,02347
1998#5,58318#1,40681
1997#4,50823#1,36681
1996#3,94227#1,53365
1995#4,51822#1,24487
1994#4,23824#1,096105
1993#4,10025#1,038113
1992#3,50331#961125
1991#3,20734#882143
1990#2,52347#812157
1989#2,44247#751172
1988#2,59741#746161
1987#2,53140#682177
1986#2,26545#665182
1985#1,76064#625197
1984#1,68465#643179
1983#1,42382#682157
1982#1,55176#653177
1981#1,30497#628186
1980#1,43385#626195
1979#1,261101#609198
1978#1,037131#547231
1977#872165#495270
1976#780183#430325
1975#722204#405360
1974#779177#459306
1973#842154#396385
1972#837156#388411
1971#781186#336543
1970#864155#331570
1969#936129#304622
1968#927125#287663
1967#973110#290629
1966#1,27372#264763
1965#1,21878#286689
1964#1,29374#282749
1963#973119#279764
1962#1,043107#275784
1961#983121#315624
1960#987118#286760
1959#929127#283779
1958#911127#315583
1957#970114#268788
1956#893125#315556
1955#1,10681#335490
1954#1,18072#317510
1953#1,12175#342407
1952#1,35151#324462
1951#1,46241#327442
1950#1,45240#323443
1949#1,39344#325447
1948#1,59834#319436
1947#1,63334#362357
1946#1,61730#370305
1945#1,82521#387237
1944#1,69824#381248
1943#1,55629#380261
1942#1,98119#425207
1941#2,66811#443175
1940#1,74521#501134
1939#1,73120#58197
1938#2,11315#59099
1937#3,1468#70073
1936#1,59322#65380
1935#2,09515#79061
1934#2,42412#82258
1933#2,16114#83455
1932#2,13015#1,00443
1931#3,2268#95947
1930#2,69011#91553
1929#2,43713#1,02644
1928#2,62312#1,04144
1927#2,02619#92455
1926#3,2699#1,09242
1925#2,01819#93352
1924#2,30816#90759
1923#2,16917#88259
1922#2,61213#89160
1921#2,76212#77275
1920#2,73112#87761
1919#1,80121#87757
1918#1,80521#94350
1917#2,31614#85556
1916#2,24614#98442
1915#2,38412#84653
1914#2,26510#98632
1913#1,88311#93028
1912#1,62012#1,02320
1911—#68921
1910#1,7738#59823
1909#2,2085#53024
1908#2,1015#74413
1907#1,8216#69914
1906—#59016
1905#1,4208#66613
1904#1,8775#68612
1903#1,02712#7839
1902—#65112
1901—#68310
1900#1,9325#74312
1899—#7868
1898#1,7005#70110
1897#1,3856#65211
1896—#42421
1895#1,4266#64011
1894—#46418
1893#1,2776#45916
1892—#64111
1891—#7008
1890#1,0997#6679
1889#1,2795#58111
1888—#48416
1887—#6319
1886—#51213
1885—#43917
1884—#6639
1883—#59710
1882#7407#51413
1881—#50312
1880—#42517
First appearance
1880

In the first year the SSA published name data, Cary was already there! It came in at #425, and was given to 17 baby boys.


Quietest stretch: 1889–1892, when fewer than 12 boys a year got the name.

Where Cary is popular in 1929

  • Rank in state
  • Top 10
  • 11–50
  • 51–100
  • 101–500
  • 501+
  • Not published
Alaska: fewer than 5 boys named Cary, so not publishedAKMaine: fewer than 5 boys named Cary, so not publishedMEVermont: fewer than 5 boys named Cary, so not publishedVTNew Hampshire: fewer than 5 boys named Cary, so not publishedNHWashington: fewer than 5 boys named Cary, so not publishedWAIdaho: fewer than 5 boys named Cary, so not publishedIDMontana: fewer than 5 boys named Cary, so not publishedMTNorth Dakota: fewer than 5 boys named Cary, so not publishedNDMinnesota: fewer than 5 boys named Cary, so not publishedMNIllinois: fewer than 5 boys named Cary, so not publishedILWisconsin: fewer than 5 boys named Cary, so not publishedWIMichigan: fewer than 5 boys named Cary, so not publishedMINew York: fewer than 5 boys named Cary, so not publishedNYMassachusetts: fewer than 5 boys named Cary, so not publishedMARhode Island: fewer than 5 boys named Cary, so not publishedRIOregon: fewer than 5 boys named Cary, so not publishedORNevada: fewer than 5 boys named Cary, so not publishedNVWyoming: fewer than 5 boys named Cary, so not publishedWYSouth Dakota: fewer than 5 boys named Cary, so not publishedSDIowa: fewer than 5 boys named Cary, so not publishedIAIndiana: fewer than 5 boys named Cary, so not publishedINOhio: fewer than 5 boys named Cary, so not publishedOHPennsylvania: fewer than 5 boys named Cary, so not publishedPANew Jersey: fewer than 5 boys named Cary, so not publishedNJConnecticut: fewer than 5 boys named Cary, so not publishedCTCalifornia: fewer than 5 boys named Cary, so not publishedCAUtah: fewer than 5 boys named Cary, so not publishedUTColorado: fewer than 5 boys named Cary, so not publishedCONebraska: fewer than 5 boys named Cary, so not publishedNEMissouri: fewer than 5 boys named Cary, so not publishedMOKentucky: fewer than 5 boys named Cary, so not publishedKYWest Virginia: fewer than 5 boys named Cary, so not publishedWVVirginia: fewer than 5 boys named Cary, so not publishedVAMaryland: fewer than 5 boys named Cary, so not publishedMDDelaware: fewer than 5 boys named Cary, so not publishedDEArizona: fewer than 5 boys named Cary, so not publishedAZNew Mexico: fewer than 5 boys named Cary, so not publishedNMKansas: fewer than 5 boys named Cary, so not publishedKSArkansas: fewer than 5 boys named Cary, so not publishedARTennessee: fewer than 5 boys named Cary, so not publishedTNNorth Carolina: #378 for boys · 8 births · 1 in 4,146 boysNCSouth Carolina: fewer than 5 boys named Cary, so not publishedSCDistrict of Columbia: fewer than 5 boys named Cary, so not publishedDCOklahoma: fewer than 5 boys named Cary, so not publishedOKLouisiana: fewer than 5 boys named Cary, so not publishedLAMississippi: #342 for boys · 6 births · 1 in 3,144 boysMSAlabama: fewer than 5 boys named Cary, so not publishedALGeorgia: fewer than 5 boys named Cary, so not publishedGAHawaii: fewer than 5 boys named Cary, so not publishedHITexas: fewer than 5 boys named Cary, so not publishedTXFlorida: fewer than 5 boys named Cary, so not publishedFL

Hover or tap a state for its numbers.

Top states · boys
  1. Mississippi#342 · 1 in 3,144
  2. North Carolina#378 · 1 in 4,146

Best ever in a state: #116 in North Dakota, 1964.

Show every state
StateRankBirthsShare
Mississippi#34261 in 3,144
North Carolina#37881 in 4,146
Alabama———
Alaska———
Arizona———
Arkansas———
California———
Colorado———
Connecticut———
Delaware———
District of Columbia———
Florida———
Georgia———
Hawaii———
Idaho———
Illinois———
Indiana———
Iowa———
Kansas———
Kentucky———
Louisiana———
Maine———
Maryland———
Massachusetts———
Michigan———
Minnesota———
Missouri———
Montana———
Nebraska———
Nevada———
New Hampshire———
New Jersey———
New Mexico———
New York———
North Dakota———
Ohio———
Oklahoma———
Oregon———
Pennsylvania———
Rhode Island———
South Carolina———
South Dakota———
Tennessee———
Texas———
Utah———
Vermont———
Virginia———
Washington———
West Virginia———
Wisconsin———
Wyoming———

Ranks are within each state; “1 in N” is out of the boys born there that year. The SSA only publishes a name in a state when 5 or more babies of one sex got it.

See more about Cary
Momentum · boys
Holding steady
  • 134 spots since 2024 (#3,524 → #3,658)
  • 260 spots since 2020 (#3,918 → #3,658)
  • 227 spots since 2015 (#3,431 → #3,658)
  • Biggest jump: 224 spots in 1885 (#663 → #439)
  • Biggest drop: 334 spots in 1912 (#689 → #1,023)
Rise & fade · boys
86 yrs to peak
  • Debuted 1880
  • Peaked 1966 at #264 (763 births)
  • Births halved by 1974, 8 yrs later
Top of the charts · boys
Top 1,000 for 108 yrs
  • Top 10: never
  • Top 100: never
  • Top 1,000: 108 yrs · run 1933–1992
Share of babies · boys
1 in 2,337
  • Highest: 1 in 2,337 boys born in 1966 were named Cary (0.04%)
  • Latest: 1 in 56,936 boys born in 2025 (0.00%)
Era · boys
The 1960s
  • 28.8% of all boys named Cary (7,047) were born in this decade
Girls or boys?
Flipped in 1904
  • Mostly girls until 1903, mostly boys since
all girlsall boys
Show by decade
DecadeBirthsBest rankAvg rank
1880s127#425 (1880)#535
1890s123#424 (1896)#613
1900s135#530 (1909)#678
1910s382#598 (1910)#873
1920s551#772 (1921)#935
1930s666#581 (1939)#785
1940s2,807#319 (1948)#389
1950s5,460#268 (1957)#315
1960s7,047#264 (1966)#287
1970s3,599#331 (1970)#440
1980s1,783#625 (1985)#670
1990s1,004#812 (1990)#1,236
2000s360#1,944 (2000)#2,986
2010s285#2,943 (2019)#3,787
2020s175#3,216 (2022)#3,781

All figures count published births only (names given to at least 5 boys in a year). Registrations before 1937 are incomplete, so early shares and totals run low.

Cary in 1929

girls
#2,437
13 births · 1 in 85,889 girls
boys
#1,026
44 births · 1 in 24,446 boys

Top girls' names in 1929

  1. #1Mary63,512
  2. #2Betty36,675
  3. #3Dorothy31,476
  4. #4Helen20,983
  5. #5Margaret19,212
  6. #6Doris16,498
  7. #7Barbara16,038
  8. #8Ruth16,021
  9. #9Shirley14,576
  10. #10Patricia13,624
  11. #2,437Cary13

Top boys' names in 1929

  1. #1Robert59,807
  2. #2James52,135
  3. #3John52,112
  4. #4William47,815
  5. #5Charles29,930
  6. #6Richard29,572
  7. #7Donald27,181
  8. #8George23,020
  9. #9Joseph21,165
  10. #10Edward17,220
  11. #1,026Cary44
More about 1929

girls

1,116,561 girls got a published name in 1929; 1 in 85,889 of them was named Cary, which outranked 53.8% of the 5,277 girls' names that year. The ten most popular names covered 22.3% of girls (24.6% in 1880, 7.0% in 2025).

Ranked beside Cary
  1. #2,301Willena14
  2. #2,301Willine14
  3. #2,301Wynelle14
  4. #2,437Cary13
  5. #2,437Alethia13
  6. #2,437Allison13
  7. #2,437Altagracia13
  8. #2,587Alena12
  9. #2,587Almedia12
  10. #2,587Almetta12

Tied with 149 names at #2,437; 3 shown. Tied names share a rank, as in SSA's lists.

Biggest movers since 1928
Risers
  1. ↑ 1,951Dorla#2,623 → #672
  2. ↑ 797Ingrid#1,738 → #941
  3. ↑ 534Sydell#1,502 → #968
  4. ↑ 521Elenor#1,502 → #981
  5. ↑ 406Jeanine#888 → #482
Fallers
  1. ↓ 937Joline#888 → #1,825
  2. ↓ 259Mafalda#936 → #1,195
  3. ↓ 250Lorelei#994 → #1,244
  4. ↓ 249Ardelle#888 → #1,137
  5. ↓ 234Charmaine#420 → #654

Among names in the top 1,000 of either year.

boys

1,075,615 boys got a published name in 1929; 1 in 24,446 of them was named Cary, which outranked 77.4% of the 4,545 boys' names that year. The ten most popular names covered 33.5% of boys (44.2% in 1880, 8.0% in 2025).

Ranked beside Cary
  1. #1,010Mitchel45
  2. #1,010Raoul45
  3. #1,010Raymundo45
  4. #1,026Cary44
  5. #1,026Alonza44
  6. #1,026Carmelo44
  7. #1,026Cliff44
  8. #1,044Ardell43
  9. #1,044Bart43
  10. #1,044Bernardo43

Tied with 17 names at #1,026; 3 shown. Tied names share a rank, as in SSA's lists.

Biggest movers since 1928
Risers
  1. ↑ 2,188Davey#2,843 → #655
  2. ↑ 554Davie#1,413 → #859
  3. ↑ 374Derald#1,095 → #721
  4. ↑ 358Vernal#1,353 → #995
  5. ↑ 350Ken#1,228 → #878
Fallers
  1. ↓ 530Adolf#950 → #1,480
  2. ↓ 426Quinton#913 → #1,339
  3. ↓ 349Thornton#963 → #1,312
  4. ↓ 346Verlyn#891 → #1,237
  5. ↓ 346Isidore#891 → #1,237

Among names in the top 1,000 of either year.

See the top 100 for 1929 →