Gary
Last seen for girls in 1997 at #12,070 · #1,073 for boys in 2025, 201 births
Given to boys 99.6% of the time
- Peak · boys
- 1954 · 37,920 births
- Debut · boys
- 6 births
- In top 100 · boys
- 56 yrsof 146 years
- Total births · boys
- 902,152since 1880
Gary over time
Rank among boys' names. Click any year to open it.
Gaps mean fewer than 5 babies received the name that year, so the SSA doesn't publish it.
Show data table
| Year | girls | boys | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| rank | births | rank | births | |
| 2025 | — | #1,073 | 201 | |
| 2024 | — | #1,133 | 187 | |
| 2023 | — | #1,066 | 203 | |
| 2022 | — | #956 | 237 | |
| 2021 | — | #907 | 253 | |
| 2020 | — | #806 | 288 | |
| 2019 | — | #774 | 303 | |
| 2018 | — | #671 | 374 | |
| 2017 | — | #637 | 407 | |
| 2016 | — | #606 | 444 | |
| 2015 | — | #581 | 479 | |
| 2014 | — | #561 | 493 | |
| 2013 | — | #578 | 446 | |
| 2012 | — | #530 | 492 | |
| 2011 | — | #495 | 527 | |
| 2010 | — | #475 | 547 | |
| 2009 | — | #452 | 611 | |
| 2008 | — | #427 | 679 | |
| 2007 | — | #388 | 779 | |
| 2006 | — | #349 | 870 | |
| 2005 | — | #338 | 879 | |
| 2004 | — | #326 | 925 | |
| 2003 | — | #323 | 912 | |
| 2002 | — | #285 | 1,043 | |
| 2001 | — | #294 | 1,013 | |
| 2000 | — | #275 | 1,168 | |
| 1999 | — | #251 | 1,253 | |
| 1998 | — | #234 | 1,345 | |
| 1997 | #12,070 | 6 | #232 | 1,327 |
| 1996 | #9,581 | 8 | #201 | 1,543 |
| 1995 | #9,553 | 8 | #190 | 1,625 |
| 1994 | #13,430 | 5 | #167 | 1,898 |
| 1993 | #8,719 | 9 | #156 | 2,064 |
| 1992 | #6,314 | 14 | #139 | 2,393 |
| 1991 | #10,271 | 7 | #124 | 2,677 |
| 1990 | #5,835 | 15 | #114 | 3,069 |
| 1989 | #5,286 | 16 | #106 | 3,127 |
| 1988 | #3,585 | 26 | #100 | 3,244 |
| 1987 | #3,101 | 30 | #87 | 3,486 |
| 1986 | #2,845 | 33 | #84 | 3,719 |
| 1985 | #2,704 | 35 | #82 | 3,812 |
| 1984 | #3,233 | 26 | #76 | 3,951 |
| 1983 | #2,097 | 47 | #68 | 4,266 |
| 1982 | #2,288 | 43 | #64 | 4,642 |
| 1981 | #2,563 | 36 | #62 | 4,946 |
| 1980 | #2,308 | 42 | #63 | 5,037 |
| 1979 | #1,977 | 52 | #59 | 5,038 |
| 1978 | #2,350 | 38 | #60 | 5,111 |
| 1977 | #1,922 | 51 | #58 | 5,447 |
| 1976 | #2,210 | 38 | #52 | 5,592 |
| 1975 | #1,906 | 47 | #50 | 6,114 |
| 1974 | #1,881 | 46 | #48 | 6,444 |
| 1973 | #1,805 | 47 | #44 | 6,851 |
| 1972 | #1,771 | 49 | #41 | 7,758 |
| 1971 | #1,686 | 54 | #38 | 9,190 |
| 1970 | #1,526 | 64 | #35 | 10,716 |
| 1969 | #1,402 | 68 | #35 | 11,142 |
| 1968 | #1,301 | 72 | #32 | 11,973 |
| 1967 | #1,382 | 63 | #32 | 12,616 |
| 1966 | #1,515 | 54 | #28 | 14,155 |
| 1965 | #1,547 | 52 | #27 | 15,259 |
| 1964 | #1,443 | 61 | #26 | 17,206 |
| 1963 | #1,262 | 76 | #24 | 18,929 |
| 1962 | #1,258 | 77 | #22 | 20,884 |
| 1961 | #1,132 | 94 | #21 | 22,174 |
| 1960 | #1,227 | 79 | #22 | 21,693 |
| 1959 | #1,230 | 75 | #20 | 23,303 |
| 1958 | #1,322 | 64 | #17 | 25,287 |
| 1957 | #1,124 | 87 | #13 | 29,530 |
| 1956 | #1,272 | 67 | #13 | 31,842 |
| 1955 | #1,081 | 87 | #12 | 34,433 |
| 1954 | #1,045 | 88 | #9 | 37,920 |
| 1953 | #1,178 | 67 | #10 | 36,967 |
| 1952 | #1,017 | 85 | #10 | 38,754 |
| 1951 | #1,116 | 69 | #10 | 38,160 |
| 1950 | #1,114 | 68 | #10 | 33,737 |
| 1949 | #1,220 | 55 | #12 | 28,935 |
| 1948 | #1,015 | 74 | #12 | 28,397 |
| 1947 | #936 | 90 | #12 | 30,029 |
| 1946 | #936 | 79 | #12 | 26,931 |
| 1945 | #994 | 60 | #13 | 21,345 |
| 1944 | #945 | 67 | #15 | 20,058 |
| 1943 | #1,048 | 58 | #16 | 17,868 |
| 1942 | #1,006 | 60 | #18 | 17,068 |
| 1941 | #1,030 | 50 | #19 | 14,568 |
| 1940 | #1,088 | 44 | #19 | 12,573 |
| 1939 | #1,424 | 27 | #21 | 9,684 |
| 1938 | #1,231 | 35 | #22 | 8,861 |
| 1937 | #1,160 | 38 | #29 | 6,763 |
| 1936 | #1,413 | 27 | #38 | 5,192 |
| 1935 | #2,006 | 16 | #44 | 4,490 |
| 1934 | #2,087 | 15 | #60 | 3,354 |
| 1933 | #1,723 | 20 | #80 | 2,254 |
| 1932 | #2,365 | 13 | #136 | 1,295 |
| 1931 | #2,205 | 14 | #153 | 990 |
| 1930 | #2,202 | 15 | #194 | 713 |
| 1929 | #4,570 | 5 | #234 | 537 |
| 1928 | #2,623 | 12 | #395 | 227 |
| 1927 | — | #541 | 130 | |
| 1926 | #3,046 | 10 | #614 | 104 |
| 1925 | #4,973 | 5 | #585 | 115 |
| 1924 | #4,434 | 6 | #722 | 84 |
| 1923 | — | #701 | 85 | |
| 1922 | #5,009 | 5 | #780 | 73 |
| 1921 | #3,400 | 9 | #698 | 86 |
| 1920 | #3,957 | 7 | #766 | 74 |
| 1919 | #3,817 | 7 | #686 | 82 |
| 1918 | #4,809 | 5 | #748 | 74 |
| 1917 | #3,713 | 7 | #723 | 72 |
| 1916 | — | #698 | 72 | |
| 1915 | #3,795 | 6 | #657 | 78 |
| 1914 | — | #658 | 59 | |
| 1913 | — | #734 | 40 | |
| 1912 | — | #622 | 44 | |
| 1911 | — | #605 | 25 | |
| 1910 | — | #755 | 16 | |
| 1909 | — | #840 | 12 | |
| 1908 | — | #489 | 26 | |
| 1907 | — | #634 | 16 | |
| 1906 | — | #590 | 16 | |
| 1905 | — | #592 | 16 | |
| 1904 | — | #723 | 11 | |
| 1903 | — | #846 | 8 | |
| 1902 | — | #507 | 18 | |
| 1901 | — | #683 | 10 | |
| 1900 | — | #902 | 9 | |
| 1899 | — | #786 | 8 | |
| 1898 | — | #885 | 7 | |
| 1897 | — | #584 | 13 | |
| 1896 | — | #592 | 13 | |
| 1895 | — | #609 | 12 | |
| 1894 | — | #668 | 10 | |
| 1893 | — | #836 | 7 | |
| 1892 | — | #525 | 15 | |
| 1891 | — | #841 | 6 | |
| 1890 | — | #603 | 11 | |
| 1889 | — | — | ||
| 1888 | — | #917 | 6 | |
| 1887 | — | #752 | 7 | |
| 1886 | — | #758 | 7 | |
| 1885 | — | #765 | 7 | |
| 1884 | — | #971 | 5 | |
| 1883 | — | — | ||
| 1882 | — | #611 | 10 | |
| 1881 | — | #781 | 6 | |
| 1880 | — | #809 | 6 | |
In the first year the SSA published name data, Gary was already there! It came in at #809, and was given to 6 baby boys.
Quietest stretch: 1883–1884, when fewer than 6 boys a year got the name.
Where Gary is popular in 1966
- Rank in state
- Top 10
- 11–50
- 51–100
- 101–500
- 501+
- Not published
Hover or tap a state for its numbers.
- Oklahoma#16 · 1 in 81
- Utah#16 · 1 in 86
- Arkansas#17 · 1 in 84
- Kentucky#20 · 1 in 80
- West Virginia#21 · 1 in 77
Best ever in a state: #2 in Idaho, 1939.
Show every state
| State | Rank | Births | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oklahoma | #16 | 223 | 1 in 81 |
| Utah | #16 | 120 | 1 in 86 |
| Arkansas | #17 | 187 | 1 in 84 |
| Kentucky | #20 | 350 | 1 in 80 |
| New Mexico | #21 | 95 | 1 in 102 |
| West Virginia | #21 | 184 | 1 in 77 |
| Alaska | #22 | 37 | 1 in 77 |
| Idaho | #22 | 63 | 1 in 85 |
| Texas | #22 | 788 | 1 in 127 |
| Missouri | #23 | 390 | 1 in 98 |
| North Carolina | #23 | 411 | 1 in 105 |
| Hawaii | #24 | 58 | 1 in 105 |
| Kansas | #24 | 161 | 1 in 99 |
| Tennessee | #24 | 320 | 1 in 105 |
| Washington | #24 | 236 | 1 in 103 |
| Colorado | #25 | 172 | 1 in 97 |
| Oregon | #25 | 140 | 1 in 107 |
| Wisconsin | #25 | 361 | 1 in 106 |
| Arizona | #26 | 118 | 1 in 121 |
| California | #26 | 1,298 | 1 in 128 |
| Nebraska | #26 | 120 | 1 in 99 |
| Nevada | #26 | 37 | 1 in 91 |
| Virginia | #26 | 324 | 1 in 114 |
| Iowa | #27 | 197 | 1 in 120 |
| Minnesota | #27 | 268 | 1 in 119 |
| Florida | #28 | 378 | 1 in 126 |
| Louisiana | #28 | 273 | 1 in 129 |
| Ohio | #29 | 874 | 1 in 106 |
| Rhode Island | #29 | 69 | 1 in 111 |
| Georgia | #30 | 327 | 1 in 129 |
| Indiana | #30 | 391 | 1 in 116 |
| Michigan | #30 | 681 | 1 in 116 |
| Montana | #30 | 37 | 1 in 143 |
| Wyoming | #30 | 21 | 1 in 104 |
| Alabama | #31 | 235 | 1 in 130 |
| Maryland | #31 | 261 | 1 in 113 |
| Massachusetts | #31 | 383 | 1 in 126 |
| Illinois | #32 | 668 | 1 in 143 |
| Pennsylvania | #32 | 751 | 1 in 127 |
| South Dakota | #32 | 43 | 1 in 124 |
| Connecticut | #33 | 191 | 1 in 125 |
| Maine | #33 | 64 | 1 in 130 |
| District of Columbia | #34 | 85 | 1 in 147 |
| New Jersey | #34 | 430 | 1 in 130 |
| New Hampshire | #36 | 41 | 1 in 134 |
| New York | #36 | 958 | 1 in 164 |
| Delaware | #38 | 24 | 1 in 181 |
| Mississippi | #38 | 123 | 1 in 174 |
| North Dakota | #39 | 37 | 1 in 147 |
| Vermont | #40 | 20 | 1 in 163 |
| South Carolina | #41 | 132 | 1 in 175 |
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 Gary
- 60 spots since 2024 (#1,133 → #1,073)
- 267 spots since 2020 (#806 → #1,073)
- 492 spots since 2015 (#581 → #1,073)
- Biggest jump: 316 spots in 1892 (#841 → #525)
- Biggest drop: 351 spots in 1909 (#489 → #840)
- Debuted 1880
- Peaked 1954 at #9 (37,920 births)
- Births halved by 1963, 9 yrs later
- Top 10: 5 yrs · run 1950–1954
- Top 100: 56 yrs · run 1933–1988
- Top 1,000: 141 yrs · run 1890–2022
- Highest: 1 in 49 boys born in 1951 were named Gary (2.0%)
- Latest: 1 in 8,498 boys born in 2025 (0.01%)
- Its best rank, #9 in 1954, was only 1 in 54 (1.9%) — a smaller share of a much bigger birth year
- 36.6% of all boys named Gary (329,933) were born in this decade
Show by decade
| Decade | Births | Best rank | Avg rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1880s | 54 | #611 (1882) | #796 |
| 1890s | 102 | #525 (1892) | #693 |
| 1900s | 142 | #489 (1908) | #681 |
| 1910s | 562 | #605 (1911) | #689 |
| 1920s | 1,515 | #234 (1929) | #604 |
| 1930s | 43,596 | #21 (1939) | #78 |
| 1940s | 217,772 | #12 (1947) | #15 |
| 1950s | 329,933 | #9 (1954) | #12 |
| 1960s | 166,031 | #21 (1961) | #27 |
| 1970s | 68,261 | #35 (1970) | #49 |
| 1980s | 40,230 | #62 (1981) | #79 |
| 1990s | 19,194 | #114 (1990) | #181 |
| 2000s | 8,879 | #275 (2000) | #346 |
| 2010s | 4,512 | #475 (2010) | #591 |
| 2020s | 1,369 | #806 (2020) | #990 |
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.
Gary in 1966
Top girls' names in 1966
Top boys' names in 1966
More about 1966
girls
1,692,177 girls got a published name in 1966; 1 in 31,337 of them was named Gary, which outranked 80.1% of the 7,624 girls' names that year. The ten most popular names covered 16.0% of girls (24.6% in 1880, 7.0% in 2025).
- #1,488Suellen55
- #1,488Tobi55
- #1,488Toby55
- #1,515Gary54
- #1,515Alina54
- #1,515Denese54
- #1,515Donnie54
- #1,532Anette53
- #1,532Cecile53
- #1,532Cleo53
Tied with 16 names at #1,515; 3 shown. Tied names share a rank, as in SSA's lists.
Among names in the top 1,000 of either year.
boys
1,783,461 boys got a published name in 1966; 1 in 126 of them was named Gary, which outranked 99.4% of the 4,540 boys' names that year. The ten most popular names covered 28.2% of boys (44.2% in 1880, 8.0% in 2025).
Among names in the top 1,000 of either year.