Cary
Cary was given to 30 boys in 2025, #3,675 among boys’ names; 29,827 Americans have been recorded with it since 1880 (Social Security Administration, published May 2026).
An estimated 21,700 Americans named Cary and born in the U.S. are alive in 2026 (73% of everyone recorded); the median is 59 years old and half are between 49 and 67.
Girls and boys together; gaps are years SSA did not record (fewer than 5 births).
Births of Cary by year: SSA national baby-name file, 1880-2025, published May 8, 2026. SSA’s notes on the data.
What does Cary mean?
Wiktionary, English section
Cary is “a male given name transferred from the surnames.”
Also “a diminutive of the female given name Caroline.”
Meaning: Wiktionary, English section, as of Sep 25, 2026 (CC BY‑SA 4.0).
How popular is Cary?
#3,675 among boys’ names, 2025
Cary fell from #3,442 in 2015 to #3,675 in 2025 among boys’ names, although its share of boys born rose from 16.7 to 17.6 per million.
906 babies in 1959, the peak
Cary peaked in 1959, when 906 babies were given it (779 boys, #283 among boys’ names). The 30 births of 2025 are 3% of that peak.
Births by sex.
| Year | Girls | Girls’ rank | Boys | Boys’ rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | under 5 | 30 | #3,675 | |
| 2024 | 5 | #15,733 | 32 | #3,531 |
| 2023 | under 5 | 23 | #4,475 | |
| 2022 | under 5 | 37 | #3,221 | |
| 2021 | under 5 | 27 | #3,927 | |
| 2020 | under 5 | 26 | #3,937 | |
| 2019 | under 5 | 41 | #2,948 | |
| 2018 | 5 | #16,162 | 22 | #4,497 |
| 2017 | 5 | #16,355 | 31 | #3,523 |
| 2016 | under 5 | 35 | #3,240 |
Every recorded year (146)
| Year | Girls | Girls’ rank | Boys | Boys’ rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 | under 5 | 32 | #3,442 | |
| 2014 | 7 | #13,341 | 21 | #4,558 |
| 2013 | 6 | #14,978 | 22 | #4,347 |
| 2012 | 5 | #17,394 | 28 | #3,727 |
| 2011 | 9 | #11,358 | 29 | #3,616 |
| 2010 | 7 | #13,744 | 24 | #4,124 |
| 2009 | 7 | #13,976 | 25 | #4,051 |
| 2008 | 7 | #14,120 | 34 | #3,294 |
| 2007 | 8 | #12,900 | 35 | #3,195 |
| 2006 | under 5 | 27 | #3,691 | |
| 2005 | 14 | #7,976 | 30 | #3,325 |
| 2004 | 11 | #9,369 | 34 | #2,954 |
| 2003 | under 5 | 39 | #2,578 | |
| 2002 | 8 | #11,315 | 34 | #2,761 |
| 2001 | 13 | #7,810 | 49 | #2,118 |
| 2000 | 19 | #5,742 | 53 | #1,941 |
| 1999 | 16 | #6,237 | 47 | #2,027 |
| 1998 | 18 | #5,612 | 81 | #1,404 |
| 1997 | 23 | #4,530 | 81 | #1,363 |
| 1996 | 27 | #3,955 | 65 | #1,534 |
| 1995 | 22 | #4,544 | 87 | #1,240 |
| 1994 | 24 | #4,261 | 105 | #1,092 |
| 1993 | 25 | #4,116 | 113 | #1,034 |
| 1992 | 31 | #3,507 | 125 | #959 |
| 1991 | 34 | #3,212 | 143 | #878 |
| 1990 | 47 | #2,525 | 157 | #809 |
| 1989 | 47 | #2,444 | 172 | #748 |
| 1988 | 41 | #2,599 | 161 | #745 |
| 1987 | 40 | #2,534 | 177 | #682 |
| 1986 | 45 | #2,268 | 182 | #666 |
| 1985 | 64 | #1,762 | 197 | #625 |
| 1984 | 65 | #1,686 | 179 | #643 |
| 1983 | 82 | #1,427 | 157 | #682 |
| 1982 | 76 | #1,555 | 177 | #653 |
| 1981 | 97 | #1,304 | 186 | #629 |
| 1980 | 85 | #1,436 | 195 | #626 |
| 1979 | 101 | #1,262 | 198 | #610 |
| 1978 | 131 | #1,037 | 231 | #547 |
| 1977 | 165 | #872 | 270 | #495 |
| 1976 | 183 | #780 | 325 | #430 |
| 1975 | 204 | #722 | 360 | #405 |
| 1974 | 177 | #779 | 306 | #459 |
| 1973 | 154 | #843 | 385 | #396 |
| 1972 | 156 | #837 | 411 | #388 |
| 1971 | 186 | #782 | 543 | #337 |
| 1970 | 155 | #864 | 570 | #331 |
| 1969 | 129 | #937 | 622 | #304 |
| 1968 | 125 | #927 | 663 | #287 |
| 1967 | 110 | #973 | 629 | #290 |
| 1966 | 72 | #1,274 | 763 | #264 |
| 1965 | 78 | #1,218 | 689 | #286 |
| 1964 | 74 | #1,295 | 749 | #282 |
| 1963 | 119 | #973 | 764 | #279 |
| 1962 | 107 | #1,046 | 784 | #275 |
| 1961 | 121 | #984 | 624 | #315 |
| 1960 | 118 | #986 | 760 | #286 |
| 1959 | 127 | #929 | 779 | #283 |
| 1958 | 127 | #910 | 583 | #315 |
| 1957 | 114 | #970 | 788 | #268 |
| 1956 | 125 | #894 | 556 | #315 |
| 1955 | 81 | #1,106 | 490 | #334 |
| 1954 | 72 | #1,180 | 510 | #316 |
| 1953 | 75 | #1,120 | 407 | #341 |
| 1952 | 51 | #1,352 | 462 | #323 |
| 1951 | 41 | #1,463 | 442 | #327 |
| 1950 | 40 | #1,452 | 443 | #323 |
| 1949 | 44 | #1,394 | 447 | #325 |
| 1948 | 34 | #1,603 | 436 | #319 |
| 1947 | 34 | #1,638 | 357 | #362 |
| 1946 | 30 | #1,624 | 305 | #370 |
| 1945 | 21 | #1,832 | 237 | #387 |
| 1944 | 24 | #1,702 | 248 | #382 |
| 1943 | 29 | #1,559 | 261 | #380 |
| 1942 | 19 | #1,987 | 207 | #425 |
| 1941 | 11 | #2,690 | 175 | #443 |
| 1940 | 21 | #1,750 | 134 | #501 |
| 1939 | 20 | #1,749 | 97 | #581 |
| 1938 | 15 | #2,126 | 99 | #591 |
| 1937 | 8 | #3,184 | 73 | #700 |
| 1936 | 22 | #1,599 | 80 | #653 |
| 1935 | 15 | #2,114 | 61 | #792 |
| 1934 | 12 | #2,441 | 58 | #824 |
| 1933 | 14 | #2,174 | 55 | #836 |
| 1932 | 15 | #2,151 | 43 | #1,007 |
| 1931 | 8 | #3,266 | 47 | #961 |
| 1930 | 11 | #2,710 | 53 | #917 |
| 1929 | 13 | #2,458 | 44 | #1,028 |
| 1928 | 12 | #2,639 | 44 | #1,042 |
| 1927 | 19 | #2,033 | 55 | #929 |
| 1926 | 9 | #3,295 | 42 | #1,096 |
| 1925 | 19 | #2,037 | 52 | #933 |
| 1924 | 16 | #2,325 | 59 | #907 |
| 1923 | 17 | #2,190 | 59 | #884 |
| 1922 | 13 | #2,631 | 60 | #892 |
| 1921 | 12 | #2,789 | 75 | #773 |
| 1920 | 12 | #2,752 | 61 | #878 |
| 1919 | 21 | #1,810 | 57 | #878 |
| 1918 | 21 | #1,815 | 50 | #946 |
| 1917 | 14 | #2,332 | 56 | #856 |
| 1916 | 14 | #2,271 | 42 | #988 |
| 1915 | 12 | #2,409 | 53 | #847 |
| 1914 | 10 | #2,290 | 32 | #987 |
| 1913 | 11 | #1,908 | 28 | #932 |
| 1912 | 12 | #1,632 | 20 | #1,029 |
| 1911 | under 5 | 21 | #694 | |
| 1910 | 8 | #1,795 | 23 | #602 |
| 1909 | 5 | #2,258 | 24 | #532 |
| 1908 | 5 | #2,162 | 13 | #749 |
| 1907 | 6 | #1,866 | 14 | #706 |
| 1906 | under 5 | 16 | #594 | |
| 1905 | 8 | #1,437 | 13 | #671 |
| 1904 | 5 | #1,929 | 12 | #692 |
| 1903 | 12 | #1,038 | 9 | #797 |
| 1902 | under 5 | 12 | #656 | |
| 1901 | under 5 | 10 | #687 | |
| 1900 | 5 | #1,975 | 12 | #751 |
| 1899 | under 5 | 8 | #795 | |
| 1898 | 5 | #1,741 | 10 | #705 |
| 1897 | 6 | #1,406 | 11 | #656 |
| 1896 | under 5 | 21 | #426 | |
| 1895 | 6 | #1,449 | 11 | #644 |
| 1894 | under 5 | 18 | #468 | |
| 1893 | 6 | #1,303 | 16 | #462 |
| 1892 | under 5 | 11 | #647 | |
| 1891 | under 5 | 8 | #714 | |
| 1890 | 7 | #1,115 | 9 | #675 |
| 1889 | 5 | #1,312 | 11 | #592 |
| 1888 | under 5 | 16 | #486 | |
| 1887 | under 5 | 9 | #641 | |
| 1886 | under 5 | 13 | #519 | |
| 1885 | under 5 | 17 | #443 | |
| 1884 | under 5 | 9 | #670 | |
| 1883 | under 5 | 10 | #604 | |
| 1882 | 7 | #753 | 13 | #517 |
| 1881 | under 5 | 12 | #507 | |
| 1880 | under 5 | 17 | #429 |
Ranks: girls’ names and boys’ names ranked separately in each year’s SSA file; “under 5” is a year SSA did not list the name for that sex.
Is Cary a boy’s or a girl’s name?
Of the 29,827 Americans recorded as Cary, 18% are girls and 82% boys. In 2025 it went to 30 boys; SSA lists no girls with it that year (fewer than 5, or none).
Years with fewer than 20 babies given the name are left blank.
Girls and boys named Cary: the SSA national file counts each sex separately.
How many people are named Cary, and how old are they?
21,700 alive in 2026, estimated
That is 73% of the 29,827 Americans ever recorded as Cary. The median Cary alive today is 59 years old; half are between 49 and 67.
The 2020 Census counted 22,895 people named Cary (4,820 women and girls, 18,075 men and boys). SSA’s births carried forward to Census day, April 1, 2020, predict 23,275 born in the U.S. The Census count is 2% below that prediction.
Alive today, by age
Alive today, by generation
| Generation | Born | Alive |
|---|---|---|
| Silent Generation | 1928-1945 | 665 |
| Baby Boomers | 1946-1964 | 8,550 |
| Generation X | 1965-1980 | 8,280 |
| Millennials | 1981-1996 | 3,000 |
| Generation Z | 1997-2012 | 801 |
| Generation Alpha | 2013-2025 | 404 |
An estimate, not a count. SSA’s files count people born in the United States who received a Social Security number, so anyone born abroad is not in them; before 1937 most people got a number as adults, and their survival is counted from that age.
Living estimate: SSA births carried forward with the survival rates in SSA’s cohort life tables (2024 Trustees Report) for each birth year and sex. How the estimate is made. Count: Census Bureau, first names in the 2020 Census (released April 14, 2026; names reported 100 or more times, with the Bureau’s disclosure-avoidance adjustment).
Where are babies named Cary born?
The states with the most babies named Cary are California, Texas and Illinois, with 32% of its births recorded by state since 1910.
| State | Since 1910 | Rank, boys | vs. national |
|---|---|---|---|
| California | 2,981 | not ranked | 1.1× |
| Texas | 2,300 | not ranked | 1.2× |
| Illinois | 1,681 | not ranked | 1.1× |
| New York | 1,414 | #1,438 | 0.6× |
| Michigan | 1,016 | not ranked | 0.8× |
| Ohio | 900 | not ranked | 0.6× |
| Georgia | 879 | not ranked | 1.1× |
| Virginia | 778 | not ranked | 1.2× |
| Indiana | 756 | not ranked | 1.0× |
| Florida | 706 | not ranked | 0.8× |
Where Cary is more common than its national share predicts
Relative to its national share, Cary is most over-represented in Texas: since 1910 it was given 1.2 times as often there as its national share each year would predict.
States: SSA state file, 1910-2025, published May 8, 2026; births count girls and boys together, and the rank is among boys’ names in the state in 2025. The file leaves out any state and year with fewer than 5 babies of the name, so small states are undercounted; each ratio compares the state’s births of Cary with the births its national share predicts year by year, for states with at least 100 births of the name.
Names spelled alike
Of these 7 names spelled alike, given to 70,687 babies since 1880, Cary is the most given (42% of them). In 2025 it was given to 30 of their 1,052 babies (2.9%), the second most given that year.
Spelled alike: names in the SSA national file with the same pattern of letters and sounds and at most two letters apart, and Wiktionary’s listed forms; births since 1880 and in 2025, and each name’s peak year, from the SSA national file, published May 8, 2026. Some are separate names, not spellings of one.
More about Cary and names like it
- Compare Cary and CareyBirths, ranks, peak and the living estimate side by side.
- The most given names of the 1950sCary peaked in 1959.
- California’s most given namesThe state where SSA recorded the most babies named Cary since 1910.
- From surnamesWiktionary’s origin for Cary: every such name, by how often it is given.
- The top names of 1959The year the most babies were named Cary.
- The names of the Baby BoomersMost people named Cary alive today were born 1946-1964.
- Names starting with CMost given first.