Total births
902,152
Boys' name · since 1880
Gary
902,152 babies named Gary in U.S. Social Security records since 1880, with the highest year being 1952. Year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state-level rankings drawn from federal birth data.
- #1133
- among boys today
- 902,152
- born since 1880
- 1950s
- peak decade
- 92%
- more common than other boys
Yes -- Gary is the #1133 most popular boys' name in the U.S. today, with 902,152 recorded since 1880.
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Gary has been recorded 902,152 times among boys since 1880, currently ranked #1133 nationally and more common than 92% of boys, with its heaviest use in the 1950s. This profile covers year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution, all derived directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1880 to 2025.
- #1133 among boys today
- 902,152 born since 1880
- 1950s peak decade
- 92% more common than other boys
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Gary is currently the #1133 boys' name in America, more common than 92% of boys - 902,152 born since 1880, peaking in the 1950s.
- #1133
- among boys today
- 902,152
- born since 1880
- 1950s
- peak decade
- 92%
- more common than other boys
Gary vs. every other boys name in current SSA rankings
#1133
of 14,294 boys in use
More common than 92% of names given to boys today.
1950s
Peak decade
37% of everyone ever named Gary was born in this single decade.
1952
Single peak year
38,754 babies were named Gary in 1952 - its busiest year on record.
How Gary compares
902,152 Top 0% higher than 100% of 14,294 names currently given to boys
Based on all-time total births among currently-ranked boys names. Names with fewer occurrences are grouped into wider buckets on the right.
Source U.S. Social Security Administration, national baby name data
How the numbers stack up
Gary's all-time total is 2,458x the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Gary | Median boys name (Elchonon) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 902,152 | 367 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 38,754 | 23 | 22,252 |
Gary's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Divide Gary's SSA record in two at 1954 and the more recent half accounts for 54% of all births, the earlier half the remaining 46%, a genuinely balanced usage pattern. Its calmest year was 1884, with only 5 births recorded -- set against the 1952 peak of 38,754, that's the full swing in one name's fortunes.
Gary at a glance
Outside the top 1,000Peak year
1952
Current rank
#1,133
Active since
1880
Gary popularity over time - boys
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1880–2025
- Peak year (1952)
- 38,754
- Annual births at peak, across 146 years of records
Gary popularity over time - girls
3,286 total births recorded since 1915 (Gary as girls' name)
Gary by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1950s was Gary's strongest decade.
329,933 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 37% of all-time use.
Gary births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1880s 54
1880s
54 births
- 1890s 102
1890s
102 births
- 1900s 142
1900s
142 births
- 1910s 562
1910s
562 births
- 1920s 1,515
1920s
1,515 births
- 1930s 43,596
1930s
43,596 births
- 1940s
1940s
217,772 births
- 1950s
1950s
329,933 births
- 1960s
1960s
166,031 births
- 1970s 68,261
1970s
68,261 births
- 1980s 40,230
1980s
40,230 births
- 1990s 19,194
1990s
19,194 births
- 2000s 8,879
2000s
8,879 births
- 2010s 4,512
2010s
4,512 births
- 2020s 1,369
2020s
1,369 births
What this shows Peak: 1950s at 329,933 births (37% of all-time use).
How Gary compares to similarly-sized names
Years in SSA records vs. share of all-time use concentrated in the single peak year, among 15 boys names closest to Gary's total volume
Gary vs 15 similarly-sized boys names
Gary by state
Where Gary concentrates geographically, total births since 1880
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | California | | 77,452 | 8.6% |
| #2 | New York | | 62,829 | 7.0% |
| #3 | Ohio | | 56,891 | 6.3% |
| #4 | Pennsylvania | | 49,479 | 5.5% |
| #5 | Michigan | | 49,242 | 5.5% |
| #6 | Texas | | 46,699 | 5.2% |
| #7 | Illinois | | 44,647 | 4.9% |
| #8 | Missouri | | 28,979 | 3.2% |
California share of Gary's total US births 8.6%
Even split
77,452 of 902,152 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 51 reporting states.
Gary appears in 51 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Gary? ▼
Gary has been given to 902,152 babies in the U.S. since 1880, according to SSA data. Among boys, it ranks #1133 as of the latest data. 38,754 babies were born in 1952, its single highest year.
When was Gary most popular? ▼
Gary was most popular in the 1950s decade with 329,933 total births. The single peak year was 1952.
Where is Gary most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Gary are California (77,452 births), New York (62,829 births), Ohio (56,891 births).
How long has the name Gary been used? ▼
The SSA has tracked Gary since 1880 -- 146 years through the most recent 2025 data.
What names are similar to Gary? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Garrett, Garry, Garland, Garret, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for boys.
What to do with Gary's data
- Gary's decade-level peak was the 1950s (329,933 total births); usage has since declined to 1,369 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- California records the most Garys (77,452 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. California names
- Weighing it against an alternative? Put two names side by side. Compare names
Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.
Keep exploring Gary
Nearby Names Like Gary
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Gary
Garrett Boy
#560 135,762 births
Garry Boy
#5071 47,670 births
Garland Boy
#5659 23,857 births
Garret Boy
#6480 13,247 births
Garth Boy
#5258 9,666 births
Compare Gary side by side: Gary vs Garrett Gary vs Garry Gary vs Garland
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Gary
Zayan #1132
2,275 births · Peak 2025
Kenan #1134
4,645 births · Peak 2024
Cristiano #1131
3,898 births · Peak 2015
Sol #1135
8,285 births · Peak 1918
Mikael #1130
5,939 births · Peak 2023
Yaseen #1136
3,337 births · Peak 2025
Simeon #1129
9,462 births · Peak 2019
Knowledge #1137
2,375 births · Peak 2020
Data Sources
Data as of June 2026. Source: U.S. Social Security Administration (SSA).
According to the Social Security Administration, this profile draws directly from the agency's public-use baby-name files (updated June 2026). See our methodology for the full extraction, aggregation, and privacy-suppression rules.
Primary: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names from Social Security Card Applications, National Data, 1880–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Gary: #1133 Boys' Name - 902,152 Births, Peak 1952." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/gary. Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Name Almanac is rendered directly from the Social Security Administration's public baby-name files, no number is typed in by an editor. This profile for Gary draws directly on SSA national and state-level files, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of June 2026.