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Gary name popularity by year

Gary: 38,754 US boys in 1952; 201 in 2025. Annual usage fell 99.5% from its 1950–2025 peak, in Social Security records.

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What the data shows

  • Gary: 33,737 in 1950, 201 in 2025 (99% lower). It peaked at 38,754 in 1952.

About this chart

In 1952, Social Security recorded 38,754 US boys named Gary, the highest annual count shown. The count was 33,737 in 1950 and 1,168 in 2000. By 2025, it was 201, a decline of 99.5% from the peak displayed. The annual chart follows this exact spelling, rather than grouping together similar names or nicknames.

The more recent observations show 547 boys named Gary in 2010 and 288 in 2020. Social Security counts names from applications associated with a birth year; these totals do not count everyone alive who has the name. The source suppresses names used fewer than five times, but every year shown here has a published count.

The data

Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, baby names from Social Security card applications (names given to 5 or more babies). Retrieved November 5, 2026. US boys with this exact spelling, by birth year. Counts reflect Social Security applications, not all people currently bearing the name. Names with fewer than five occurrences are suppressed; every displayed year has a reported count.

The rise and fall of Gary, US boys named Gary, 1950–2025, 1950–2025
DateGary
195033,737
195138,160
195238,754
195336,967
195437,920
195534,433
195631,842
195729,530
195825,287
195923,303
196021,693
196122,174
196220,884
196318,929
196417,206
196515,259
196614,155
196712,616
196811,973
196911,142
197010,716
19719,190
19727,758
19736,851
19746,444
19756,114
19765,592
19775,447
19785,111
19795,038
19805,037
19814,946
19824,642
19834,266
19843,951
19853,812
19863,719
19873,486
19883,244
19893,127
19903,069
19912,677
19922,393
19932,064
19941,898
19951,625
19961,543
19971,327
19981,345
19991,253
20001,168
20011,013
20021,043
2003912
2004925
2005879
2006870
2007779
2008679
2009611
2010547
2011527
2012492
2013446
2014493
2015479
2016444
2017407
2018374
2019303
2020288
2021253
2022237
2023203
2024187
2025201

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Suggested caption: “Gary: 38,754 US boys in 1952; 201 in 2025.” Credit the source in your caption; it heads off the 'source?' comments.

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Frequently asked questions

How popular is the name Gary?

Social Security recorded 201 US boys named Gary in 2025, the latest birth year in this series. The annual count was 99.5% below its displayed peak.

When was Gary most popular?

Within the 1950–2025 series, Gary reached its highest annual count in 1952, with 38,754 boys. This identifies the highest count, not the name’s rank or its share of all births.

What does the name count include?

The figures cover US boys recorded under the exact spelling Gary in Social Security applications, grouped by birth year. They are annual name counts, not the number of living people with the name.

Where does this data come from?

U.S. Social Security Administration, baby names from Social Security card applications (names given to 5 or more babies). Retrieved November 5, 2026. US boys with this exact spelling, by birth year. Counts reflect Social Security applications, not all people currently bearing the name. Names with fewer than five occurrences are suppressed; every displayed year has a reported count. You can download the full table as a CSV from this page.

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