Boy name · Germanic
Gary
Name meaning, origin and popularity
: spearGary is a boy's name that comes from Germanic and means "spear". It is used in English.
- Meaning
- Spear
- Origin
- Germanic
- Gender
- Boy
- US rank
- #1073 in 2025
Meaning and origin of Gary
As a boy's name, Gary comes from Germanic and means "spear". It is used in English.
Gary is also a surname: the 1,710th most common in the 2020 US Census, held by 20,528 people. See the most common last names.
Meanings come from published name dictionaries, led by Behind the Name. How we research names
Gary on Nomezo lists
What our editors wrote about Gary on 4 lists.
“For a laid-back tom who has seen it all”
From Boy cat names, human names for boy cats
“Sounds like your neighbor, acts like a puppy”
From Boy dog names, human names for boy dogs
“Spear; from Norman names that began with ger”
From Names that mean warrior, names that mean spear, sword or arrow
“Every pet with this name seems to have life figured out”
From Outrageous pet names, human names for pets
How popular is Gary?
- US rank in 2025
- #1,073
- 201 babies, 118 per million boys
- Best rank
- #9 in 1954
- Most babies: 38,754 in 1952
- Babies since 1880
- At least 902,152
- Years with under 5 are not listed
| 1880s | 49 per million |
|---|---|
| 1890s | 89 per million |
| 1900s | 105 per million |
| 1910s | 84 per million |
| 1920s | 137 per million |
| 1930s | 4,126 per million |
| 1940s | 14,628 per million |
| 1950s | 16,319 per million |
| 1960s | 8,619 per million |
| 1970s | 4,133 per million |
| 1980s | 2,179 per million |
| 1990s | 985 per million |
| 2000s | 445 per million |
| 2010s | 240 per million |
| 2020s | 132 per million |
| Year | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #606 | #637 | #671 | #774 | #807 | #908 | #956 | #1,067 | #1,133 | #1,073 |
Source: US Social Security Administration baby-name data, 1880 to 2025, as published in 2026. Each spelling is counted separately, a name given to fewer than 5 babies of one sex in a year is left out, and few people born before 1937 have records, which is why the chart shows babies per million rather than raw counts.
Nicknames for Gary
Established short forms and pet names, not made-up ones.
- Gazr becomes z, a newer British and Australian habit
- GazzaGaz + -za, as in Paul Gascoigne's Gazza
Other forms of Gary
The same name in other languages and spellings, with the same meaning and origin.
- GerdBrave spear (Germanic, boy)
Names spelled like Gary
One or two letters apart, but from a different root: they look alike without sharing a meaning.
- GaelA Gaelic speaker, a Celt of Ireland or Scotland (Gaelic, boy)
- GadFortune, luck (Hebrew, boy)
- GalWave (Hebrew, unisex)
- GangFirm, strong (Chinese, boy)
- GaonCenter of the world (Korean, boy)
- GaramRiver, an old Korean word (Korean, unisex)
- GoroFifth son (Japanese, boy)
- GurCub, young lion (Hebrew, boy)
- GuyValley, ravine (Hebrew, boy)
Names with a similar meaning
- EdgarWealthy spear (Old English, boy)
- GerardBrave spear (Germanic, boy)
- GerhardBrave spear (Germanic, boy)
- GertrudeSpear of strength (Germanic, girl)
- AnsgarGod spear (Germanic, boy)
- BerengariaBear and spear (Germanic, girl)
- GeraldPower of the spear (Germanic, boy)
- GeraldinePower of the spear (Germanic, girl)
- GerbergaSpear protection (Germanic, girl)
- HolgerIsland spear (Old Norse, boy)
Middle names for Gary
Picked from our middle-name lists with a different first letter and a longer length, so the full name flows.
More boy names from Germanic
- HugoHeart, mind (Germanic, boy)
- LiamShort for William, will helmet (Germanic, boy)
- RobertBright fame (Germanic, boy)
- LambertBright land (Germanic, boy)
- LeonardoBrave lion (Germanic, boy)
- AlaricRuler of all (Germanic, boy)
- AlbertNoble and bright (Germanic, boy)
- AlbertoNoble and bright (Germanic, boy)
- ArmandoArmy man (Germanic, boy)
- ArnoEagle (Germanic, boy)
Gary: common questions
What does the name Gary mean?
Gary comes from Germanic and means "spear".
Is Gary a boy or girl name?
Gary is mainly a boy's name.
What are nicknames for Gary?
Common nicknames for Gary include Gaz and Gazza.
How popular is the name Gary?
Gary ranked #1,073 in the US in 2025, with 201 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.
What are other forms of Gary?
Forms of Gary with the same meaning and origin include Gerd (German).
What middle names go with Gary?
Middle names that flow well with Gary include Andrew, Benedict, Bernard, Brooks and Eugene. A different first letter and a contrasting length usually sound best.