Male name
Gary
1,581 births (England and Wales, 1996–2025), peaking in 1996. Expression number: 6.
Origin
Medieval short form of Germanic compound names beginning with gari or geri ("spear"), such as Gerard, Garrett, Gerald, or Gerbert. Cognate with the Scottish and Irish name Garaidh. Sometimes also a short form of Gareth. The popularity of the given name in the 20th century is due to the American actor Gary Cooper, whose stage name was invented by his agent, a native of Gary, Indiana.From Wiktionary, entry “Gary”, text under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Do you know a Gary?
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How many babies received it
From the official birth registers.
In England and Wales
Peak in 1996: 235 births. 1,581 births from 1996 to 2025. A name given mostly in the 1990s. It is still given: 52 births from 2021 to 2025.
Source: Office for National Statistics, Baby names in England and Wales, Open Government Licence v3.0.
In the United States
Peak in 1952: 38,839 births. 905,438 births from 1880 to 2025. A name given mostly in the 1940s, 1950s and 1960s. At its peak, it ranked 9th among boys' names in 1954. It really came into use around 1908. It is still given: 1,081 births from 2021 to 2025.
Source: Social Security Administration, Popular Baby Names, public domain.
In Ireland
Peak in 1984: 340 births. 7,588 births from 1964 to 2025. A name given mostly in the 1970s, 1980s and 1990s. At its peak, it ranked 25th among boys' names in 1991. It is still given: 14 births from 2021 to 2025.
Source: Central Statistics Office, Irish Babies' Names, CC BY 4.0.
Elsewhere in the world
The name in the birth records of the 10 countries we track. The period covered varies from country to country.
| Country | Births | Period | Best rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| France | 5,565 | 1900–2025 | — |
| Switzerland | 402* | 1915–2025 | — |
| Quebec | 252 | 1980–2025 | — |
* These are the people living in the country, counted by year of birth, not the number of births.
Source: INSEE, Fichier des prénoms, Etalab Open Licence 2.0; Federal Statistical Office, First names of the population by year of birth, free use with attribution; Retraite Québec, Banque de prénoms, CC BY 4.0.
The numbers of the name
Each letter has a value: A = 1, B = 2… I = 9, then J = 1 again (Pythagorean method). We add them up, then reduce to a single digit, except 11, 22 and 33.
■ vowel · ■ consonant
Expression
All the letters: talents, the way you act.
6
responsibility, harmony, commitment to others
7 + 1 + 9 + 7 = 24 → 6
Soul
The vowels: what drives you deep down.
8
power, achievement, your relationship with money
1 + 7 = 8
Personality
The consonants: what others notice first.
7
reflection, inner life, seeking
7 + 9 = 16 → 7
- Digits missing from the name
- 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 8
- Most frequent digit
- 7 · reflection, inner life, seeking
The meaning of the numbers comes from numerological tradition; it isn't a measure of your personality. A full portrait needs your first and middle names, your last name at birth, and your date of birth. How we calculate
Your name and theirs
The number of each name, and the number of the bond, which comes from adding them together. A symbolic game: what your two names say together, to be read as a metaphor, not as a verdict on your relationship.