The story behind Gary
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.
Other language forms and explanations (1)
Tagalog entry
Unadapted borrowing from English Gary.
Pronunciation
Received-Pronunciation: /ˈɡæɹ.ɪ/
Regional pronunciation variants
- without the Mary–marry–merry merger: /ˈɡæɹ.i/
- Mary–marry–merry merger: /ˈɡɛɹ.i/
- Mary–marry–merry merger: /ˈɡeɹ.i/
- Tagalog; Standard-Tagalog: /ˈɡaɾi/
- Tagalog; Standard-Tagalog: [ˈɡ̠aː.ɾɪ]
- Tagalog; Standard-Tagalog: /ˈɡeɾi/
- Tagalog; Standard-Tagalog: [ˈɡ̠ɛː.ɾɪ]
Popularity
Gary ranked #1073 in US for 2025.
Source: SSA national baby names
Names Similar to Gary
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From glory as a variant of the more common Gloria.
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Ivy
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July
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Lily
A 19th-century flower name, from lily. Also a diminutive of Lilian and sometimes Elizabeth. Borrowed from English Lily, from lily.
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Lucy
From Middle English Lucy, from Old French Lucie (notably after the Christian martyr Lucia of Syracuse), from Latin Lucia (feminine of Lucius, a Roman praenomen), from lux…
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Mary
From Middle English Marie, from Old French Marie, from Latin Maria, from Ancient Greek Μαρία (María), Μαριάμ (Mariám), from Aramaic מַרְיָם (maryām) or Biblical Hebrew מִרְיָם…
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- Syllables
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Middle Names for Gary
Ann
From Late Latin Anna chiefly in reference to St Anne the apocryphal mother of Mary mother of Jesus but appearing in the Vulgate in reference to Anna the Prophetess, from Koine…
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- 1 syllable
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Bo
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Guy
From Old French Gui, from a Frankish form of Proto-West Germanic *Widō (compare Old Dutch Wido), a short form of names beginning with the element *widu (“wood”), from…
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- masculine
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- 1 syllable
- Ending
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Sibling Names for Gary
Ada
Short form of Germanic names beginning with adal (“noble”), such as Adelaide. Also Latinized form of Hebrew Adah. The programming language takes its name from Ada Lovelace. a…
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Adel
Ultimately from Proto-Germanic *aþalaz. The female name is a rare variant of Adele. The surname is borrowed from German Adel. Variant of Adil, from Arabic عَادِل (ʕādil).
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Alan
From Old Breton Alan, name of early Breton saints, of disputed origin and meaning; brought to England by Normans. It may have been the name of a Celtic deity, the brother of…
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