How Many People Are Named Gary?
An estimated 653,395 people in the United States have the first name Gary. While not in the top 50, it remains a well-known name ranking #57 overall. It is almost exclusively a male name. The average bearer is 66 years old, and Gary peaked in popularity in 1952 with 38,838 births that year. It has a similar number of bearers to Edward (641,974).
Below you will find a full statistical profile of Gary as a first name in the United States, including gender data, a year-by-year popularity timeline going back to 1880, a decade breakdown, and state-by-state birth registrations. You can also check how many people share the full name Gary paired with any surname.
Key Insights
- While Gary is overwhelmingly male, 3,285 female births have been registered with this name since 1880.
- With an average bearer age of 66, Gary is a vintage name most associated with earlier generations. Most living bearers were born before 1970.
- Gary has fallen dramatically from its peak in the 1950s. Recent registrations are less than 5% of what they were at the name's height.
Estimated Living Americans
653,395
About 1 in 525 people in the U.S.
Rarity
Very Common
Predicted Gender
Male
99.6% confidence
Average Age
66
years old
Peak Year
1952
38,838 births
Total Registered
905,223
since 1880
Gender Distribution for Gary
Gary is almost exclusively a male name. Out of 905,223 total births registered, 99.6% were male.
Gary as a male name
Ranked #1,130 in 2024
187 male births in 2024
Peak: 1952 (38,753 births)
Gary as a female name
Ranked #12,623 in 1997
6 female births in 1997
Peak: 1961 (93 births)
Gary: Popularity Over Time
SSA records for Gary span from the 1880s to the 2020s, covering 15 decades of naming data. The most popular decade for this name was the 1950s, when 330,692 babies were registered. Gary has declined significantly from its peak in the 1950s. Recent registrations are a fraction of what they were at the name's height.
Gary by Decade
How has Gary tracked across different eras? The table below groups all SSA birth registrations into 10-year periods, with separate male and female counts. The colored bar shows each decade's share relative to the peak.
| Decade | Total | Male | Female | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1880s | 54 | 54 | 0 | |
| 1890s | 102 | 102 | 0 | |
| 1900s | 142 | 142 | 0 | |
| 1910s | 587 | 562 | 25 | |
| 1920s | 1,574 | 1,515 | 59 | |
| 1930s | 43,814 | 43,594 | 220 | |
| 1940s | 218,406 | 217,769 | 637 | |
| 1950s | 330,692 | 329,935 | 757 | |
| 1960s | 166,711 | 166,016 | 695 | |
| 1970s | 68,751 | 68,265 | 486 | |
| 1980s | 40,564 | 40,230 | 334 | |
| 1990s | 19,268 | 19,196 | 72 | |
| 2000s | 8,878 | 8,878 | 0 | |
| 2010s | 4,512 | 4,512 | 0 | |
| 2020s | 1,168 | 1,168 | 0 | |
Gary by State
Birth registrations for Gary span all 51 states and territories in the SSA database. The highest counts are in California, New York, Ohio. The lowest are in Alaska, Delaware, Nevada. On average, about 17,650 Garys were registered per state.
Gary + Last Name Combinations
How many people share a full name with Gary as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Names Similar to Gary
Other first names starting with G with a similar number of bearers.
Gary: Questions and Answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Gary?
We estimate approximately 653,395 people named Gary are alive in the United States today. This is based on SSA birth records from 1880 to 2024, adjusted for mortality using CDC life tables. About 1 in 525 Americans share this first name.
Is Gary a common name?
Gary is classified as "Very Common" and is more popular than 99.9% of all first names in the SSA database. A total of 905,223 births have been registered with this name since 1880.
When was Gary most popular?
Gary reached peak popularity in 1952, when 38,838 babies were given this name. The average age of a living person named Gary is approximately 66 years old, reflecting when the name was most commonly given.
Is Gary a male name?
Gary is predominantly male. 99.6% of people with this name are male. See the gender breakdown above for full details.
How many Gary Smiths are there?
To find how many people share a specific full name, we combine first name and surname frequencies. Try: Gary Smith, Gary Johnson, Gary Williams. You can also search any combination on our homepage.
Where does this data come from?
Our estimates use Social Security Administration birth records (1880 to 2024), adjusted for survival using CDC 2023 life tables broken down by sex. The U.S. population figure (342,754,338) is from the Census Bureau's July 2025 estimate. Full methodology.
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