How common is the surname Gary?

22,310 people in the United States had the surname Gary in the 2010 Census, about 1 in every 13,839 Americans. It ranked 1,612th of 162,253 surnames.

Who is the most famous person named Gary?

Lorraine Gary, American actress, followed by Linda Gary.

Where is the surname Gary most common?

Wikidata records people named Gary in the United States.

How do you pronounce Gary?

Gary is /ˈɡæɹ.i/, 2 syllables.

Is the surname Gary getting more or less common?

More common. 21,213 people carried it in the 2000 Census and 22,310 in 2010, up 5.2%.

Is Gary also a first name?

Yes. Gary is used as a first name as well as a surname; its first-name page has the meaning and how many babies were given it.

The surname Gary

A patronymic surname, carried by 22,310 people in the United States.

Pronounced /ˈɡæɹ.i/ 2 syllables Soundex G600 Also a first name

Every surname held by 100 or more people in the 2010 US Census, most common on the left (162,253 in all). Gary is more common than 99% of them.

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.

Gary is a patronymic surname: formed from a father’s (or ancestor’s) given name.

Origin from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0).

How common it is

2010 US Census

There were 22,310 people named Gary in the United States in 2010, about 1 in every 13,839 Americans. That is up 5.2% since 2000, when the Census counted 21,213.

#1,612

rank among US surnames

22,310

people in 2010

7.6

per 100,000 Americans

+5.2%

change since 2000 (was #1,555)

Rank	Surname	People	1 in
#1,603	Amador	22,370	13,802
#1,604	Dunham	22,362	13,807
#1,605	Goode	22,356	13,810
#1,606	Kauffman	22,353	13,812
#1,607	Piper	22,329	13,827
#1,609	Cuellar	22,324	13,830
#1,610	Steward	22,318	13,834

Who is named Gary

Race and Hispanic origin as people reported it in the 2010 Census

47% of people named Gary identified as white (not Hispanic), 46% as Black (not Hispanic) and 2.7% as Hispanic or Latino (any race).

White (not Hispanic) 47%
Black (not Hispanic) 46%
Hispanic or Latino (any race) 2.7%
Two or more races 2.4%
Asian and Pacific Islander 0.7%
American Indian and Alaska Native 0.5%

Compare: most common surnames among white Americans.

Famous Garys

5 notable people on Wikidata, most written-about first

Lorraine Gary
American actress, born 1937
Linda Gary
American voice actor (1944-1995)
Frank B. Gary
American politician (1860-1922)
Rashan Gary
American football player (1997-)
Elbert Henry Gary
American judge and businessman (1846–1927)

Spellings and sound-alikes

Useful when a record has your ancestor under another spelling

Surnames that sound like Gary

Gary has the Soundex code G600, the code US census indexes have used since the 1930s. Every surname with code G600.

Questions

Where does the surname Gary come from?: 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…
How common is the surname Gary?: 22,310 people in the United States had the surname Gary in the 2010 Census, about 1 in every 13,839 Americans. It ranked 1,612th of 162,253 surnames.
What ethnicity is the surname Gary?: In the 2010 Census, 47% of people named Gary identified as white (not Hispanic), and 46% as Black (not Hispanic).
Who is the most famous person named Gary?: Lorraine Gary, American actress, followed by Linda Gary.
Where is the surname Gary most common?: Wikidata records people named Gary in the United States.
How do you pronounce Gary?: Gary is /ˈɡæɹ.i/, 2 syllables.
What type of surname is Gary?: Gary is a patronymic surname, formed from a father’s (or ancestor’s) given name.
Is the surname Gary getting more or less common?: More common. 21,213 people carried it in the 2000 Census and 22,310 in 2010, up 5.2%.
Is Gary also a first name?: Yes. Gary is used as a first name as well as a surname; its first-name page has the meaning and how many babies were given it.