boy's name
Garry
GARR-ee
- Origin English
- Gender Boy
- Syllables 2
- Letters 5
- Popularity Rare
- Births on record 54,122
Northern Ireland
#322
2002 births
Garry means spear, and it reached English through a steel town — Gary, Indiana was named for a US Steel chairman, and the place name did more for the given name than any of its Germanic ancestors.
- Garry is a name of English origin.
- Peaked in 1954, when 2,229 babies were given the name.
- It has been falling over the past decade.
- Today about 1 in 221,043 babies in the United States is given this name.
- 2 syllables, with the stress on syllable 1.
Garry over time
Births per decade in the United States, 1880s to 2020s. The striped bar is the 2020s, still in progress — it covers 2020 to 2025, not a full ten years.
Show the numbers
| Decade | Births |
|---|---|
| 1880s | 27 |
| 1890s | 12 |
| 1900s | 22 |
| 1910s | 153 |
| 1920s | 309 |
| 1930s | 2,133 |
| 1940s | 10,363 |
| 1950s | 18,868 |
| 1960s | 7,428 |
| 1970s | 3,657 |
| 1980s | 2,550 |
| 1990s | 1,237 |
| 2000s | 649 |
| 2010s | 330 |
| 2020s (to 2025) | 111 |
What Garry means
Garry means spear. The Germanic element behind it names the weapon directly, and it arrives by way of a surname rather than as a name in its own right.
Where Garry comes from
Garry respells Gary, itself from a surname built on the Germanic ger, a spear — the same element in Gerard, Gerald and Gertrude, and the one hiding in garlic, the Old English spear-leek. Gary, Indiana was founded in 1906 and named for Elbert Gary, chairman of US Steel. The actor Gary Cooper took the name from that town at an agent's suggestion, and the given name followed him rather than the other way round.
Garry in use
Garry peaked in the United States in 1954, when 2,229 babies were registered, and is falling in our data. It now ranks 889th in Scotland on 3 births, 6104th in the United States on 15 and 6433rd in England and Wales on 3, across 54,122 lifetime births in four of the seven markets we track. Scotland ran its own peak of 157 births in 1981 and Ireland 98 in 1980, a generation after the American one.
How popular is Garry?
In 2025, Garry was given to 15 babies in the United States. It is a rare choice.
Where Garry is used
US figures omit any name given to fewer than five babies in a year, so the rarest names are absent from the source rather than absent from use. Data & sources.
Names that peaked alongside Garry
These names rose and fell in the same era, which is why they tend to sound like they belong together.
Parents who like Garry also like
Names whose popularity has risen and fallen in step with Garry over the last century — the same taste, a different name.
Garry in other languages
The same name as it is spelled elsewhere — not shortenings, and not different names that merely sound alike. Each one has its own record here.
Sibling names for Garry
Names from the same era that won't rhyme or share an initial with Garry — the two things that make a sibling set grate.
Common questions about Garry
What does the name Garry mean?
Spear — the Germanic ger, by way of a surname.
Is Gary, Indiana connected?
Yes. The town was named for Elbert Gary of US Steel, and Gary Cooper took his name from the town.
Is garlic related?
Yes — the Old English garleac, spear-leek.
Is it Garry or Gary?
Gary is the commoner spelling; Garry is a variant with its own substantial history.
How popular is the name Garry?
In 2025, Garry was given to 15 babies in the United States. It is a rare choice.
Is Garry a girl's or a boy's name?
Garry is given almost entirely to boys in birth records.
How many syllables are in Garry?
Garry has 2 syllables.
When was Garry most popular?
Garry peaked in 1954, when 2,229 babies were given the name. It has been falling over the past decade.
Is Garry a good name?
That is not something records can settle, but they can tell you what you would be choosing. Garry currently ranks #889 in the United States. It has been falling over the past decade. Everything else — how it sounds with your surname, who it reminds you of — is yours.