Cary
Boy name · #3660 in 2025 · Very rare
How old is the name Cary? In official American birth records, Cary has been tracked continuously since 1880, giving it 145 years of documented American history.
Cary ranks #3660 among American boys' names as of 2025, with 30 newborns given the name that year. A decade ago it stood at #3431, so the name has been falling over the past ten years. Roughly one in every 60,000 boys born in 2025 was named Cary.
The 145-year story
Cary first appears in the Social Security records in 1880, when 17 boys received the name. Its peak came in 1957, when 788 boys were named Cary — good for #268 that year. Today's parents encounter it as a name from their grandparents’ generation, which is precisely the vintage window from which names get revived. Following the curve matters more than today's snapshot: a name's position on its rise-peak-decline arc is the best predictor of how common it will feel in a kindergarten class five years from now.
Babies named Cary per year. Source: Official national birth records.
Unlock the 5-year forecast and compare Cary against up to 5 other names.
Uniqueness: will there be another Cary in class?
On our rarity read — which blends how common Cary is today with its five-year momentum — the name reads as "very rare". A high score means genuine rarity — your Cary will likely be the only one in the room, with the occasional spelling-out as the price.
Where Cary is most common
State-level data for Cary is too sparse in 2025 to rank by rate — in most states its count falls below the SSA's per-state reporting threshold (counts under 5 are withheld).
Names like Cary
Statistically, parents drawn to Cary tend to be choosing among names with similar popularity arcs, era profiles, and sounds — the closest matches in our model are Gary, Kerry, Marty, Matt, and Barry.
GaryKerryMartyMattBarryTerryRickTracy
Rank history (last 25 years)
| Year | Babies named Cary | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 30 | #3658 |
| 2024 | 32 | #3524 |
| 2023 | 23 | #4456 |
| 2022 | 37 | #3216 |
| 2021 | 27 | #3912 |
| 2020 | 26 | #3918 |
| 2019 | 41 | #2943 |
| 2018 | 22 | #4476 |
| 2017 | 31 | #3518 |
| 2016 | 35 | #3230 |
| 2015 | 32 | #3431 |
| 2014 | 21 | #4538 |
| 2013 | 22 | #4313 |
| 2012 | 28 | #3714 |
| 2011 | 29 | #3605 |
| 2010 | 24 | #4099 |
| 2009 | 25 | #4035 |
| 2008 | 34 | #3286 |
| 2007 | 35 | #3188 |
| 2006 | 27 | #3686 |
| 2005 | 30 | #3319 |
| 2004 | 34 | #2953 |
| 2003 | 39 | #2579 |
| 2002 | 34 | #2755 |
| 2001 | 49 | #2117 |
Frequently asked questions
How old is the name Cary?
In official American birth records, the name Cary first appeared in 1880 (over 145 years ago), when 17 newborn boys received the name. It has over a century of continuous American history.
Is Cary a popular boy name?
Cary ranked #3660 among boys in 2025 with 30 babies given the name — outside the top 500, making it an uncommon pick. Ten years earlier it ranked #3431.
When was the name Cary most popular?
Cary peaked in 1957, when 788 American boys received the name (ranked #268 that year). Since 1957 the name has declined from that high.
How rare is the name Cary?
In 2025, roughly 1 in 60,000 newborn American boys was named Cary. On our rarity scale (rarity blended with momentum) we classify it as "very rare".
Data source: Official American birth records, 1880–2025, national and state files. Counts reflect registered birth records for American families.