Cary
Boy name · #3660 in 2025 · Uniqueness 74/100
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, 1880–2025. Source: SSA.
Unlock the 5-year forecast and compare Cary against up to 5 other names.
Uniqueness: will there be another Cary in class?
Cary scores 74 out of 100 on our uniqueness scale, which blends current rarity with five-year momentum — putting it in the "rare" band. 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 sparse in 2025 — the name's footprint is too small for most states to report (the SSA suppresses counts under 5 per state for privacy).
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
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. It scores 74/100 on our uniqueness scale (rarity blended with momentum), which we classify as "rare".
Data source: U.S. Social Security Administration name statistics, 1880–2025, national and state files. Counts reflect Social Security card applications; names with fewer than 5 occurrences in a state-year are suppressed by the SSA.