Find out how popular the last name Gary is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Gary.

Gary, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Gary surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Gary in America

Gary is the 1612th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Gary surname appeared 22,310 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 8 people would have the surname Gary.

We can also compare 2010 data for Gary to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Gary

The surname Gary originated in England during the medieval period, likely in the 10th or 11th century. It is derived from the Old English word "garan" or "garen," which means "triangular piece of ground." This suggests that the name may have originally referred to someone who lived on or near a triangular-shaped plot of land or field.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Gary can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, a survey of landholdings in England commissioned by William the Conqueror. The Domesday Book mentions a landholder named "Garei" in Lincolnshire. This spelling variation likely represents an early form of the Gary surname.

During the Middle Ages, the Gary surname was primarily concentrated in the English counties of Lincolnshire, Nottinghamshire, and Yorkshire. Several place names in these regions, such as Garthorpe and Gartree, may have influenced the development of the Gary surname or been derived from the same Old English root.

One notable historical figure with the Gary surname was Sir Thomas Gary (c. 1495-1544), an English courtier and diplomat during the reign of Henry VIII. He served as Lord of the Privy Seal and was involved in negotiations with Scotland and France.

Another prominent individual was Robert Gary (c. 1540-1622), an English politician and landowner who served as a Member of Parliament during the reigns of Elizabeth I and James I. He was also a member of the Council of the North and held various administrative positions in Yorkshire.

In the 17th century, the Gary surname is recorded in the parish registers of Barwick-in-Elmet, a village in West Yorkshire. One entry from 1638 mentions the marriage of Robert Gary and Elizabeth Thwaites.

During the 18th century, a notable figure with the Gary surname was Sir John Gary (1691-1768), an English lawyer and judge who served as Chief Justice of the Common Pleas from 1742 until his death.

The Gary surname also has a connection to the American Revolutionary War, with Elbert Gary (1744-1800) serving as a colonel in the Continental Army and participating in several major battles, including the Siege of Savannah.

Over the centuries, the Gary surname has undergone various spelling variations, such as Garie, Garye, and Garey, reflecting the evolving nature of surnames and regional dialects. However, the core meaning and origins of the name can be traced back to its Old English roots and the triangular piece of ground it once described.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Gary

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Gary.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Gary was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Gary has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Gary was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Gary, please contact us.

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