Given name & surname · also Welsh, Celtic
Cary
“from the river”·“from the fort on the hill”·“having dark features”
Cary is used as a given name and a surname. Interpretations include “from the river”, “from the fort on the hill”, and “having dark features”. These belong to different or overlapping naming contexts.
Meaning & origin
What it means
Interpretations include “from the river”, “from the fort on the hill”, and “having dark features”. These belong to different or overlapping naming contexts.
Where it comes from
An origin associated with this spelling is Celtic.
How it developed
It entered given-name use through an existing surname.
The story
Its naming history includes the use of a family name as a given name.
Cary through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 29,827
- 24,504 boys · 5,323 girls
- Most popular year
- 1959
- 906 babies
- 2025
- 30
- #3,676 for boys
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- −7%
- Steady
Boys, girls and both
The balance of boys and girls given this name has shifted over time. Recent births are 95% boys.
Where it’s given
By the numbers
In 2025, this name appeared in 30 U.S. birth records for boys, ranking No. 3,676 among boys’ names. Average annual use for boys was 3.9% lower in 2021–2025 than in 2016–2020. Its largest published annual count for boys was 788 in 1957. In 2025, New York had the largest reported state-level birth count for boys with this name (7). Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 22,895 as a first name in 2020; 10,955 as a surname in 2020.
From Social Security birth records and U.S. Census name counts for this exact spelling. Other spellings are counted separately.
Cary’s family of names
In English usage, Cary is a diminutive of Caroline. Cary has a related form in Carrie. Cary has a related form in Caroline.
Inner ring: spellings · middle: nicknames and forms · outer: across languages.
Nicknames & forms 12
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
- Carolinefull form · English
- Carrievariant
- Carivariant
- Careyvariant · English
- Carreevariant
- Carrivariant
- Carreyvariant
- Carryvariant
Show 4 moreShow fewer
Spellings & scripts 1
The same name written differently, including transliterations into other scripts.
Across languages 3
Equivalents and cognates in other languages, plus older forms it grew from.
People named Cary
- Cary GrantBritish-American actor (1904–1986)
- Cary Joji FukunagaAmerican filmmakerborn 1977
- Cary MiddlecoffAmerican professional golfer (1921–1998)
- Cary Guffeychild actorborn 1972
- Cary BrothersAmerican musicianborn 1974
- Cary WilliamsAmerican football playerborn 1984
- Cary KennedyAmerican politicianborn 1968
- Cary MullenCanadian alpine skierborn 1969
- Cary A. HardeeAmerican politician (1876-1957)
Listed by how widely each person is written about, which says nothing about the name itself.
Similar names
If you love Cary, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.
Kelvin
“a friend of ships; a man of the river”
>99% boys
Glen
“from the secluded narrow valley”
>99% boys
Baird
“a minstrel; a poet”
>99% boys
Avon
“of the river”
>99% boys
Carberry
“tree”
—
Sandip
“from the river; woman from India” · “one who is enlightened”
>99% boys
Douglas
“from the black river”
>99% boys
Keith
“man from the forest”
>99% boys