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Say Bye To This Baby Name: Gary Could Soon Be A Goner

Are you called Gary? Your name could soon be extinct as fewer parents are choosing to call their tot it

Despite a wealth of famous Garys in the world (Neville, Oldman, Barlow and Lineker, to name a few), the name is dying out.

The name 'Gary' is less popular than it's ever been before [Rex]
The name 'Gary' is less popular than it's ever been before [Rex]



Records have revealed that the name is on its way to becoming extinct – despite being really popular in decades gone by.

Since it originated in 1880, the name has been given to both boys and girls but is now becoming a rarity.

Stats show that the amount of babies given the name has declined dramatically – halving in popularity in the last decade alone.

Gary Barlow is one famous Gary [Rex]
Gary Barlow is one famous Gary [Rex]



The name hasn’t been given to a girl since 1997 and was only given to 442 babies worldwide in 2013 – 469 less than in 2003, according to onebabynamer.com.

The name peaked in the 50s, with up to 38,000 baby boys globally being given the originally Germanic name. It took off at the same time for girls, with up to 90 girls being called Gary.

British actor Gary Oldman was given his name when it was at the height of its popularity - in the 50s [Rex]
British actor Gary Oldman was given his name when it was at the height of its popularity - in the 50s [Rex]



In the UK, only 28 British-born boys were named Gary in 2013, compared to 235 in 1996, a graph based on Office of National Statistics shows (http://names.darkgreener.com/#gary).

Nowadays, the most popular boys names in the UK include the likes of Jack, Harry, Jacob, Charlie, Thomas, Oscar and William – with Oliver as Britain’s number one choice of last year.

Top girls names include Amelia, Olivia, Emily, Ava, Isla, Jessica, Poppy and Isabella. Not a Gary in sight.

Do you have a rare name? Let us know in the comments below.

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