Posted on 03/11/2015 11:13:51 AM PDT by Praetorian
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
What about the popularity of “Cedric” (Lord Fauntleroy)?
Us old codgers will have to contend with our doctor named Brandi and our lawyer named Jayden. Names like these just don’t quite have a professional sound.
Naming a child “Mohammed” should disappear instead.
I read once that Gary Cooper named himself after Gary, Indiana for a stage name and that he popularized the name.
I don’t see what the big deal is. All baby boomer names have fallen out of favor...Barbara, Carol, Susan, Nancy, Kevin, Timmy, Tommy, Debbie, etc.
that was a funny movie!!
I guess everyone had the same thought at the same time. In school, he shared his name with lots of other kids.
I just can't imagine a Supreme Court justice named "Tiffani"
I prefer Kaitlyn myself.
If you want a name to stand the test of time, you need some Saints.
I was going to say that with a name like Gary, he would be the patron saint of plumbers, only to find out that this already exists. Apparently, his name is Saint Genesius (Maritinus) and he is the patron saint of plumbers, actors, clowns, and torture victims. I swear, you learn something new every day. Also, there are some things that you can't just make up.
What’re you talking about? The book of Gary is in there. Right between Esther and Ruth.
I think “Chloe” gets a bad rap sometimes; it’ actually a Bible name.
Dude. Mine is now so uncommon I have met three others during my entire life.
It’s because, in the South, Gary is pronounced “GAY-ree”. Who wants “gay” in their kids’ name, except perverts? The homos have ruined that word for all normal people.
I think they ruined the name Bruce too, I never hear that name anymore. [At least from younger people].
Nobody names their kid Xerxes anymore.
I stand corrected on that one.
I think I named a cat Gary once.
He bit me.
In before Orangello and Lemongello
I named my daughter Ava.
It riled my family, so yay.
Next kid, if there is one, will be Reagan. It riles the homos and leftists in my family. I will not be thwarted by wastrels!
I have a doosh in-law who named his 2 girls McKenzie and McKenna.
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