Gary

See also: gary

English

Alternative forms

• Garry (chiefly British)

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) enPR: gărʹē IPA^(key): /ˈɡæɹɪ/
  • Rhymes: -æɹi
• (General American) enPR: gărʹē
  • (Mary–marry–merry distinction) IPA^(key): /ˈɡæɹi/

    • Audio (US)

      (file)

      (Mary–marry–merry distinction)
    • Rhymes: -æɹi
  • (Mary–marry–merry merger) IPA^(key): /ˈɡɛɹi/, /ˈɡeɹi/
    • Rhymes: -ɛɹi

Etymology 1

Medieval short form of Germanic compound names beginning with gari (“spear”)/geri (“spear”), such as Gerard, Gerald, or Gerbert. Cognate with the Scottish and Irish Gaelic name Garaidh.

• The last-century popularity of the given name is due to the American actor Gary Cooper (1901–1961), whose stage name was invented by his agent, a native of Gary, Indiana.

Proper noun

Gary (countable and uncountable, plural Garys)

1. A surname from Middle English [in turn originating as a patronymic].
2. A male given name transferred from the surname, popular from the 1940s to the 1970s.
   • 1930, Irving Berlin (lyrics and music), “Puttin' On The Ritz”:

     Dressed up like a million dollar trooper / Trying hard to look like Gary Cooper

   • 1964, Anne Tyler, If Morning Ever Comes, Severn House, published 1983, page 52:

     "Gary's an awful name. Whatever he's like. It reminds me of a G.I. man with a crew cut, and 'Mom' tattooed on his chest, and lots of pin-up pictures on his wall."

3. A number of places in the United States:
   1. A city in Lake County, Indiana, named after Elbert Henry Gary.
      • 1957 December 19, Meredith Willson (lyrics and music), “Gary, Indiana”, in The Music Man:

        Gary, Indiana!
        What a wonderful name
        Named for Elbert Gary of judiciary fame
        Gary, Indiana, as a Shakespeare would say
        Trips along softly on the tongue this way--

   2. A neighbourhood of Tampa, Florida.
   3. An unincorporated community in Howard County, Maryland.
   4. A minor city in Norman County, Minnesota, named after Garrett L. Thorpe.
   5. A city in Deuel County, South Dakota.
   6. Synonym of Gary City, Texas.
   7. A minor city in McDowell County, West Virginia, named after Elbert Henry Gary, and incorporated in 1971.

Derived terms

• Gary City

Etymology 2

From Gary Glitter.

Noun

Gary (plural Garys)

1. shortened form of Gary Glitter (“anus”).

   He did him up the Gary, he did.

Anagrams

• Gray, Yarg, gray, gyra, yarg

Cebuano

Etymology

From English Gary, from Germanic.

Proper noun

Gary

1. a male given name from English