Aaron vs Gary
Aaron and Garycompared on official birth-registration statistics and Namewise's recorded data. This page states what each name's record shows — it never picks a winner or scores one name against the other.
Head to head
Ranks are only compared within one published list and one year. Two ranks from different years, from a boys' and a girls' list, or from different registrars are not comparable, so they are not placed side by side.
New Zealand · Boys
In 1981, Aaron was ranked #18 and Gary #94 among boys in New Zealand.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
In 1984, Aaron was ranked #24 and Gary #88 among boys in New South Wales, Australia.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2024, Aaron was ranked #79 and Gary #785 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
Scotland · Boys
In 2024, Aaron was ranked #114 and Gary #619 among boys in Scotland.
Northern Ireland · Boys
In 2022, Aaron was ranked #131 and Gary #352 among boys in Northern Ireland.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, Aaron was ranked #154 and Gary #2671 among boys in England and Wales.
Aaron and Gary over time
Aaron and Gary appear together in 5 published lists, across 134 years of shared records. Aaron held the stronger position in more years in 5 of them, Gary in 0.
The order between them changed and held in 3 of those lists — a change in that published list, never a claim that one name displaced the other.
Gary reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 5 of those lists, and Aaron in none. Each position is a place inside its own list, so this compares when they peaked and never how high.
Counted list by list. Two names in the same published list are measured on the same scale in the same year, so those comparisons are real — but positions from different lists are not, so nothing here is combined into an overall standing.
How this pair is related
The relationship kinds these two qualify for, each under its own stated rule. Every one is drawn from a list they both appear in.
- One took the other's place near the top
In New South Wales, Australia · Boys, Aaron moved into the top 50 at #38 in 1972 as Gary fell out of it to #54, having been #49 the year before.
- One moved ahead of the other
In 1972, Aaron moved ahead of Gary in New South Wales, Australia · Boys — #53 and #49 the year before became #38 and #54.
- Longest-running competitions
Aaron and Gary were both ranked in Republic of Ireland · Boys for 58 years, from 1965 to 2024, ending at #79 and #785.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in England and Wales · Boys within 2 years — Aaron #31 in 1998, Gary #147 in 1996.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Boys58 shared years, 1965–2024
Aaron held the stronger position in 32 of those years, Gary in 26.
Highest recorded here: Aaron #6 in 1998, Gary #25 in 1991.
The order changed in 1992: Aaron moved ahead. In 1991 they stood at #28 and #25; by 1992 that had become #24 and #30.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Aaron #79, Gary #785.
England and Wales · Boys29 shared years, 1996–2024
Aaron held the stronger position in 29 of those years, Gary in 0.
Highest recorded here: Aaron #31 in 1998, Gary #147 in 1996.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Aaron #154, Gary #2671.
Northern Ireland · Boys20 shared years, 1997–2022
Aaron held the stronger position in 20 of those years, Gary in 0.
Highest recorded here: Aaron #8 in 2000, Gary #57 in 1997.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2022: Aaron #131, Gary #352.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys14 shared years, 1969–1984
Aaron held the stronger position in 11 of those years, Gary in 3.
Highest recorded here: Aaron #23 in 1979, Gary #38 in 1969.
The order changed in 1972: Aaron moved ahead. In 1971 they stood at #53 and #49; by 1972 that had become #38 and #54.
Most recent shared year, 1984: Aaron #24, Gary #88.
New Zealand · Boys13 shared years, 1966–1981
Aaron held the stronger position in 9 of those years, Gary in 4.
Highest recorded here: Aaron #8 in 1972, Gary #26 in 1966.
The order changed in 1970: Aaron moved ahead. In 1969 they stood at #45 and #34; by 1970 that had become #24 and #48.
Most recent shared year, 1981: Aaron #18, Gary #94.
Two names moving past each other in a ranking is a fact about the ranking. Namewise does not claim one name displaced the other, that families chose between them, or that either influenced the other — none of that is in this data.
Side by side
| Field | Aaron | Gary |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Editorially researched profile |
| Gender usage | male | male |
| Meaning | Best known as the name of Moses's elder brother and the first high priest of Israel in the Old Testament; the literal meaning of the name itself is not reliably established. | An English surname originally a short form of Norman given names beginning with the Old German element 'ger' ('spear'). Adopted as a stage name by actor Gary Cooper, after Gary, Indiana. |
| Origin | Biblical Hebrew (likely of Egyptian origin) | Germanic (surname origin) |
| Pronunciation | /ˈɛrən/ | /ˈɡæɹ.i/ |
| Syllables | 2 | 2 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Boys #71 (2025) | Scotland · Boys #619 (2024) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | 90/100 |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 94/100 | 95/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Aaron is recorded with a Biblical Hebrew (likely of Egyptian origin) origin, while Gary is recorded with a Germanic (surname origin) origin.
- Aaron and Gary both have 2 syllables.
- Aaron's recorded meaning differs from Gary's — see the table above for each.
- Both names have recorded usage in AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NZ.
How each name got here
Aaron
Popularity journey
First recorded1965
First recorded at #222 among boys in Republic of Ireland in 1965 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Highest recorded1965–2025
Highest recorded position: #6 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 1998 (recorded 1965–2025).
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #334 among boys in Norway, in 2025.
Norway · Boys
Gary
Popularity journey
First recorded1952
First recorded at #8 among boys in New South Wales, Australia in 1952 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
Highest recorded1952–1984
Highest recorded position: #8 among boys in New South Wales, Australia, in 1952 (recorded 1952–1984).
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
Most recent2024
Most recently recorded at #2671 among boys in England and Wales, in 2024.
England and Wales · Boys