Chulainn vs Gary
Chulainn 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.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2024, Chulainn was ranked #785 and Gary #785 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
Chulainn and Gary over time
Chulainn and Gary appear together in 1 published list, across 15 years of shared records. Gary held the stronger position in more years in 1 of them, Chulainn in 0.
In none of those lists did their order change and stay changed.
Gary reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 1 of those lists, and Chulainn 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.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Boys15 shared years, 2003–2024
Chulainn held the stronger position in 1 of those years, Gary in 13.
Highest recorded here: Chulainn #430 in 2012, Gary #117 in 2003.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Chulainn #785, Gary #785.
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 | Chulainn | Gary |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Official statistical record (evidence-only) | Editorially researched profile |
| Gender usage | male | male |
| Meaning | Not yet recorded | 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 | Not yet recorded | Germanic (surname origin) |
| Pronunciation | Not yet recorded | /ˈɡæɹ.i/ |
| Syllables | 2 | 2 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | GB-NIR, IE | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Boys #577 (2025) | Scotland · Boys #619 (2024) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | 90/100 |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 76/100 | 95/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 60/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Gary has a recorded origin (Germanic (surname origin)); Chulainn does not have one recorded yet.
- Chulainn and Gary both have 2 syllables.
- A meaning is recorded for Gary; Chulainn doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-NIR, IE.
How each name got here
Chulainn
Popularity journey
First recorded2003
First recorded at #500 among boys in Republic of Ireland in 2003 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #577 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 2025.
Republic of Ireland · 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