Gary vs Macaulay
Gary and Macaulaycompared 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.
Northern Ireland · Boys
In 1998, Gary was ranked #83 and Macaulay #272 among boys in Northern Ireland.
Scotland · Boys
In 2024, Gary was ranked #619 and Macaulay #352 among boys in Scotland.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, Gary was ranked #2671 and Macaulay #1951 among boys in England and Wales.
Gary and Macaulay over time
Gary and Macaulay appear together in 1 published list, across 29 years of shared records. Gary held the stronger position in more years in 1 of them, Macaulay in 0.
In none of those lists did their order change and stay changed.
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.
- Repeatedly exchanged positions
Gary and Macaulay changed places 4 times in England and Wales · Boys between 1996 and 2024, ending at #2671 and #1951.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in England and Wales · Boys within 2 years — Gary #147 in 1996, Macaulay #143 in 1996.
- Started together, ended far apart
In 1996 they stood at #147 and #143 in England and Wales · Boys, 4 places apart; by 2024 they were #2671 and #1951.
List by list
England and Wales · Boys29 shared years, 1996–2024
Gary held the stronger position in 25 of those years, Macaulay in 4.
Highest recorded here: Gary #147 in 1996, Macaulay #143 in 1996.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Gary #2671, Macaulay #1951.
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 | Gary | Macaulay |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Official statistical record (evidence-only) |
| Gender usage | male | male |
| Meaning | 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. | Not yet recorded |
| Origin | Germanic (surname origin) | Not yet recorded |
| Pronunciation | /ˈɡæɹ.i/ | Not yet recorded |
| Syllables | 2 | 3 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NZ | GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT |
| Most recent popularity observation | Scotland · Boys #619 (2024) | Scotland · Boys #352 (2024) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 95/100 | 76/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Gary has a recorded origin (Germanic (surname origin)); Macaulay does not have one recorded yet.
- Gary has 2 syllables, compared with 3 for Macaulay.
- A meaning is recorded for Gary; Macaulay doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT.
How each name got here
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
Macaulay
Popularity journey
First recorded1996
First recorded at #143 among boys in England and Wales in 1996 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
England and Wales · Boys
Highest recorded1996–2024
Highest recorded position: #143 among boys in England and Wales, in 1996 (recorded 1996–2024).
England and Wales · Boys
Most recent2024
Most recently recorded at #1951 among boys in England and Wales, in 2024.
England and Wales · Boys