Gary vs Mahad
Gary and Mahadcompared 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 2012, Gary was ranked #310 and Mahad #718 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2025, Gary was ranked #3256 and Mahad #1466 among boys in England and Wales.
Gary and Mahad over time
Gary and Mahad appear together in 1 published list, across 30 years of shared records. Gary held the stronger position in more years in 1 of them, Mahad in 0.
The order between them changed and held in one of those lists — a change in that published list, never a claim that one name displaced the other.
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.
- Longest-running competitions
Gary and Mahad were both ranked in England and Wales · Boys for 30 years, from 1996 to 2025, ending at #3256 and #1466.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in England and Wales · Boys within 2 years — Gary #147 in 1996, Mahad #853 in 1996.
List by list
England and Wales · Boys30 shared years, 1996–2025
Gary held the stronger position in 24 of those years, Mahad in 5.
Highest recorded here: Gary #147 in 1996, Mahad #853 in 1996.
The order changed in 2020: Mahad moved ahead. In 2019 they stood at #1253 and #1369; by 2020 that had become #2076 and #1379.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Gary #3256, Mahad #1466.
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 | Mahad |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | 2 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NZ | GB-ENW, IE, NO |
| Most recent popularity observation | England and Wales · Boys #3256 (2025) | England and Wales · Boys #1466 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 95/100 | 94/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Gary has a recorded origin (Germanic (surname origin)); Mahad does not have one recorded yet.
- Gary and Mahad both have 2 syllables.
- A meaning is recorded for Gary; Mahad doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, IE.
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 recent2025
Most recently recorded at #3256 among boys in England and Wales, in 2025.
England and Wales · Boys
Mahad
Popularity journey
First recorded1968
First recorded at #548 among boys in Norway in 1968 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Boys
Highest recorded1968–2022
Highest recorded position: #338 among boys in Norway, in 2003 (recorded 1968–2022).
Norway · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #1466 among boys in England and Wales, in 2025.
England and Wales · Boys