Gary vs Manus
Gary and Manuscompared 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 2017, Gary was ranked #415 and Manus #318 among boys in Northern Ireland.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2023, Gary was ranked #770 and Manus #770 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2012, Gary was ranked #977 and Manus #4805 among boys in England and Wales.
Gary and Manus over time
Gary and Manus appear together in 2 published lists, across 62 years of shared records. Gary held the stronger position in more years in 2 of them, Manus 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.
Each reached its own highest recorded position first in 1 of the lists they share.
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 Manus were both ranked in Republic of Ireland · Boys for 51 years, from 1964 to 2023, ending at #770 and #770.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Boys51 shared years, 1964–2023
Gary held the stronger position in 50 of those years, Manus in 0.
Highest recorded here: Gary #25 in 1991, Manus #147 in 1964.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2023: Gary #770, Manus #770.
Northern Ireland · Boys11 shared years, 1997–2017
Gary held the stronger position in 10 of those years, Manus in 1.
Highest recorded here: Gary #57 in 1997, Manus #236 in 2007.
The order changed in 2017: Manus moved ahead. In 2016 they stood at #198 and #378; by 2017 that had become #415 and #318.
Most recent shared year, 2017: Gary #415, Manus #318.
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 | Manus |
|---|---|---|
| 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, GB-NIR, IE |
| Most recent popularity observation | Scotland · Boys #619 (2024) | Republic of Ireland · Boys #770 (2023) |
| 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)); Manus does not have one recorded yet.
- Gary and Manus both have 2 syllables.
- A meaning is recorded for Gary; Manus doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, GB-NIR, 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 recent2024
Most recently recorded at #2671 among boys in England and Wales, in 2024.
England and Wales · Boys
Manus
Popularity journey
First recorded1964
First recorded at #147 among boys in Republic of Ireland in 1964 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Highest recorded1964–2023
Highest recorded position: #147 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 1964 (recorded 1964–2023).
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Most recent2023
Most recently recorded at #770 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 2023.
Republic of Ireland · Boys