Gary vs Paul
Gary and Paulcompared 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, Gary was ranked #94 and Paul #13 among boys in New Zealand.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
In 1984, Gary was ranked #88 and Paul #22 among boys in New South Wales, Australia.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2024, Gary was ranked #785 and Paul #222 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
Scotland · Boys
In 2024, Gary was ranked #619 and Paul #290 among boys in Scotland.
Northern Ireland · Boys
In 2022, Gary was ranked #352 and Paul #352 among boys in Northern Ireland.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, Gary was ranked #2671 and Paul #586 among boys in England and Wales.
Gary and Paul over time
Gary and Paul appear together in 5 published lists, across 165 years of shared records. Paul held the stronger position in more years in 5 of them, Gary in 0.
In none of those lists did their order change and stay changed.
Gary reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 2 of those lists, Paul in 1. 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.
- Closest over the longest run
Across 31 shared years in New South Wales, Australia · Boys, Gary and Paul averaged 35.1 places apart, ending at #88 and #22.
- Longest-running competitions
Gary and Paul were both ranked in New South Wales, Australia · Boys for 31 years, from 1952 to 1984, ending at #88 and #22.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in England and Wales · Boys within 2 years — Gary #147 in 1996, Paul #72 in 1996.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Boys60 shared years, 1964–2024
Gary held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Paul in 60.
Highest recorded here: Gary #25 in 1991, Paul #3 in 1978.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Gary #785, Paul #222.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys31 shared years, 1952–1984
Gary held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Paul in 31.
Highest recorded here: Gary #8 in 1952, Paul #4 in 1966.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 1984: Gary #88, Paul #22.
England and Wales · Boys29 shared years, 1996–2024
Gary held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Paul in 29.
Highest recorded here: Gary #147 in 1996, Paul #72 in 1996.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Gary #2671, Paul #586.
New Zealand · Boys25 shared years, 1954–1981
Gary held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Paul in 25.
Highest recorded here: Gary #19 in 1956, Paul #3 in 1965.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 1981: Gary #94, Paul #13.
Northern Ireland · Boys20 shared years, 1997–2022
Gary held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Paul in 19.
Highest recorded here: Gary #57 in 1997, Paul #27 in 1997.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2022: Gary #352, Paul #352.
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 | Paul |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Editorially researched profile |
| 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. | From the Roman name Paulus, meaning 'small' in Latin. Saint Paul, originally named Saul, converted to Christianity and became a key missionary figure, authoring several New Testament epistles. |
| Origin | Germanic (surname origin) | Latin |
| Pronunciation | /ˈɡæɹ.i/ | /ˈpɔːl/ |
| Syllables | 2 | 1 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NZ | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | Scotland · Boys #619 (2024) | Republic of Ireland · Boys #286 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | 90/100 |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 95/100 | 95/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Gary is recorded with a Germanic (surname origin) origin, while Paul is recorded with a Latin origin.
- Gary has 2 syllables, compared with 1 for Paul.
- Gary's recorded meaning differs from Paul'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
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
Paul
Popularity journey
First recorded1945
First recorded at #73 among boys in Norway in 1945 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Boys
Highest recorded1954–1998
Highest recorded position: #3 among boys in New Zealand, in 1965 (recorded 1954–1998).
New Zealand · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #286 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 2025.
Republic of Ireland · Boys