Gary vs Tom
Gary and Tomcompared 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, Gary was ranked #785 and Tom #55 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
Northern Ireland · Boys
In 2022, Gary was ranked #352 and Tom #71 among boys in Northern Ireland.
Scotland · Boys
In 2024, Gary was ranked #619 and Tom #352 among boys in Scotland.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, Gary was ranked #2671 and Tom #757 among boys in England and Wales.
Gary and Tom over time
Gary and Tom appear together in 3 published lists, across 92 years of shared records. Tom held the stronger position in more years in 3 of them, Gary in 0.
The order between them changed and held in 2 of those lists — a change in that published list, never a claim that one name displaced the other.
Gary reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 3 of those lists, and Tom 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.
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.
- One moved ahead of the other
In 2003, Tom moved ahead of Gary in Northern Ireland · Boys — #82 and #95 the year before became #201 and #81.
- Longest-running competitions
Gary and Tom were both ranked in Republic of Ireland · Boys for 43 years, from 1980 to 2024, ending at #785 and #55.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Boys43 shared years, 1980–2024
Gary held the stronger position in 21 of those years, Tom in 22.
Highest recorded here: Gary #25 in 1991, Tom #32 in 2018.
The order changed in 2003: Tom moved ahead. In 2002 they stood at #87 and #90; by 2003 that had become #117 and #83.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Gary #785, Tom #55.
England and Wales · Boys29 shared years, 1996–2024
Gary held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Tom in 29.
Highest recorded here: Gary #147 in 1996, Tom #83 in 2000.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Gary #2671, Tom #757.
Northern Ireland · Boys20 shared years, 1997–2022
Gary held the stronger position in 6 of those years, Tom in 14.
Highest recorded here: Gary #57 in 1997, Tom #42 in 2016.
The order changed in 2003: Tom moved ahead. In 2002 they stood at #82 and #95; by 2003 that had become #201 and #81.
Most recent shared year, 2022: Gary #352, Tom #71.
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 | Tom |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | 1 |
| 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, IE, NO, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | Scotland · Boys #619 (2024) | Republic of Ireland · Boys #48 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | Not yet recorded |
| 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 has a recorded origin (Germanic (surname origin)); Tom does not have one recorded yet.
- Gary has 2 syllables, compared with 1 for Tom.
- A meaning is recorded for Gary; Tom doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in 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
Tom
Popularity journey
First recorded1945
First recorded at #50 among boys in Norway in 1945 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Boys
Highest recorded1945–2025
Highest recorded position: #12 among boys in Norway, in 1960 (recorded 1945–2025).
Norway · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #388 among boys in Norway, in 2025.
Norway · Boys