Meaning & History
Garey is a variant spelling of the name Gary, which gained prominence in the English-speaking world as a given name in the early 20th century. The name Gary ultimately originates from a surname derived from a Norman given name, itself a short form of names beginning with the Old German element ger meaning "spear".
Etymology and History
The Norman name traveled to England after the Conquest of 1066, where the surname Gary (or similar forms) evolved. The given name Gary was rare until the late 1920s, when it was popularized by the American actor Gary Cooper (1901–1961). Cooper adopted his stage name from the city of Gary in Indiana, his agent's birthplace. Following Cooper's rise to fame, Gary entered the U.S. top ten in 1950 and enjoyed widespread use, though its popularity has since declined.
Garey represents a spelling variation of the same name, retaining the original pronunciation. Surnames such as Garey also exist, and a census-designated place in Santa Barbara County, California bears the name Garey.
While the Garey spelling is less common than Gary, it follows a pattern of phonetic variant spellings common in English given names. According to the 2010 United States Census, Garey is also a surname, ranking 11,377th in frequency, with most bearers identifying as White (84.74%).
- Meaning: "spear" (from Old German ger)
- Origin: English, derived from a Norman surname
- Usage: English-speaking countries
- Variant of: Gary
Related Names
Sources: Wiktionary — Garey