Gary

Part of speech: noun, proper noun

Definitions

1. A masculine given name of English origin commonly used to identify individuals; a name that may also refer to places or entities named after persons bearing this given name; occasionally used as a surname in English-speaking contexts
2. A personal name typically assigned to males, originating from English-speaking regions; also employed in naming geographic locations, organizations, or objects associated with this designation; sometimes appearing as a family name
3. A male first name rooted in English tradition, frequently used for people; it can denote locations or institutions named in honor of someone with this name; occasionally serves as a last name in certain families

Etymology: Gary began as a medieval short form of longer Germanic names built on "gari" or "geri," meaning "spear." Names such as Gerard, Gerald, Garrett, and Gerbert all share that first element, and Gary was a diminutive that people used in everyday speech for a bearer of one of them. The same spear root also gives a Scottish and Irish name, Garaidh, which is a cognate of the English form. Gareth can also be a source of the short form. The name's modern popularity owes a great deal to the American actor Gary Cooper, whose stage name was invented by his agent. That agent was a native of Gary, Indiana, the steel city that gave the actor his name, so a place name ended up supplying a famous first name rather than the other way around.

Synonyms: name, male name, given name