Cari
Cari was the 9580th most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 10 babies. Its best year was 1976, when it ranked 380th with 541 babies. Over the last ten years it has moved down 4,424 places. More babies were named Cari in the 1970s than in any other decade.
Meaning (as Kari) Norwegian pet form of Katrine (Katherine) · Norwegian, Greek
- Rank in 2025
- #9,580 girls, down 5,112 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 10girls
- Girls and boys
- 83% girls, 18% boys2021–2025
- Peak year
- 1976541 babies
- Total since 1880
- 12,870babies recorded
What does the name Cari mean?
Cari is a spelling of Kari, pronounced the same way, so it shares Kari's meaning and origin.
Kari is a Norwegian pet form of Katrine, the Scandinavian form of Katherine; Wiktionary also treats it in English as a match for Carrie or Cary. Katherine comes from Greek Aikaterinē, whose origin is unknown. DMNES notes that it is not related to Greek katharos, "pure", although that link influenced the spelling with -th-. Kari was most popular in the US in the 1970s. Separately, Kari is a Finnish surname meaning "rock, skerry".
Kari (Norwegian, “pet form of Katrine”)Αἰκατερίνη (Greek, “Aikaterinē, of unknown origin”)
How sure is this? Well established. Kari is clearly a form of Katherine; the origin of Katherine is unknown.
Other explanations you may read: Katherine means 'pure' (Greek katharos).
Related names: Katherine, Karin, Carrie, Kara.
See also: Greek names.
Sources for this meaning
- Wiktionary, entry 'Kari', Wiktionary (Wikimedia Foundation)
- Dictionary of Medieval Names from European Sources, ed. S. L. Uckelman, Edition 2023 no. 1, s.v. 'Katherine', DMNES (Durham University)
- Wikipedia, 'Kari (name)', Wikipedia (Wikimedia Foundation)
Cari popularity since 1880
| Year | Rank (girls) | Rank (boys) | Babies (girls) | Babies (boys) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #9,580 | #10,901 | 10 | 6 |
| 2020 | #4,468 | #7,116 | 30 | 11 |
| 2010 | #6,222 | — | 21 | — |
| 2000 | #3,034 | — | 46 | — |
| 1990 | #962 | — | 195 | — |
| 1980 | #622 | — | 293 | — |
| 1970 | #473 | — | 430 | — |
| 1960 | #740 | — | 189 | — |
| 1950 | #5,392 | — | 5 | — |
| 1940 | — | — | — | — |
| 1930 | — | — | — | — |
| 1920 | — | — | — | — |
| 1910 | — | — | — | — |
| 1900 | — | — | — | — |
| 1890 | — | — | — | — |
| 1880 | — | — | — | — |
How popular is Cari, counting every spelling?
Cari is a spelling of Kari, a name family that ranked #1,050 for girls in 2025 once every spelling is counted together, compared with #9,580 for Cari on its own. Together these spellings went to 217 girls in 2025.
| Spelling | Babies 2025 | Official rank | Babies 2021–2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kari | 90 | #2,087 | 581 |
| Carrie | 63 | #2,726 | 330 |
| Cari | 10 | #9,580 | 132 |
| Kaari | 22 | #5,632 | 121 |
| Kerri | 10 | #9,787 | 60 |
| Karri | 8 | #11,405 | 46 |
| Karrie | 7 | #12,528 | 32 |
Spellings count together when they sound the same in American English and are used for the same sex; nicknames and forms that sound different (such as Theo and Theodore) are kept apart. How we group spellings.
How many kids will share the name Cari?
10 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Cari (0.00 per 1,000 births). For a girl named Cari born in 2025, the chance that another child with the same name is in a class of 20 children the same age is under 1 in 50. If every grade liked the name as much as the 2025 babies do, only about one elementary school in 831 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Cari.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Cari?
About 11,900 people born in the US named Cari are alive today, with a median age of 49; half are between 41 and 56. That makes Cari mostly worn by adults in their thirties to fifties.
Babies given the name each year (SSA) times the share of that birth year still alive (SSA life tables). Counts people born in the US only. Method.
Cari by state
How common Cari was among girls born in each state in 2021–2025. In 48 states fewer than five girls a year got the name, too few for SSA to publish, so those states show as zero.
Names with a similar history
These names rose and fell in step with Cari: their share of US girls followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Cari, they share its era and feel.
Questions about the name Cari
What does Cari mean?
Cari is a spelling of Kari, which means “Norwegian pet form of Katrine (Katherine)” (Norwegian, Greek origin). Certainty: well established.
How popular is the name Cari?
Cari was the 9580th most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 10 babies. Its best year was 1976, when it ranked 380th with 541 babies. Over the last ten years it has moved down 4,424 places. More babies were named Cari in the 1970s than in any other decade.
Is Cari a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, 83% girls, 18% boys given the name Cari in the US.
Where is Cari most popular?
In 2021–2025, Cari was most common in Georgia (0.05 per 1,000 girls), followed by Ohio and Texas.