Kari
Kari was the 2087th most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 90 babies. Its best year was 1976, when it ranked 127th; the most babies were born in 1975 (2,221). Over the last ten years it has moved down 261 places. More babies were named Kari in the 1970s than in any other decade.
Meaning Norwegian pet form of Katrine (Katherine) · Norwegian, Greek
Say it KAIR-ee /ˈkɛri/
- Rank in 2025
- #2,087 girls, down 616 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 90girls
- Girls and boys
- 76% girls, 24% boys2021–2025
- Peak year
- 19752,221 babies
- Total since 1880
- 60,627babies recorded
What does the name Kari mean?
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)
Kari popularity since 1880
| Year | Rank (girls) | Rank (boys) | Babies (girls) | Babies (boys) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #2,087 | #4,470 | 90 | 23 |
| 2020 | #1,471 | #3,375 | 146 | 33 |
| 2010 | #1,803 | #13,289 | 114 | 5 |
| 2000 | #783 | #9,713 | 293 | 6 |
| 1990 | #256 | #5,192 | 1,107 | 10 |
| 1980 | #158 | #3,178 | 1,767 | 14 |
| 1970 | #194 | #1,874 | 1,667 | 23 |
| 1960 | #351 | #4,333 | 749 | 5 |
| 1950 | #1,744 | — | 30 | — |
| 1940 | #2,647 | — | 11 | — |
| 1930 | — | — | — | — |
| 1920 | — | — | — | — |
| 1910 | — | — | — | — |
| 1900 | — | — | — | — |
| 1890 | — | — | — | — |
| 1880 | — | — | — | — |
How popular is Kari, counting every spelling?
Kari is the most common spelling of a name family that ranked #1,050 for girls in 2025 once every spelling is counted together, compared with #2,087 for Kari 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 Kari?
90 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Kari (0.03 per 1,000 births). For a girl named Kari 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 93 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Kari.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Kari?
About 56,000 people born in the US named Kari are alive today, with a median age of 47; half are between 39 and 55. That makes Kari 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.
Kari by state
How common Kari was among girls born in each state in 2021–2025. It is notably more common than nationally in Ohio (3.6×), Georgia (2.3×), Pennsylvania (1.9×). In 32 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 Kari: their share of US girls followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Kari, they share its era and feel.
Middle names for Kari · Sibling names for Kari
Questions about the name Kari
What does Kari mean?
Kari means “Norwegian pet form of Katrine (Katherine)” (Norwegian, Greek origin). Certainty: well established.
How popular is the name Kari?
Kari was the 2087th most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 90 babies. Its best year was 1976, when it ranked 127th; the most babies were born in 1975 (2,221). Over the last ten years it has moved down 261 places. More babies were named Kari in the 1970s than in any other decade.
Is Kari a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, 76% girls, 24% boys given the name Kari in the US.
Where is Kari most popular?
In 2021–2025, Kari was most common in Ohio (0.26 per 1,000 girls), followed by Mississippi and Georgia.