Kerri
Kerri was the 9787th most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 10 babies. Its best year was 1975, when it ranked 167th with 1,597 babies. Over the last ten years it has moved down 3,646 places. More babies were named Kerri in the 1970s than in any other decade.
Meaning (as Kari) Norwegian pet form of Katrine (Katherine) · Norwegian, Greek
- Rank in 2025
- #9,787 girls, down 2,385 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 10girls
- Girls and boys
- Almost always a girl’s name2021–2025
- Peak year
- 19751,597 babies
- Total since 1880
- 37,369babies recorded
What does the name Kerri mean?
Kerri 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)
Kerri popularity since 1880
A few boys are given the name too: 348 since 1958.
| Year | Rank (girls) | Babies (girls) |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #9,787 | 10 |
| 2020 | #7,402 | 15 |
| 2010 | #3,232 | 51 |
| 2000 | #1,284 | 151 |
| 1990 | #437 | 574 |
| 1980 | #228 | 1,119 |
| 1970 | #223 | 1,416 |
| 1960 | #446 | 478 |
| 1950 | #2,160 | 21 |
| 1940 | — | — |
| 1930 | — | — |
| 1920 | — | — |
| 1910 | — | — |
| 1900 | — | — |
| 1890 | — | — |
| 1880 | — | — |
How popular is Kerri, counting every spelling?
Kerri is a spelling of Kari, a name family that ranked #1,050 for girls in 2025 once every spelling is counted together, compared with #9,787 for Kerri 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 Kerri?
10 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Kerri (0.00 per 1,000 births). For a girl named Kerri 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 Kerri.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Kerri?
About 34,600 people born in the US named Kerri are alive today, with a median age of 50; half are between 42 and 56. That makes Kerri 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.
Kerri by state
How common Kerri was among girls born in each state in 2021–2025. In 50 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 Kerri: their share of US girls followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Kerri, they share its era and feel.
Questions about the name Kerri
What does Kerri mean?
Kerri is a spelling of Kari, which means “Norwegian pet form of Katrine (Katherine)” (Norwegian, Greek origin). Certainty: well established.
How popular is the name Kerri?
Kerri was the 9787th most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 10 babies. Its best year was 1975, when it ranked 167th with 1,597 babies. Over the last ten years it has moved down 3,646 places. More babies were named Kerri in the 1970s than in any other decade.
Is Kerri a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, almost always a girl’s name given the name Kerri in the US.
Where is Kerri most popular?
In 2021–2025, Kerri was most common in Pennsylvania (0.02 per 1,000 girls).