NameChart

Kari

Girl name

Kari has been given to 60,627 babies in the U.S. since 1934. It peaked in 1975.

Meaning & origin /ˈkɑː.ɹi/

From Norwegian Kari, diminutive of Katrine.

Origin: Swedish

Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

Popularity over time births per year, 1880–2025

05551.111k1.666k2.221k 18801900192019401960198020002020 Girls Boys
Hover or tap the chart to read any year.

Total babies

60,627

Peak year

1975 (2,243 babies)

Rank in 2025

Below top 1000

First recorded

1934

10-year trend

▼ -9%

Gender split

98% girls / 2% boys

Famous people named Kari

Kari Wahlgren

American voice actress

Kari Byron

Television host, artist, ''MythBusters'' build team member

Kari Wuhrer

American actress (b. 1967)

Kari Hotakainen

Finnish writer

Notability data from Wikidata (CC0).

Names with a similar vibe

Same primary gender, peaked around the same years, and roughly as common as Kari.

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