Fun Facts About the Name Kari
- More than 60 thousand babies named Kari: U.S. records list 60,628 babies given the name Kari from 1880 through 2025. Even 931 boys received the name Kari - about 1 boy for every 64 girls.
What Does the Name Kari Mean?
Kari has two well-established origins, each with a different meaning. In Norway and the wider Scandinavian countries it is a feminine name that developed as a short form of Katarina (Catherine), a name that goes back through Latin to the Greek katharos, meaning "pure." In Finland it is a masculine name, a Finnish form of the Greek Makarios (Latin Macarius), meaning "blessed." A similar-looking but distinct name is the Old Norse masculine Kári, from the Old Norse word kárr, "curly-haired"; in Norse myth it also names a son of Fornjót associated with the wind, and it survives chiefly as the Icelandic name Kári.
Kari Name History & Origins
The feminine Scandinavian Kari is a shortening of Katarina, the Scandinavian form of Catherine; the same process produced the related names Karin and Karen. Kari was in use in Norway in the Middle Ages and is also found in Sweden and Denmark, and Scandinavian immigrants carried it to North America in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries.
The Finnish Kari belongs to a separate tradition: it is a masculine name, understood as a Finnish form of the Greek Makarios, and stands apart from the Scandinavian feminine name.
Old Norse sources use the masculine Kári. A Kári is among the characters of Njáls saga, and Norse myth tells of Kári, son of Fornjót, a personification of wind. These are literary and mythological records rather than evidence of the name's origin, which lies in the Old Norse adjective kárr, "curly-haired." The name has continued in use in Iceland as Kári.
In English-speaking countries Kari appears as a feminine name, often a respelling of Carrie, and also as the Scandinavian name brought by immigrant families.
How Popular is the Name Kari?
Kari recorded its highest annual U.S. birth count in 1975. Its best rank was #127 in 1976.
U.S. name popularity from 1880-2025, based on SSA data. Rank shows how the name compares with other names - lower numbers mean greater popularity. Births shows how many babies received the name each year.
| Year | Rank | Births | % |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #2,087 | 90 | 0.0056% |
| 2024 | #1,841 | 109 | 0.0068% |
| 2023 | #1,767 | 116 | 0.0072% |
| 2022 | #1,630 | 130 | 0.0079% |
| 2021 | #1,547 | 136 | 0.0083% |
| 2020 | #1,480 | 145 | 0.0090% |
| 2019 | #1,534 | 141 | 0.0084% |
| 2018 | #1,558 | 139 | 0.0082% |
| 2017 | #1,640 | 132 | 0.0076% |
| 2016 | #1,979 | 101 | 0.0057% |
| 2015 | #1,825 | 114 | 0.0064% |
| 2014 | #1,832 | 111 | 0.0062% |
| 2013 | #1,811 | 113 | 0.0064% |
| 2012 | #1,816 | 112 | 0.0064% |
| 2011 | #2,150 | 89 | 0.0051% |
| 2010 | #1,803 | 114 | 0.0064% |
| 2009 | #1,714 | 129 | 0.0070% |
| 2008 | #1,660 | 135 | 0.0071% |
| 2007 | #1,533 | 150 | 0.0078% |
| 2006 | #1,384 | 165 | 0.0087% |
| 2005 | #1,363 | 159 | 0.0086% |
| 2004 | #1,439 | 143 | 0.0078% |
| 2003 | #1,379 | 146 | 0.0080% |
| 2002 | #976 | 227 | 0.0126% |
| 2001 | #897 | 253 | 0.0141% |
| 2000 | #783 | 293 | 0.0161% |
| 1999 | #781 | 283 | 0.0160% |
| 1998 | #661 | 349 | 0.0198% |
| 1997 | #570 | 409 | 0.0235% |
| 1996 | #464 | 540 | 0.0308% |
| 1995 | #502 | 489 | 0.0278% |
| 1994 | #398 | 633 | 0.0354% |
| 1993 | #360 | 708 | 0.0391% |
| 1992 | #327 | 823 | 0.0446% |
| 1991 | #289 | 974 | 0.0519% |
| 1990 | #256 | 1,107 | 0.0583% |
| 1989 | #205 | 1,299 | 0.0705% |
| 1988 | #187 | 1,496 | 0.0840% |
| 1987 | #167 | 1,670 | 0.0961% |
| 1986 | #170 | 1,601 | 0.0933% |
| 1985 | #166 | 1,721 | 0.1000% |
| 1984 | #156 | 1,816 | 0.1078% |
| 1983 | #145 | 1,999 | 0.1197% |
| 1982 | #136 | 2,220 | 0.1311% |
| 1981 | #145 | 1,954 | 0.1171% |
| 1980 | #158 | 1,768 | 0.1065% |
| 1979 | #153 | 1,852 | 0.1154% |
| 1978 | #137 | 1,969 | 0.1285% |
| 1977 | #130 | 2,165 | 0.1412% |
| 1976 | #127 | 2,181 | 0.1489% |
| 1975 | #129 | 2,221 | 0.1523% |
| 1974 | #153 | 1,805 | 0.1230% |
| 1973 | #172 | 1,601 | 0.1098% |
| 1972 | #186 | 1,561 | 0.1026% |
| 1971 | #179 | 1,732 | 0.1041% |
| 1970 | #194 | 1,667 | 0.0954% |
| 1969 | #213 | 1,471 | 0.0872% |
| 1968 | #204 | 1,512 | 0.0922% |
| 1967 | #226 | 1,303 | 0.0789% |
| 1966 | #267 | 971 | 0.0574% |
| 1965 | #282 | 948 | 0.0537% |
| 1964 | #273 | 1,092 | 0.0576% |
| 1963 | #275 | 1,084 | 0.0562% |
| 1962 | #298 | 961 | 0.0489% |
| 1961 | #311 | 881 | 0.0436% |
| 1960 | #351 | 749 | 0.0370% |
| 1959 | #376 | 649 | 0.0321% |
| 1958 | #431 | 478 | 0.0238% |
| 1957 | #523 | 335 | 0.0164% |
| 1956 | #620 | 238 | 0.0119% |
| 1955 | #730 | 169 | 0.0086% |
| 1954 | #855 | 123 | 0.0063% |
| 1953 | #959 | 98 | 0.0052% |
| 1952 | #1,181 | 65 | 0.0035% |
| 1951 | #1,281 | 53 | 0.0029% |
| 1950 | #1,744 | 30 | 0.0018% |
| 1949 | #1,643 | 33 | 0.0019% |
| 1948 | #2,043 | 23 | 0.0014% |
| 1947 | #2,067 | 23 | 0.0013% |
| 1946 | #1,994 | 22 | 0.0014% |
| 1945 | #3,523 | 8 | 0.0006% |
| 1944 | #3,042 | 10 | 0.0008% |
| 1943 | #2,633 | 13 | 0.0009% |
| 1942 | #4,976 | 5 | 0.0004% |
| 1941 | #3,126 | 9 | 0.0007% |
| 1940 | #2,647 | 11 | 0.0010% |
| 1939 | #3,612 | 7 | 0.0006% |
| 1937 | #4,585 | 5 | 0.0005% |
| 1936 | #3,548 | 7 | 0.0007% |
| 1934 | #4,053 | 6 | 0.0006% |
| Year | Rank | Births | % |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #4,470 | 23 | 0.0013% |
| 2024 | #2,846 | 45 | 0.0026% |
| 2023 | #3,029 | 41 | 0.0024% |
| 2022 | #3,654 | 31 | 0.0018% |
| 2021 | #2,889 | 43 | 0.0025% |
| 2020 | #3,371 | 33 | 0.0019% |
| 2019 | #4,057 | 26 | 0.0014% |
| 2018 | #4,055 | 26 | 0.0014% |
| 2017 | #4,532 | 22 | 0.0012% |
| 2016 | #6,530 | 13 | 0.0007% |
| 2015 | #7,770 | 10 | 0.0005% |
| 2014 | #13,074 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 2012 | #7,846 | 10 | 0.0005% |
| 2011 | #6,100 | 14 | 0.0007% |
| 2010 | #13,288 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 2009 | #10,438 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 2008 | #10,482 | 7 | 0.0003% |
| 2007 | #8,578 | 9 | 0.0004% |
| 2006 | #11,353 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 2005 | #10,794 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 2004 | #10,672 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 2003 | #8,239 | 8 | 0.0004% |
| 2002 | #6,802 | 10 | 0.0005% |
| 2001 | #9,924 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 2000 | #9,713 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 1999 | #10,777 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1998 | #5,653 | 11 | 0.0006% |
| 1997 | #10,037 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1996 | #9,783 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1995 | #5,711 | 10 | 0.0005% |
| 1994 | #4,669 | 13 | 0.0007% |
| 1993 | #4,585 | 13 | 0.0007% |
| 1992 | #5,065 | 11 | 0.0006% |
| 1991 | #4,937 | 11 | 0.0005% |
| 1990 | #5,192 | 10 | 0.0005% |
| 1989 | #5,390 | 9 | 0.0004% |
| 1988 | #4,049 | 12 | 0.0006% |
| 1987 | #2,779 | 19 | 0.0010% |
| 1986 | #3,764 | 12 | 0.0007% |
| 1985 | #3,147 | 15 | 0.0008% |
| 1984 | #3,573 | 12 | 0.0007% |
| 1983 | #2,739 | 17 | 0.0009% |
| 1982 | #2,909 | 16 | 0.0009% |
| 1981 | #3,515 | 12 | 0.0007% |
| 1980 | #3,177 | 14 | 0.0008% |
| 1979 | #2,514 | 19 | 0.0011% |
| 1978 | #2,526 | 18 | 0.0011% |
| 1977 | #2,843 | 15 | 0.0009% |
| 1976 | #2,378 | 19 | 0.0012% |
| 1975 | #2,091 | 22 | 0.0014% |
| 1974 | #2,513 | 16 | 0.0010% |
| 1973 | #3,327 | 10 | 0.0006% |
| 1972 | #4,206 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 1971 | #2,507 | 15 | 0.0008% |
| 1970 | #1,874 | 23 | 0.0012% |
| 1969 | #3,451 | 8 | 0.0004% |
| 1968 | #2,665 | 11 | 0.0006% |
| 1967 | #2,690 | 10 | 0.0006% |
| 1966 | #3,724 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 1965 | #3,721 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 1964 | #2,963 | 9 | 0.0005% |
| 1963 | #3,191 | 8 | 0.0004% |
| 1962 | #2,948 | 9 | 0.0004% |
| 1961 | #2,480 | 12 | 0.0006% |
| 1960 | #4,333 | 5 | 0.0002% |
| 1959 | #2,600 | 11 | 0.0005% |
| 1958 | #2,578 | 11 | 0.0005% |
| 1957 | #3,773 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 1956 | #4,205 | 5 | 0.0002% |
Name popularity over more than a century, based on Social Security Administration data. Gaps in the chart indicate years when the name does not appear in the published records.
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How the Name Kari Shapes Your Personality and Life?
EXTREMES in fortune, health and spirituality. You are very versatile, idealistic and intuitive. You either enjoy great success or suffer abject misery. The solution is service to others. Use your leadership abilities for humanity and not for self-glorification. You are bold, independent, inquisitive and interested in research. You know what you want and why you want it.
Creative and outgoing, you are always looking for an opportunity to show your abilities, especially before audience. You are very flexible and like to feel appreciated. You are looking for chances to mix with others socially and to communicate your ideas. You like to talk and can easily relate to different cultures and concepts. The biggest challenge for you is uncertainty. Easily getting bored, you can move from one job to another, switch projects and lovers. The high creative force can lead you either to happiness or unhappiness. If you understand your goals, if you can make major decisions in life and follow it directly and straight up without worry and uncertainty, you are able to achieve great heights.
✦ Kari's Deeper Meaning & Tips for Parents Discover Kari's symbolic numbers and practical tips for choosing a name that complements your child's birth date.