Kari
How to say it: KAH-ree · /ˈkɑri/
Scandinavian short form of Katherine ('pure'); in Finnish an independent name; meanings vary by culture.
Kari was the 1,068th most popular girls’ name in the United States in 2025, given to 90 babies (Social Security Administration). Its busiest decade was the 1970s, its births are down about 34% in ten years, and it is projected to slip to #1,310 by 2030.
Updated · SSA 2025 data, published May 2026 · How we compute these figures
Key facts
| Rank among girls’ names, 2025 | #1,068 |
|---|---|
| Babies born in 2025 | 90 |
| Share of births | 1 in 18,944 |
| Peak decade | 1970s |
| Change over 10 years | −34% |
| Projected rank for 2030 (estimate) | #1,310 |
Sources: Social Security Administration (SSA). How we compute these figures.
Its life, decade by decade
Kari peaked in the 1970s.
What goes with it
Honouring a Kari in the family
In the classroom
In a class of 25 children born in 2025, the chance that another child is called Kari is about under 1 in 200.
Around the world
This spelling is used in Dutch, English, Finnish, German, Greek, Norwegian, Swedish.
Famous people named Kari
- Kari Wahlgren (born 1977)American voice actress
- Kari Byron (born 1974)Television host, artist, ''MythBusters'' build team member
- Kari Wuhrer (born 1967)American actress
From Wikidata and Wikipedia
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