Kali
Kali is an Indian given name and surname of Sanskrit origins from the name Kālá. It is also a Finnish masculine given name that is a form of Kalle. Notable people with this name include the following:
- Hinduism
- Bengali
- Tamil
- English
Meaning & Origin of Kali
What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.
Kali is an Indian given name and surname of Sanskrit origins from the name Kālá. It is also a Finnish masculine given name that is a form of Kalle. Notable people with this name include the following:
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
Cultural Origins (via Behind the Name)
- Hinduism
- Bengali
- Tamil
- English
The Story of Kali
American parents first put Kali on the record books as a baby girl name in 1957, with 6 registered babies. Its peak popularity came in 2019, when 1,311 Kalis were born — ranking #242 that year. About 29% of every Kali on record arrived during the 2010s, its defining decade. As of 2026, Kali ranks #299 for baby girls with 1,055 births, gradually falling (-7%). All told, over 34K Americans have carried the name since 1880, from the 1950s to the 2020s.
Popularity Over Time
Popularity by State
Variants & Related Forms of Kali
Foreign forms, alternate spellings, and nicknames that share roots with Kali. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.
Names that sound like Kali
Phonetically similar names — useful when Kali is the vibe but a different syllable count or letter feel might suit better. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.
Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.
Frequently Asked Questions about Kali
What does the name Kali mean?
What is the origin of the name Kali?
How popular is Kali in 2026?
When was Kali most popular?
In which U.S. states is Kali most popular?
Is Kali a unisex name?
What names go well with Kali?
What are nicknames or variants of Kali?
About the name Kali
Kali is a girl baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1957 and has accumulated 34K births in the dataset. Kali's peak popularity came in 2019 when it ranked #242. Use the chart and map above to compare Kali's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.
Continue exploring
- Top names of 2019 →
- Names of the 2010s →
- Names starting with "K" →
- Browse all girl names →
- Top names of 2026 →
Data sources
- Birth statistics (counts, ranks, years 1880–2026) — U.S. Social Security Administration . Predictions for years not yet released by SSA are computed by Peek a Name from historical trends; we update with official data as soon as it ships.
- Etymology, cultural origins, and related forms — Behind the Name (used under their public API terms).
- Meaning prose and editorial summary — Wikipedia article extracts, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 .
- Predicted nationality distribution — Nationalize.io .
- Phonetically similar names — Datamuse .
Peek a Name aggregates and presents the above data for informational purposes. Statistical predictions and external attributions are clearly labelled where shown; we make no guarantee of accuracy beyond what each source provides.