Kari
Kari is a unisex given name and surname of multiple origins.
- Norwegian
- Finnish
- Old Norse
Meaning & Origin of Kari
What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.
Kari is a unisex given name and surname of multiple origins.
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
Cultural Origins (via Behind the Name)
- Norwegian
- Finnish
- Old Norse
The Story of Kari
American parents first put Kari on the record books as a baby girl name in 1934, with 6 registered babies. Its peak popularity came in 1975, when 2,221 Karis were born — ranking #129 that year. About 31% of every Kari on record arrived during the 1970s, its defining decade. As of 2026, Kari ranks #1,950 for baby girls with 102 births, falling sharply (-19%). All told, over 60K Americans have carried the name since 1880, from the 1930s to the 2020s.
Popularity Over Time
Popularity by State
Variants & Related Forms of Kari
Foreign forms, alternate spellings, and nicknames that share roots with Kari. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.
Names that sound like Kari
Phonetically similar names — useful when Kari 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 Kari
What does the name Kari mean?
What is the origin of the name Kari?
How popular is Kari in 2026?
When was Kari most popular?
In which U.S. states is Kari most popular?
Is Kari a unisex name?
What names go well with Kari?
What are nicknames or variants of Kari?
About the name Kari
Kari is a girl baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1934 and has accumulated 60K births in the dataset. Kari's peak popularity came in 1975 when it ranked #127. Use the chart and map above to compare Kari's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.
Continue exploring
- Top names of 1975 →
- Names of the 1970s →
- 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.