ESC 

Name Rank Total 

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1934

First Year

2026

Last Year

1975

Peak Year

#127

Peak Rank

60K

Total Count

91

Years Active

🌍

## 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.

Source: [Wikipedia ](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kari%5F%28name%29) (CC BY-SA 3.0). [Read more → ](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kari%5F%28name%29)

### 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

ME

WA

MT

ND

MN

WI

MI

NY

VT

NH

MA

OR

ID

SD

IA

IL

IN

OH

PA

NJ

CT

RI

CA

NV

WY

NE

MO

KY

WV

VA

MD

DE

DC

UT

CO

KS

AR

TN

NC

SC

AK

AZ

NM

OK

LA

MS

AL

GA

HI

TX

FL

Top 10

11-50

51-100

101-500

500+

No data

🔗

## 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. 

* [Cathrine](/cathrine)
* Catrine
* [Kaia](/kaia)
* [Kaja](/kaja)
* [Katarina](/katarina)
* [Katharina](/katharina)
* [Kathrine](/kathrine)
* [Katrine](/katrine)

🎶

## 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. 

* [Carry](/carry)
* [Kerry](/kerry)
* [Carrie](/carrie)
* [Carey](/carey)
* [Cary](/cary)
* [Kerri](/kerri)
* [Keri](/keri)
* [Carrey](/carrey)
* [Kerrie](/kerrie)
* [Carie](/carie)
* [Kary](/kary)
* [Karry](/karry)

Source: [Datamuse ](https://www.datamuse.com/api/). Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated. 

❓

## Frequently Asked Questions about Kari

What does the name Kari mean?

Kari is a unisex given name and surname.

What is the origin of the name Kari?

Kari has roots in the following cultural and linguistic traditions: Norwegian, Finnish, Old Norse.

How popular is Kari in 2026?

In 2026, Kari ranks #1,950 among girls' names in the U.S., with 102 babies given the name that year.

When was Kari most popular?

Kari reached its peak popularity in 1975, ranking #127 that year with 2,221 babies given the name.

In which U.S. states is Kari most popular?

Kari has historically been most popular in North Dakota, South Dakota, Montana. Rankings vary year to year, but these states show the strongest concentration of births named Kari.

Is Kari a unisex name?

In U.S. Social Security records, Kari is primarily a girl's name. We don't have meaningful data for it as a boy's name.

What names go well with Kari?

Names that share a similar style or popularity range with Kari include Priscilla, Ashlyn, Sage. These pairings are based on rank proximity and naming era in U.S. data.

What are nicknames or variants of Kari?

Common variants and related forms of Kari include Cathrine, Catrine, Kaia, Kaja, Katarina, Katharina. These cover foreign-language equivalents, alternate spellings, and short forms.

## Similar Names

[👧PriscillaPeak #127](/priscilla)[👧AshlynPeak #127](/ashlyn)[👧SagePeak #127](/sage)[👧HaydenPeak #127](/hayden)[👧DeliaPeak #126](/delia)[👧EssiePeak #126](/essie)[👧OlgaPeak #126](/olga)[👧TabithaPeak #126](/tabitha)

## 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 → ](/year/1975)
* [ Names of the 1970s → ](/decade/1970s)
* [ Names starting with "K" → ](/letter/k)
* [ Browse all girl names → ](/names/girls)
* [ Top names of 2026 → ](/year/2026)

Data sources

* Birth statistics (counts, ranks, years 1880–2026) — U.S. [Social Security Administration ](https://www.ssa.gov/oact/babynames/). 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 ](https://www.behindthename.com/) (used under their public API terms).
* Meaning prose and editorial summary — [Wikipedia ](https://en.wikipedia.org/) article extracts, licensed under [CC BY-SA 3.0 ](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/).
* Predicted nationality distribution — [Nationalize.io ](https://nationalize.io/).
* Phonetically similar names — [Datamuse ](https://www.datamuse.com/api/).

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.