Kari

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Girl · Scandinavian, from Greek

Kari

Say it: KAH-ree

Try it with your surname

Meaning

A Norwegian and Danish short form of Katarina (Katherine), whose origin is unknown; in the US also a spelling of Carrie.

Likelythe main view, with some doubt.

Common in Norway in the mid-20th century and among Scandinavian Americans; in the US it peaked in the 1960s and 1970s.

Its wave through time

A fashion of the 1970s

In the United States

59,856 babies given this name since 1934
At its height in 1975, about 1 in 656 girls
176 babies in 2020

Through the ages

The Modern Age1880 to today

Used by

Norwegian Danish American

The family of the name

Other spellings: Karie, Carrie

Swedish	Karin
Danish	Kaja

Names worth a look

HildaGirlShort form of names containing Germanic hild 'battle'.Early Medieval · peak 1903

KristineGirlA spelling of Christine, from Latin Christianus 'a Christian', ultimately from Greek Christos 'anointed'.Modern · peak 1968 · forgotten

RandiGirlA Norwegian development of Old Norse Ragnfríðr: regin 'the gods, counsel' and fríðr 'beautiful, beloved'.Middle Ages · peak 1982 · forgotten

ElsaGirlShort form of Elisabeth, from Hebrew Elisheva.Middle Ages · peak 1895

KarinGirlA Swedish short form of Katarina (Catherine). The root is unknown; the popular meaning 'pure' comes from a later…Middle Ages · peak 1969

SelmaGirlUncertain. It may come from Selma, the hall of Fingal in James Macpherson's Ossian poems, which made it fashionable…Victorian · peak 1891

KarenGirlA Danish short form of Katherine, from Greek Aikaterinē, whose origin is unknown.Modern · peak 1956

GaryBoyOf uncertain origin; possibly from a surname with the Germanic element gar 'spear'. Its use as a first name grew…Modern · peak 1951

Where this comes from

National birth statistics of European countries source
United States Social Security birth records, 1880 to today source
United States Social Security birth records, 1880 to today source

Meanings and histories are compiled from the study of names and their languages and checked by a second review.

Meanings and histories are drawn from the study of names and their languages, each with a confidence rating; popularity figures come from official birth records. Name histories are a living field: if you know of a correction, we would be glad to hear it.