Kari is a girl name with a classic feel, drawn from real birth records. Below you'll find what Kari means and where it comes from, plus how many babies have been named Kari across the United States, UK, Ireland and New Zealand, how popular Kari has been over the decades, and the year it peaked.
Kari is a girl name of Old Norse origin meaning “pure or curly-haired”. A Scandinavian form of Katherine.
| Country | Births on record |
|---|---|
| United States since 1880 | 60,627 births |
| England & Wales since 1996 | 101 births |
| Scotland since 1974 | 139 births |
| Ireland since 1964 | 3 births |
Counts come from official national birth-registration statistics: U.S. Social Security Administration, England & Wales (Office for National Statistics), Scotland (National Records of Scotland), Northern Ireland (NISRA), Ireland (Central Statistics Office) and New Zealand (Dept. of Internal Affairs). Coverage spans differ, so totals aren't directly comparable across countries.
Babies named Kari per year, United States (1934 to 2025). United States peaked in 1975 (2,243/yr) · Scotland peaked in 1980 (13/yr) · England & Wales peaked in 1998 (7/yr) · Ireland peaked in 1989 (3/yr).
Kari has been a fairly common baby name in the United States. It was most common in 1975, when it ranked #250 nationally (given to 2,243 babies that year), and a popular choice in the 1970s.
Gary · Carrie · Kiara · Kara · Kerri · Keri · Cara · Kyrie
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