Kari
Girl name · #2080 in 2025 · Uniqueness 81/100
Kari is currently the #2080 girl name in the United States — 90 babies received it in 2025. A decade ago it stood at #1823, so the name has been falling over the past ten years. Roughly one in every 20,000 girls born in 2025 was named Kari.
Babies named Kari per year, 1880–2025. Source: SSA.
The 91-year story
Kari first appears in the Social Security records in 1934, when 6 girls received the name. Its peak came in 1975, when 2,221 girls were named Kari — good for #129 that year. Today's parents encounter it as a name from their grandparents’ generation, which is precisely the vintage window from which names get revived. Following the curve matters more than today's snapshot: a name's position on its rise-peak-decline arc is the best predictor of how common it will feel in a kindergarten class five years from now.
Unlock the 5-year forecast and compare Kari against up to 5 other names.
Uniqueness: will there be another Kari in class?
Kari scores 81 out of 100 on our uniqueness scale, which blends current rarity with five-year momentum — putting it in the "rare" band. A high score means genuine rarity — your Kari will likely be the only one in the room, with the occasional spelling-out as the price.
Where Kari is most common
Geography matters for names, and Kari is no exception. In 2025 the states with the most Karis were OH (11), TX (11), GA (7), MD (5), NC (5). Raw counts naturally favor populous states, but the spread still hints at where the name is part of the local naming culture.
Names like Kari
Statistically, parents drawn to Kari tend to be choosing among names with similar popularity arcs, era profiles, and sounds — the closest matches in our model are Cori, Kami, Mari, Bobbi, and Keisha.
CoriKamiMariBobbiKeishaLizaToniKatrina
Rank history (last 25 years)
| Year | Babies named Kari | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 90 | #2076 |
| 2024 | 109 | #1840 |
| 2023 | 116 | #1762 |
| 2022 | 130 | #1621 |
| 2021 | 136 | #1544 |
| 2020 | 146 | #1468 |
| 2019 | 141 | #1528 |
| 2018 | 139 | #1554 |
| 2017 | 132 | #1636 |
| 2016 | 101 | #1972 |
| 2015 | 114 | #1823 |
| 2014 | 111 | #1830 |
| 2013 | 113 | #1807 |
| 2012 | 112 | #1807 |
| 2011 | 89 | #2143 |
| 2010 | 114 | #1794 |
| 2009 | 129 | #1710 |
| 2008 | 135 | #1657 |
| 2007 | 150 | #1530 |
| 2006 | 165 | #1381 |
| 2005 | 159 | #1362 |
| 2004 | 143 | #1436 |
| 2003 | 146 | #1375 |
| 2002 | 227 | #975 |
| 2001 | 253 | #897 |
Frequently asked questions
Is Kari a popular girl name?
Kari ranked #2080 among girls in 2025 with 90 babies given the name — outside the top 500, making it an uncommon pick. Ten years earlier it ranked #1823.
When was the name Kari most popular?
Kari peaked in 1975, when 2,221 American girls received the name (ranked #129 that year). Since 1975 the name has declined from that high.
How rare is the name Kari?
In 2025, roughly 1 in 20,000 newborn American girls was named Kari. It scores 81/100 on our uniqueness scale (rarity blended with momentum), which we classify as "rare".
Data source: U.S. Social Security Administration name statistics, 1880–2025, national and state files. Counts reflect Social Security card applications; names with fewer than 5 occurrences in a state-year are suppressed by the SSA.