Kari
Girl name · #2080 in 2025 · Very rare
How old is the name Kari? In official American birth records, Kari has been tracked continuously since 1934, giving it 91 years of documented American history.
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. Source: Official national birth records.
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?
On our rarity read — which blends how common Kari is today with its five-year momentum — the name reads as "very rare". 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
State-level data for Kari is too sparse in 2025 to rank by rate — in most states its count falls below the SSA's per-state reporting threshold (counts under 5 are withheld).
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
How old is the name Kari?
In official American birth records, the name Kari first appeared in 1934 (over 91 years ago), when 6 newborn girls received the name. It has been tracked in modern national records for 91 years.
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. On our rarity scale (rarity blended with momentum) we classify it as "very rare".
Data source: Official American birth records, 1880–2025, national and state files. Counts reflect registered birth records for American families.