Total births
59,696
Girls' name · since 1934
Kari
Kari has 59,696 recorded births since 1934 in federal Social Security data, most heavily in 1975 -- full year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state rankings follow.
- #1843
- among girls today
- 59,696
- born since 1934
- 1970s
- peak decade
- 90%
- more common than other girls
Yes -- Kari is the #1843 most popular girls' name in the U.S. today, with 59,696 recorded since 1934.
Kari has 59,696 recorded births among girls since 1934, per the U.S. Social Security Administration, ranked #1843 as of the latest data, more common than 90% of girls, busiest in the 1970s -- see the year-by-year trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution below, all drawn directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1934 to 2025.
- #1843 among girls today
- 59,696 born since 1934
- 1970s peak decade
- 90% more common than other girls
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Kari is currently the #1843 girls' name in America, more common than 90% of girls - 59,696 born since 1934, peaking in the 1970s.
- #1843
- among girls today
- 59,696
- born since 1934
- 1970s
- peak decade
- 90%
- more common than other girls
Kari vs. every other girls name in current SSA rankings
#1843
of 17,726 girls in use
More common than 90% of names given to girls today.
1970s
Peak decade
31% of everyone ever named Kari was born in this single decade.
1975
Single peak year
2,221 babies were named Kari in 1975 - its busiest year on record.
How Kari compares
59,696 Top 3% higher than 97% of 17,726 names currently given to girls
Based on all-time total births among currently-ranked girls names. Names with fewer occurrences are grouped into wider buckets on the right.
Source U.S. Social Security Administration, national baby name data
How the numbers stack up
Kari's all-time total is 156x the median girls name, and Olivia still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Kari | Median girls name (Emerly) | #1 girls name (Olivia) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 59,696 | 382 | 567,345 |
| Peak-year births | 2,221 | 48 | 19,840 |
Kari's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Divide Kari's SSA record in two at 1981 and the more recent half accounts for 43% of all births, the earlier half the remaining 57%, a genuinely balanced usage pattern. Its calmest year was 1937, with only 5 births recorded -- set against the 1975 peak of 2,221, that's the full swing in one name's fortunes.
Kari at a glance
Outside the top 1,000Peak year
1975
Current rank
#1,843
Active since
1934
Kari popularity over time - girls
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1934–2025
- Peak year (1975)
- 2,221
- Annual births at peak, across 92 years of records
Kari popularity over time - boys
931 total births recorded since 1956 (Kari as boys' name)
Kari by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1970s was Kari's strongest decade.
18,753 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 31% of all-time use.
Kari births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1930s 25
1930s
25 births
- 1940s 157
1940s
157 births
- 1950s 2,238
1950s
2,238 births
- 1960s
1960s
10,972 births
- 1970s
1970s
18,753 births
- 1980s
1980s
17,543 births
- 1990s 6,315
1990s
6,315 births
- 2000s 1,800
2000s
1,800 births
- 2010s 1,166
2010s
1,166 births
- 2020s 727
2020s
727 births
What this shows Peak: 1970s at 18,753 births (31% of all-time use).
How Kari compares to similarly-sized names
Years in SSA records vs. share of all-time use concentrated in the single peak year, among 15 girls names closest to Kari's total volume
Kari vs 15 similarly-sized girls names
Kari by state
Where Kari concentrates geographically, total births since 1934
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | California | | 5,864 | 9.8% |
| #2 | Minnesota | | 5,058 | 8.5% |
| #3 | Wisconsin | | 3,529 | 5.9% |
| #4 | Michigan | | 3,360 | 5.6% |
| #5 | Illinois | | 3,110 | 5.2% |
| #6 | Texas | | 2,927 | 4.9% |
| #7 | Ohio | | 2,747 | 4.6% |
| #8 | Washington | | 2,394 | 4.0% |
California share of Kari's total US births 9.8%
Even split
5,864 of 59,696 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 50 reporting states.
Kari appears in 50 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Kari? ▼
Since 1934, Social Security records show 59,696 babies named Kari. Today it holds rank #1843 among girls. Its busiest year on record was 1975, with 2,221 births.
When was Kari most popular? ▼
Kari was most popular in the 1970s decade with 18,753 total births. The single peak year was 1975.
Where is Kari most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Kari are California (5,864 births), Minnesota (5,058 births), Wisconsin (3,529 births).
How long has the name Kari been used? ▼
Kari has been recorded in Social Security data since 1934, spanning 92 years of data through 2025.
What names are similar to Kari? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Karen, Kara, Karla, Karina, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for girls.
What to do with Kari's data
- Kari's decade-level peak was the 1970s (18,753 total births); usage has since declined to 727 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- California records the most Karis (5,864 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. California names
- Weighing it against an alternative? Put two names side by side. Compare names
Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.
Keep exploring Kari
Nearby Names Like Kari
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Kari
Karen Girl
#1251 987,989 births
Kara Girl
#990 101,743 births
Karla Girl
#733 91,586 births
Karina Girl
#772 61,464 births
Karin Girl
#8000 28,532 births
Compare Kari side by side: Kari vs Karen Kari vs Kara Kari vs Karla
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Kari
Rosemarie #1842
51,426 births · Peak 1936
Oriana #1844
3,883 births · Peak 2003
Klara #1841
3,087 births · Peak 2019
Priya #1845
6,562 births · Peak 2014
Zella #1840
13,369 births · Peak 1917
Ahuva #1846
1,922 births · Peak 2024
Mirha #1839
930 births · Peak 2022
Eowyn #1847
1,882 births · Peak 2025
Data Sources
Data as of June 2026. Source: U.S. Social Security Administration (SSA).
According to the Social Security Administration, this profile draws directly from the agency's public-use baby-name files (updated June 2026). See our methodology for the full extraction, aggregation, and privacy-suppression rules.
Primary: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names from Social Security Card Applications, National Data, 1934–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Kari: #1843 Girls' Name - 59,696 Births, Peak 1975." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/kari. Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Name Almanac is rendered directly from the Social Security Administration's public baby-name files, no number is typed in by an editor. This profile for Kari draws directly on SSA national and state-level files, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of June 2026.