unisex name · in the US
Amari
a-MAR-ee (English)
- Origin Disputed
- Gender Unisex (US)
- Syllables 3
- Letters 5
- Popularity Top 1000 (US)
- Births on record 57,783
the United States
#185
2025 births
Amari is a name with several competing origins: the Yoruba for "strength," the Arabic ʿāmir meaning "prosperous," and the Hebrew amar, "to say" — and reference works disagree because all three are genuine.
- Peaked in 2023, when 3,427 babies were given the name.
- It has been rising over the past decade.
- Today about 1 in 1,182 babies in the United States is given this name.
- First appears in US birth records in 1974.
- 3 syllables, with the stress on syllable 2.
Amari Over Time
Births per decade in the United States, 1970s to 2020s. The striped bar is the 2020s, which so far covers 2020 to 2025.
Show the numbers
| Decade | Births |
|---|---|
| 1970s | 11 |
| 1980s | 109 |
| 1990s | 2,637 |
| 2000s | 13,212 |
| 2010s | 19,073 |
| 2020s (to 2025) | 18,240 |
What Amari Means
Amari has no settled meaning. The readings offered are strength or having strength from Yoruba, prosperous or full of life from Arabic, and eternal or promised from Hebrew.
Where Amari Comes From
Amari's origin is contested because several traditions produced it. A Yoruba reading gives strength. The Arabic ʿāmir means prosperous or thriving, from the root ʿ-m-r that also gives Omar. A Hebrew amar means to say or promise. Its modern American use grew from the 1990s within African American naming, where it sits among Amara, Amira and Jamari, and that cluster's rise is driven by sound rather than by any one etymology — which is why reference works stack unrelated meanings without choosing.
Amari in Use
Birth records record Amari for both sexes and shows it peaking in 2023 and still rising, and it first appears in birth records in 1974. It belongs to the group our `names:disputed` work identifies: names that entered wide use faster than reference works could document them, so the explanations were reasoned backwards from the sound.
How Popular Is Amari?
In 2025, Amari was given to 2,804 babies in the United States, ranking #185 that year. It ranks among the top 1,000 names in the United States.
Where Amari Is Used
US figures omit any name given to fewer than five babies in a year, so the rarest names are absent from the source rather than absent from use. Data & sources.
Names That Peaked Alongside Amari
These names rose and fell in the same era, which is why they tend to sound like they belong together.
Parents Who Like Amari Also Like
Names whose popularity has risen and fallen in step with Amari over the last century — the same taste, a different name.
Boys' or Girls' Name?
Amari is used differently depending on where you are. Each figure is the share of babies given the name who were girls, over the last ten years of that country's records.
- United States Both 34% girls · 27,154 babies
- England & Wales Both 25% girls · 2,047 babies
- Canada Both 35% girls · 992 babies
- France Boys' 7% girls · 70 babies
How to Say Amari
- English a-MAR-ee /əˈmɑːri/
2 nicknames for Amari
Each one is a name in its own right — the figure underneath is how it is doing today, so you can see which short forms are rising and which have faded.
Amari in Other Languages
The same name as it is spelled elsewhere — not shortenings, and not different names that merely sound alike. Each one has its own record here.
- French
- Amarie
Sibling Names for Amari
Names from the same era that do not rhyme or share an initial with Amari — the two things that make a sibling set grate.
Common Questions About Amari
What does the name Amari mean?
There is no agreed meaning. "Strength" from Yoruba, "prosperous" from Arabic and "to say" from Hebrew are all offered.
Is Amari an African name?
A Yoruba reading exists, but so do Arabic and Hebrew ones. Its modern use grew within African American naming from the 1990s.
Is Amari a boy's or a girl's name?
Both. It is recorded as unisex.
How popular is the name Amari?
In 2025, Amari was given to 2,804 babies in the United States, ranking #185 that year. It ranks among the top 1,000 names in the United States.
How many syllables are in Amari?
Amari has 3 syllables.
When was Amari most popular?
Amari peaked in 2023, when 3,427 babies were given the name. It has been rising over the past decade.
What are the nicknames for Amari?
Amari is usually shortened to Ami and Mari.
Is Amari a good name?
That is not something records can settle, but they can tell you what you would be choosing. Amari currently ranks #185 in the United States. It has been rising over the past decade. Everything else — how it sounds with your surname, who it reminds you of — is yours.