unisex name · in the US
Cari
KAR-ee (English)
- Gender Unisex (US)
- Syllables 2
- Letters 4
- Popularity Rare
- Births on record 13,419
Cari is a unisex name in the United States, with 2 syllables. In 2025 it was given to 16 babies in the United States. It is a rare choice.
- Peaked in 1976, when 541 babies were given the name.
- After peaking in the 1970s it fell out of use, and is now climbing again — a classic revival.
- Today about 1 in 207,211 babies in the United States is given this name.
- First appears in US birth records in 1941.
- 2 syllables, with the stress on syllable 1.
Cari Over Time
Births per decade in the United States, 1940s to 2020s. The striped bar is the 2020s, which so far covers 2020 to 2025.
Show the numbers
| Decade | Births |
|---|---|
| 1940s | 21 |
| 1950s | 552 |
| 1960s | 2,771 |
| 1970s | 4,451 |
| 1980s | 3,084 |
| 1990s | 1,260 |
| 2000s | 259 |
| 2010s | 271 |
| 2020s (to 2025) | 201 |
How Popular Is Cari?
In 2025, Cari was given to 16 babies in the United States. It is a rare choice.
Where Cari 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 Cari
These names rose and fell in the same era, which is why they tend to sound like they belong together.
Parents Who Like Cari Also Like
Names whose popularity has risen and fallen in step with Cari over the last century — the same taste, a different name.
Boys' or Girls' Name?
Cari 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 82% girls · 317 babies
- England & Wales Girls' 100% girls · 128 babies
How to Say Cari
- English KAR-ee
Sibling Names for Cari
Names from the same era that do not rhyme or share an initial with Cari — the two things that make a sibling set grate.
Common Questions About Cari
How popular is the name Cari?
In 2025, Cari was given to 16 babies in the United States. It is a rare choice.
Is Cari a girl's or a boy's name?
Cari is given almost entirely to girls in birth records.
How many syllables are in Cari?
Cari has 2 syllables.
When was Cari most popular?
Cari peaked in 1976, when 541 babies were given the name. After peaking in the 1970s it fell out of use, and is now climbing again — a classic revival.
Is Cari a good name?
That is not something records can settle, but they can tell you what you would be choosing. Cari currently ranks #3,298 in the United States. After peaking in the 1970s it fell out of use, and is now climbing again — a classic revival. Everything else — how it sounds with your surname, who it reminds you of — is yours.