girl's name
Kali
KAH-lee
- Origin Sanskrit
- Gender Girl
- Syllables 2
- Letters 4
- Popularity Top 1000 (US)
- Births on record 37,469
the United States
#323
2025 births
Kali is a girl's name of Sanskrit origin naming the Hindu goddess, from kala meaning both black and time. She is a major deity of destruction and liberation, which is worth knowing before choosing the name, since it is not a neutral word.
- Kali is a name of Sanskrit origin.
- Peaked in 2019, when 1,353 babies were given the name.
- It has been rising over the past decade.
- Today about 1 in 3,411 babies in the United States is given this name.
- First appears in US birth records in 1957.
- 2 syllables, with the stress on syllable 1.
Kali over time
Births per decade in the United States, 1950s to 2020s. The striped bar is the 2020s, still in progress — it covers 2020 to 2025, not a full ten years.
Show the numbers
| Decade | Births |
|---|---|
| 1950s | 21 |
| 1960s | 87 |
| 1970s | 658 |
| 1980s | 2,823 |
| 1990s | 6,960 |
| 2000s | 5,904 |
| 2010s | 10,167 |
| 2020s (to 2025) | 6,818 |
What Kali means
Kali is the feminine of kala, which in Sanskrit means both black and time — the two senses are connected, since time is what devours. The goddess embodies destruction as a necessary force rather than an evil one.
Where Kali comes from
Kali is the feminine of the Sanskrit kala, black, and also time. In Hindu tradition she is a fierce form of the Divine Mother, associated with the destruction of ego and of demons, and worshipped especially in Bengal, where the Kali Puja is a major festival. Her iconography is deliberately confronting. English-speaking families sometimes reach the same spelling through the Greek kalos, beautiful, or as a short form of names like Kaliyah, without intending the goddess — which is worth stating plainly, because within Hindu practice the name is anything but decorative. It appears in our records from 1957.
Kali in use
Kali charts in six of the seven countries we track and peaked in 2019.
How popular is Kali?
In 2025, Kali was given to 972 babies in the United States, ranking #323 that year. It is a well-established, commonly used name.
Where Kali 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.
How Kali is spelled
Birth registers count each spelling separately, so every one has its own ranking.
| Spelling | What it is | Births on record |
|---|---|---|
| Kâli | Kâli is a rare spelling of Kali, written with a circumflex and recorded about 15 times, mostly in France. | 15 |
| Kâlî | Kâlî is a rare spelling of Kali, written with a circumflex and recorded about 5 times, mostly in France. | 5 |
Names that peaked alongside Kali
These names rose and fell in the same era, which is why they tend to sound like they belong together.
Parents who like Kali also like
Names whose popularity has risen and fallen in step with Kali over the last century — the same taste, a different name.
Kali 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.
Sibling names for Kali
Names from the same era that won't rhyme or share an initial with Kali — the two things that make a sibling set grate.
Common questions about Kali
What does the name Kali mean?
Black, and also time, from the Sanskrit kala. It names a major Hindu goddess.
Who is the goddess Kali?
A fierce form of the Divine Mother in Hindu tradition, associated with destruction of the ego and worshipped especially in Bengal.
Is Kali the same as Cali?
No. Cali is usually a short form of California or Calista. Kali is the Sanskrit name, and the two are often confused.
How popular is the name Kali?
In 2025, Kali was given to 972 babies in the United States, ranking #323 that year. It is a well-established, commonly used name.
Is Kali a girl's or a boy's name?
Kali is given almost entirely to girls in birth records.
How many syllables are in Kali?
Kali has 2 syllables.
When was Kali most popular?
Kali peaked in 2019, when 1,353 babies were given the name. It has been rising over the past decade.
Is Kali a good name?
That is not something records can settle, but they can tell you what you would be choosing. Kali currently ranks #323 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.