Kari

See also: Appendix:Variations of "kari"

English

Etymology 1

From Norwegian Kari, diminutive of Katrine.

Proper noun

Kari

1. A female given name from Swedish, of recent usage, equivalent to English Carrie or Cary.
2. (astronomy) A moon of Saturn.

Etymology 2

Two possible origins:

• Borrowed from Finnish Kari, an ornamental surname from kari (“rock, skerry”).
• Borrowed from Marathi करी (karī), a surname of unexplained origin.

Proper noun

Kari (plural Karis)

1. A surname.

Statistics

• According to the 2010 United States Census, Kari is the 41100^th most common surname in the United States, belonging to 530 individuals. Kari is most common among White (80.38%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (11.7%) individuals.

Further reading

• Hanks, Patrick, editor (2003), “Kari”, in Dictionary of American Family Names, volume 2, New York: Oxford University Press, →ISBN, page 277.

Anagrams

• kira, raik, rika, Rika, Arik, krai, ikra, Irak, Kira, raki

Finnish

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈkɑri/, [ˈkɑ̝ri]
• Rhymes: -ɑri
• Syllabification^(key): Ka‧ri
• Hyphenation^(key): Ka‧ri

Etymology 1

Karelian form of the Russian saint's name Макарий (Makarij), Макар (Makar), from Ancient Greek Μακάριος (Makários) meaning "happy", cognate to the English historical name Macarius. Also a short form of Sakari and Oskari.

Kari became known as a character in Juhani Aho's novel Panu (1897), at the time, like Panu and Jorma, mistaken for an ancient Finnish name.

Proper noun

Kari

1. a male given name
   • 1897, Juhani Aho, Panu, WSOY, published 1947, page 149:

     Ensi kerran, kun Kari Annikkia Panulta pyysi, sanoi Panu:—"Millä sinä, tyhjä mies, semmoisen tytön ostat?"

     When Kari first asked Annikki from Panu, Panu said:—"How will you, destitute man, buy such a girl?"

   • 1974, Alpo Ruuth, Kotimaa, Tammi, →ISBN, page 167:

     —Petri, se on näitä uusia nimiä.
     —Niin on, nykyisin annetaan semmoisia Jareja ja Kareja ja Petrejä.

     —Petri, that's one of those new names.
     —Indeed, nowadays people get named Jari and Kari and Petri.

   • 2013, Pauliina Rauhala, Taivaslaulu, Gummerus, →ISBN, pages 103–104:

     Miten meille voi tulla kaksi poikaa? Eihän niitä luontonimiäkään ole pojille enää jäljellä kuin Pyry, josta en tykkää kun se kuulostaa jyrinältä, ja Kari, josta varmasti seuraa epäonnea. Tai voihan niitä keksiä nykyään itsekin. Miten olisi Kuu ja Otava? Tai Heinä ja Pensas? Tai Puro ja Virta?

     How could we get two sons? There are no nature names remaining for us than Pyry, that I don't like because of its sound, and Kari, which could only bring misfortune. I suppose one could come up with new ones. How about Kuu and Otava? Or Heinä and Pensas? Or Puro and Virta?

Usage notes

• Popular in the 1950s and the 1960s. The most common first name of men born in Finland in 1954–1959.

Declension

Inflection of Kari (Kotus type 5/risti, no gradation)
nominative		Kari	Karit
genitive		Karin	Karien
partitive		Karia	Kareja
illative		Kariin	Kareihin
		singular	plural
nominative		Kari	Karit
accusative	nom.	Kari	Karit
	gen.	Karin
genitive		Karin	Karien
partitive		Karia	Kareja
inessive		Karissa	Kareissa
elative		Karista	Kareista
illative		Kariin	Kareihin
adessive		Karilla	Kareilla
ablative		Karilta	Kareilta
allative		Karille	Kareille
essive		Karina	Kareina
translative		Kariksi	Kareiksi
abessive		Karitta	Kareitta
instructive		—	Karein
comitative		See the possessive forms below.

Possessive forms of Kari (Kotus type 5/risti, no gradation)

first-person singular possessor singular plural nominative Karini Karini accusative nom. Karini Karini gen. Karini genitive Karini Karieni partitive Kariani Karejani inessive Karissani Kareissani elative Karistani Kareistani illative Kariini Kareihini adessive Karillani Kareillani ablative Kariltani Kareiltani allative Karilleni Kareilleni essive Karinani Kareinani translative Karikseni Kareikseni abessive Karittani Kareittani instructive — — comitative — Kareineni second-person singular possessor singular plural nominative Karisi Karisi accusative nom. Karisi Karisi gen. Karisi genitive Karisi Kariesi partitive Kariasi Karejasi inessive Karissasi Kareissasi elative Karistasi Kareistasi illative Kariisi Kareihisi adessive Karillasi Kareillasi ablative Kariltasi Kareiltasi allative Karillesi Kareillesi essive Karinasi Kareinasi translative Kariksesi Kareiksesi abessive Karittasi Kareittasi instructive — — comitative — Kareinesi first-person plural possessor singular plural nominative Karimme Karimme accusative nom. Karimme Karimme gen. Karimme genitive Karimme Kariemme partitive Kariamme Karejamme inessive Karissamme Kareissamme elative Karistamme Kareistamme illative Kariimme Kareihimme adessive Karillamme Kareillamme ablative Kariltamme Kareiltamme allative Karillemme Kareillemme essive Karinamme Kareinamme translative Kariksemme Kareiksemme abessive Karittamme Kareittamme instructive — — comitative — Kareinemme second-person plural possessor singular plural nominative Karinne Karinne accusative nom. Karinne Karinne gen. Karinne genitive Karinne Karienne partitive Karianne Karejanne inessive Karissanne Kareissanne elative Karistanne Kareistanne illative Kariinne Kareihinne adessive Karillanne Kareillanne ablative Kariltanne Kareiltanne allative Karillenne Kareillenne essive Karinanne Kareinanne translative Kariksenne Kareiksenne abessive Karittanne Kareittanne instructive — — comitative — Kareinenne third-person possessor singular plural nominative Karinsa Karinsa accusative nom. Karinsa Karinsa gen. Karinsa genitive Karinsa Kariensa partitive Kariaan Kariansa Karejaan Karejansa inessive Karissaan Karissansa Kareissaan Kareissansa elative Karistaan Karistansa Kareistaan Kareistansa illative Kariinsa Kareihinsa adessive Karillaan Karillansa Kareillaan Kareillansa ablative Kariltaan Kariltansa Kareiltaan Kareiltansa allative Karilleen Karillensa Kareilleen Kareillensa essive Karinaan Karinansa Kareinaan Kareinansa translative Karikseen Kariksensa Kareikseen Kareiksensa abessive Karittaan Karittansa Kareittaan Kareittansa instructive — — comitative — Kareineen Kareinensa

Related terms

• (surnames) Makkonen

Statistics

• Kari is the 5^th most common male given name in Finland, belonging to 37,102 male individuals (and as a middle name to 4,536 more), and also belongs to 8 female individuals, according to August 2025 data from the Digital and Population Data Services Agency of Finland.

Etymology 2

From kari. Possibly partially also from Kari (etymology 1).

Proper noun

Kari

1. a Finnish surname from landscape

Declension

Inflection of Kari (Kotus type 5/risti, no gradation)
nominative		Kari	Karit
genitive		Karin	Karien
partitive		Karia	Kareja
illative		Kariin	Kareihin
		singular	plural
nominative		Kari	Karit
accusative	nom.	Kari	Karit
	gen.	Karin
genitive		Karin	Karien
partitive		Karia	Kareja
inessive		Karissa	Kareissa
elative		Karista	Kareista
illative		Kariin	Kareihin
adessive		Karilla	Kareilla
ablative		Karilta	Kareilta
allative		Karille	Kareille
essive		Karina	Kareina
translative		Kariksi	Kareiksi
abessive		Karitta	Kareitta
instructive		—	Karein
comitative		See the possessive forms below.

Possessive forms of Kari (Kotus type 5/risti, no gradation)

first-person singular possessor singular plural nominative Karini Karini accusative nom. Karini Karini gen. Karini genitive Karini Karieni partitive Kariani Karejani inessive Karissani Kareissani elative Karistani Kareistani illative Kariini Kareihini adessive Karillani Kareillani ablative Kariltani Kareiltani allative Karilleni Kareilleni essive Karinani Kareinani translative Karikseni Kareikseni abessive Karittani Kareittani instructive — — comitative — Kareineni second-person singular possessor singular plural nominative Karisi Karisi accusative nom. Karisi Karisi gen. Karisi genitive Karisi Kariesi partitive Kariasi Karejasi inessive Karissasi Kareissasi elative Karistasi Kareistasi illative Kariisi Kareihisi adessive Karillasi Kareillasi ablative Kariltasi Kareiltasi allative Karillesi Kareillesi essive Karinasi Kareinasi translative Kariksesi Kareiksesi abessive Karittasi Kareittasi instructive — — comitative — Kareinesi first-person plural possessor singular plural nominative Karimme Karimme accusative nom. Karimme Karimme gen. Karimme genitive Karimme Kariemme partitive Kariamme Karejamme inessive Karissamme Kareissamme elative Karistamme Kareistamme illative Kariimme Kareihimme adessive Karillamme Kareillamme ablative Kariltamme Kareiltamme allative Karillemme Kareillemme essive Karinamme Kareinamme translative Kariksemme Kareiksemme abessive Karittamme Kareittamme instructive — — comitative — Kareinemme second-person plural possessor singular plural nominative Karinne Karinne accusative nom. Karinne Karinne gen. Karinne genitive Karinne Karienne partitive Karianne Karejanne inessive Karissanne Kareissanne elative Karistanne Kareistanne illative Kariinne Kareihinne adessive Karillanne Kareillanne ablative Kariltanne Kareiltanne allative Karillenne Kareillenne essive Karinanne Kareinanne translative Kariksenne Kareiksenne abessive Karittanne Kareittanne instructive — — comitative — Kareinenne third-person possessor singular plural nominative Karinsa Karinsa accusative nom. Karinsa Karinsa gen. Karinsa genitive Karinsa Kariensa partitive Kariaan Kariansa Karejaan Karejansa inessive Karissaan Karissansa Kareissaan Kareissansa elative Karistaan Karistansa Kareistaan Kareistansa illative Kariinsa Kareihinsa adessive Karillaan Karillansa Kareillaan Kareillansa ablative Kariltaan Kariltansa Kareiltaan Kareiltansa allative Karilleen Karillensa Kareilleen Kareillensa essive Karinaan Karinansa Kareinaan Kareinansa translative Karikseen Kariksensa Kareikseen Kareiksensa abessive Karittaan Karittansa Kareittaan Kareittansa instructive — — comitative — Kareineen Kareinensa

Derived terms

• Karila
• Karinen

Statistics

• Kari is the 383^rd most common surname in Finland, belonging to 2,111 individuals, according to August 2025 data from the Digital and Population Data Services Agency of Finland.

Anagrams

• Irak, arki, raki

Greenlandic

Alternative forms

• (old orthography) Kare

Etymology

Borrowed from Danish Christian.

Proper noun

Kari

1. a male given name from Danish

Related terms

• Kajistiaat
• Kali
• Kalistat
• Kalistiaat

References

• Møller, Nuka: Kalaallit aqqi [Greenlandic personal names]. Oqaasileriffik 2015. →ISBN
• Danskernes navne 2005 — including the residents of Greenland.

Norwegian

Etymology

Medieval contraction of Katrine (“Catherine”).

Proper noun

Kari

1. a female given name

Usage notes

• One of the most common given names in Norway since the 17th century.

References

• Kruken, Kristoffer - Stemshaug, Ola: Norsk personnamnleksikon. Det Norske Samlaget, Oslo 1995. →ISBN
• Statistisk sentralbyrå, Namnestatistikk. 27 761 females with the given name Kari living in Norway on January 1st 2011, with the frequency peak in the 1940s. Accessed on April 18th, 2011.

Spanish

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈkaɾi/ [ˈka.ɾi]
• Rhymes: -aɾi
• Syllabification: Ka‧ri

Proper noun

Kari f

1. a diminutive of the female given name Karina