Kali
A feminine name of Sanskrit origin meaning "the black one".
Name Census estimates that about 31,803 living Americans carry the first name Kali. It sits at #294 in the overall ranking, outside the top 50 but still well-represented. It is a predominantly female name (97.3% of registrations). The average person named Kali today is around 19 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Kali births was 2019 (1,352 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Kali. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
Key insights
- • Although Kali is used almost entirely for girls, the SSA data does show 887 boys registered with the name since 1880.
People living today
32K
~ 1 in 10,777 Americans
Peak year
2019
1,352 babies that year
Average age
19
years old
2024 SSA rank
#294
Tracked since 1957
Gender
Gender distribution for Kali
Kali leans heavily female at 97.3% of total registrations, but 887 boys have also been registered with the name over the years, giving it a small but present crossover presence.
Kali as a male name
- Ranked #4,244 in 2024
- 25 male births in 2024
- Peak: 2020 (43 births)
Kali as a female name
- Ranked #294 in 2024
- 1,066 female births in 2024
- Peak: 2019 (1,311 births)
Popularity
Kali: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Kali from the 1950s through to the 2020s, spanning 8 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2010s, with 10,164 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 2010s peak, Kali remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Kali by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Kali during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Kalis live
The SSA's state-level files cover 51 states and territories. California, Texas, Florida recorded the most babies named Kali, while Wyoming, Vermont, Hawaii recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 578 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Kali
The name Kali has its origins in the Sanskrit language, with roots dating back to ancient India. It is primarily associated with the Hindu goddess Kali, who is revered as the goddess of time, change, and destruction. The word 'Kali' itself derives from the Sanskrit word 'Kala,' which means black, time, death, or the principle of eternity.
The name Kali holds significant religious and cultural significance in Hinduism. The Devi Mahatmya, a Sanskrit text that praises the divine feminine, contains extensive references to the goddess Kali. This text, composed between the 5th and 6th centuries CE, describes Kali as the supreme deity who triumphs over evil forces.
One of the earliest recorded mentions of the name Kali can be found in the ancient Indian epic, the Mahabharata. Here, Kali is depicted as the goddess of destruction, who emerges at the end of the Kali Yuga, the final era of the world cycle. The goddess Kali plays a pivotal role in many Hindu myths and legends.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the name Kali. One of the earliest was Kali Das (circa 3rd-4th century BCE), a renowned Sanskrit poet and playwright, considered one of the greatest literary figures in ancient India. His most famous works include the epic poems Raghuvamsa and Kumarasambhava.
Another influential figure was Kali Prasad Mukhopadhyay (1799-1888), a Bengali writer, and social reformer who advocated for the abolition of the practice of Sati (widow burning) and the promotion of women's education in India.
In the realm of arts and culture, Kali Dasgupta (1904-1975) was a celebrated Indian artist and sculptor, renowned for his innovative and experimental approaches to art. His works often depicted themes from Hindu mythology and ancient Indian traditions.
Kali Ghosh (1909-1997) was a prominent Indian classical musician and exponent of the Senia Gharana tradition of Hindustani classical music. She was known for her mastery of the khyal style of vocal music and received numerous accolades, including the Padma Bhushan, one of India's highest civilian honors.
More recently, Kali Uchis (born 1993) is a Colombian-American singer and songwriter who has gained recognition for her unique blend of genres, including R&B, soul, and reggaeton. Her debut album, Isolation, received critical acclaim and showcased her versatile musical talents.
People
Kali + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Kali as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with K
Other first names starting with K with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Kali: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Kali?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 31,803 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Kali going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 10,777 US residents.
Is Kali a common name?
We classify Kali as "Uncommon". It ranks above 98.9% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 32,455 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Kali most popular?
The single biggest year for Kali was 2019, when 1,352 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Kali is about 19 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Kali a female name?
Yes, 97.3% of people registered as Kali in the SSA data are female. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.