Kari (name)

Kari is either a male or female given name, or a surname.

Given name
In Finland, Kari is a male name, which was particularly popular in the 1940s and 1950s. The name is derived from the Greek Makarios (or Macarius).

In Norway, Kari is a female name. The name is diminutive of Katherine, meaning "pure". The corresponding Swedish and German name is Karin.

In Iceland and Faroe Islands, Kári is a male name, based on a Scandinavian god of wind of the same name. The corresponding Norwegian male name is Kåre.

Surname
Kari is a popular surname in South India. In Andhra Pradesh the village of Karivari Palem is named after the surname; in the village Inkollu, Gangavaram almost 60% families have this surname and belongs to Kamma/Chowdary caste. Kari can also be spelt Kahri.

Kari is also a Finnish surname, meaning a small island, islet, or an underwater rock. There are currently 2242 holders of the name (2015).

Females with the given name

 * Kari Aas (1886–1978), Norwegian teacher and Scout leader
 * Kari Anderson (born 1982), Scottish cricketer
 * Kari Bøge (born 1950), Norwegian author
 * Kari Bremnes (born 1956), Norwegian singer
 * Kari Byron (born 1974), American television host and artist
 * Kari Corbett (born 1984), Scottish actress
 * Kari Diesen (1914–1987), Norwegian singer and actress
 * Kari Dolan, American politician
 * Kari Faux (born 1992), American rapper and singer, born Kari Rose Johnson
 * Kari Aalvik Grimsbø (born 1985), Norwegian handball player
 * Kari Jobe (born 1981), American singer
 * Kari Kjønaas Kjos (born 1962), Norwegian politician
 * Kari Mette Johansen (born 1979), Norwegian handball player
 * Kari Ann Lake (born 1969), American politician and former television news anchor
 * Kari Matchett (born 1970), Canadian actress
 * Kari Nissena, American actress
 * Kari Ann Peniche (born 1984), American model
 * Kari Rueslåtten (born 1973), Norwegian singer
 * Kari Storækre (born 1950), Norwegian television personality
 * Kari Swenson (born 1962), American biathlete
 * Kari Sylwan (born 1940), Swedish actress, ballerina and choreographer
 * Kari Tauring (born 1966), American folk singer, author, and teacher
 * Kari Traa (born 1974), Norwegian skier
 * Kari Wahlgren (born 1977), American voice actress
 * Kari Wuhrer (born 1967), American actress

Males with the given name

 * Kari Arkivuo, Finnish footballer
 * Kari Aronpuro, Finnish poet
 * Kari Eloranta, Finnish footballer and ice hockey player
 * Kari Enqvist, Finnish physicist and writer
 * Kari Hotakainen, Finnish writer
 * Kári P. Højgaard, Faroese politician
 * Kari Häkämies, Finnish politician
 * Kari Härkönen, Finnish skier
 * Kari Jalonen, Finnish ice hockey coach
 * Kari Kairamo, former CEO of Nokia
 * Kari Ketonen, Finnish actor
 * Kari Korhonen, Finnish cartoonist
 * Kari Korhonen, Finnish mycologist
 * Kari Kriikku, Finnish clarinet player
 * Kari Kuivalainen, Finnish musician
 * Kari Lehtola, Finnish major accident investigator
 * Kari Lehtonen, Finnish NHL Goaltender for the Dallas Stars
 * Kari Makkonen, Finnish ice hockey player
 * Kari Mannerla, Finnish game designer
 * Kari Mäkinen, Archbishop of Turku
 * Kari Peitsamo, Finnish musician
 * Kari Rajamäki, Finnish politician
 * Kari Ristanen, Finnish skier
 * Kári Stefánsson, Icelandic founder of deCODE genetics
 * Kari Suomalainen, Finnish cartoonist
 * Kari Takko, Finnish ice hockey goalkeeper
 * Kari Tapio, Finnish singer
 * Kari Tiainen, Finnish motorcycle rider
 * Kari S. Tikka, Finnish legal scholar
 * Kari Turunen, Finnish musician
 * Kari Ukkonen, Finnish footballer
 * Kari Uotila, Finnish politician
 * Kari Väänänen, Finnish actor and director
 * Kari Ylianttila, Finnish ski-jumper

People with the surname

 * Dagur Kári, Icelandic filmmaker
 * Jarkko Kari, Finnish mathematician
 * Martti J. Kari (1960–2023), Finnish military officer and academic
 * Mika Kari (born 1967), Finnish politician
 * Sax Kari, born Isaac Toombs, American R&B musician and promoter
 * Tamla Kari, British actress
 * Tommi Kari, Finnish footballer

People with the nickname

 * Sundaram Karivardhan, Indian motor sports promoter

Fictional and mythological characters

 * Kári, son of Fornjót, the personification of wind in Norse mythology
 * Kari Grandi, Finnish advertising character
 * Hikari "Kari" Kamiya, a character in Digimon media
 * Kari Nordmann, Norwegian placeholder name
 * Kari Sorjonen, main character in Bordertown, a Finnish crime drama TV series