The name Kali is a boy's name meaning "black one".

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Kali is a popular girls' name in the US with dark origins: She is the Hindu goddess of death and destruction, though we'd wager many parents see the name as simply a respelling of Callie.
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About 30 baby boys were named Kali last year, making it one of the few boys' names that started as a female name and is now being adopted for boys.

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Kali

The name Kali peaked for boys at #2167 in 1974. The name is most popular in North Carolina, Georgia, and Florida. Kali is also used for girls, ranking #323 in 2025.

The name Kali is a girl's name of English, Sanskrit origin meaning "black one; free man; beauty".

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Kali is a number of different things: a playful, contemporary twist on the name Callie; the Hindu goddess of destruction; an alternative spelling for Kaylee; a short form of the Arablic Kalila, the Greek Kalista, or the African American Kaliyah; a masculine name in India; and a trendy form of Kali(fornia). 
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It is also in the US Top 1000 and while it has seen a slight decline in recent years, it is still given to nearly 1100 babies every year. Ranking behind Callie but ahead of Kallie and Cali, it's short, punchy spelling might appeal to lovers of Nova, Maya, Zuri, and Heidi.



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The name Kali is currently ranked #323 in U.S. births. and peaked for girls at #242 in 2019. The name is most popular in Mississippi, Mississippi, and Mississippi. Kali is occasionally used for boys in 2025.

Year	US rank	Births	Per million
2014	#4,192	24	12.5
2015	#3,636	30	15.7
2016	#3,331	34	17.9
2017	#3,158	37	20
2018	#3,478	32	17.6
2019	#2,963	41	22.9
2020	#2,820	43	24.9
2021	#2,888	43	24.6
2022	#3,820	29	16.6
2023	#3,838	29	17
2024	#4,244	25	14.5
2025	#4,318	24	14.1

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