Cali
2025 SSA
2025 SSA
About Cali
A short form that is given on its own to a good number of baby girls each year — Cali has been on trend in recent years along with sister names Callie and Kali, as the popular 90s and early 2000s nickname Allie has felt less fresh.
Cali for girls#574 US
The Cali spelling in particular also brings to mind the sunny state of California and all of the beachy imagery that follows.
Cali for boys#5899 US
Cali as a masculine name has multiple cultural origins and interpretations. While more commonly recognized as a nickname for the feminine Calista or California, its use for boys may derive from Greek elements meaning 'most beautiful' or possibly from Irish Gaelic, related to the name Callaghan. In Turkish, Cali (pronounced 'jah-luh') has separate linguistic roots. The name has risen in usage in recent years partly due to the trend toward location-inspired names and gender-neutral naming practices. As a boy's name, Cali offers a contemporary, breezy quality with its short form and ending vowel sound. Its cross-cultural nature makes it versatile, while its brevity gives it a modern, accessible quality appealing to parents seeking something distinctive yet simple.
Pronounced KAL-ee.
As of October 2026, Cali ranked #574 in US births in 2025 SSA, peaked at #202 in 2014.
Popularity & trends
Data table
| Year | US rank · girls | Births · girls | US rank · boys | Births · boys |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | #202 | 1,663 | #4,158 | 24 |
| 2015 | #232 | 1,437 | #3,599 | 30 |
| 2016 | #264 | 1,200 | #3,453 | 32 |
| 2017 | #288 | 1,128 | #4,124 | 25 |
| 2018 | #279 | 1,188 | #3,179 | 36 |
| 2019 | #274 | 1,216 | #3,270 | 35 |
| 2020 | #296 | 1,087 | #2,515 | 51 |
| 2021 | #337 | 967 | #4,128 | 25 |
| 2022 | #375 | 842 | #3,998 | 27 |
| 2023 | #450 | 683 | #4,128 | 26 |
| 2024 | #495 | 618 | — | 0 |
| 2025 | #574 | 518 | — | 0 |
World rankings
Cali for girls
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Cali on lists
Famous Calis
- Carolyn "Cali" TimminsGirl
Canadian actress.
- Cali Clay Shepard (br. 2018)Girl
daughter of Chanel Iman and Sterling Shepard.
- Calihan "Cali" GeeBoy
YouTuber from TheBucketList family
Cali in pop culture
- Cali DreamBoy
daughter of rapper The Game