# 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).

## Notable people named Kari
### 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 Dziedzic (1962–2024), 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