Khari

Khari - A very unique male name

Khari appeared on the charts for the first time in 1972 on position #992. In this article you'll learn the history of this name, statistics, see famous people named Khari and more.
Are you having a baby or looking to learn more about the name Khari? Our experts and editorial staff have gathered trends and insights for 30,000+ baby names over the last 100 years -- And on this page you will learn everything you ever wanted to know about the name Khari. The baby boy name Khari was given to 74 baby boys in 2025, ranking #1454 on the national boy baby name top chart.


With that position 1 in 19,815 baby boys were given this name - making this a very unique male name according to our Popularity Score algorithm. Khari peaked in popularity 6 years ago in 2020 on position 685.

Famous with this name

How would you rate Khari, 1-5?

Khari is currently topping the charts in...

Did you know that popularity can vary a lot between states? Khari is currently topping the baby name charts in Alabama at position #721 - and is the least popular in California at position #2,345.

Why care about state specific baby name charts? It could be that a name that is very popular on the national overall charts is less (or even more) popular where you live. So make sure you check out the state specific charts below and find out how popular or unique Khari is where you live.

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Khari origin and meaning

Modern coinage (American), origin disputed

Uncertain — a modern American name; the popular claim that it is Swahili for 'kingly' is not supported by a documented Swahili derivation

Khari emerged in the 1970s among the African-inspired names of that era and was reworked in later decades in spellings like Khari and Khary. Online sources confidently call it Swahili for 'kingly,' but that derivation cannot be verified, and the honest account is that it is a modern coinage with a disputed origin. It peaked in 2020 and has fallen since.

Origin uncertain

Khari is a 5 letter name with 2 syllables.

To see famous people named Khari, pop culture references for the name Khari and nicknames & variations - visit Nameberry or Wikipedia.

Similar to Khari

We've found the following names that sound similar to Khari, sorted by popularity.

Kerry / Kyrie / Kory / Kairo / Korey / Kyree / Krew / Kaiser / Kyro / Kyaire /

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Name statistics

Most parents-to-be know if they want a popular or unique name, and with these charts and data tables you can easily get a better understanding of how popular or unique this name is.

With a quick glance you can easily tell if this name is increasing or declining in popularity - But note that its current popularity can actually differ a lot from state to state.

Chart position per year (visualized)

Chart position per state (visualized)

Chart position per year (table view)

Chart position per state (table view)

Even more about Khari

These are some of the common questions you may want to have answered to know if this is the perfect name for your baby.

Is Khari a common or unique name?

By analyzing the number of births and frequency of this name we've determined that it's currently a very unique male name.

What is the number of syllables for the name Khari?

2 syllables. Why is this important? One of the things that makes a baby name sound good and have a nice rythm is the number of syllables - and especially the number of syllables along with the syllable count for your last name. A simple rule is to avoid having the same number of syllables in your first, middle and last name.

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Pronunciation

KAH-ree · /ˈkɑːri/

Around the world

No traditional forms in other languages — this name was created in America in our own time.

Spellings and nicknames

• Khary — A respelling of the same modern name.

Nicknames: Khai

Famous bearers

None yet — no bearer for this name is documented well enough for us to list, so we show none rather than pad the list.

Style

Modern coinage

Why parents choose it

Khari has a strong, simple sound with roots in 1970s American naming creativity. Parents choosing it should know its meaning is genuinely uncertain, whatever name sites claim.

Worth knowing

• The 'Swahili for kingly' claim is repeated everywhere but unverified.
• Khari, Kari and Kahari will be confused; the Kh spelling needs stating.