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 popular female name. This name is diminutive of Katharine, 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 or Kaare.
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. 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).
Kari Anderson (born 1982), Scottish cricketerKari Berg (born 1986), Swedish singer and actressKari Bøge (born 1950), Norwegian authorKari Bremnes (born 1956), Norwegian singerKari Byron (born 1974), American television host and artistKari Corbett (born 1984), Scottish actressKari Diesen (1914–1987), Norwegian singer and actressKari Aalvik Grimsbø (born 1985), Norwegian handball playerKari Jobe (born 1981), American singerKari Kjønaas Kjos (born 1962), Norwegian politicianKari Mette Johansen (born 1979), Norwegian handball playerKari Matchett (born 1970), Canadian actressKari Nissena, American actressKari Ann Peniche (born 1984), American modelKari Rueslåtten (born 1973), Norwegian singerKari Storækre (born 1950), Norwegian television personalityKari Swenson (born 1962), American biathleteKari Sylwan (born 1940), Swedish actress, ballerina and choreographerKari Tauring (born 1966), American folk singer, author, and teacherKari Traa (born 1974), Norwegian skierKari Wahlgren (born 1977), American voice actressKari Wuhrer (born 1967), American actressKari Arkivuo, Finnish footballerKari Aronpuro, Finnish poetKari Eloranta, Finnish footballer and ice hockey playerKari Enqvist, Finnish physicist and writerKari Hotakainen, Finnish writerKári P. Højgaard, Faroese politicianKari Härkönen, Finnish skierKari Jalonen, Finnish ice hockey coachKari Kairamo, former CEO of NokiaKari Korhonen, Finnish cartoonistKari Korhonen, Finnish mycologistKari Kriikku, Finnish clarinet playerKari Kuivalainen, Finnish musicianKari Lehtonen, Finnish NHL Goaltender for the Dallas StarsKari Makkonen, Finnish ice hockey playerKari Mannerla, Finnish game designerKari Mäkinen, Archbishop of TurkuKari Peitsamo, Finnish musicianKari Rajamäki, Finnish politicianKari Ristanen, Finnish skierKári Stefánsson, Icelandic founder of deCODE geneticsKari Suomalainen, Finnish cartoonistKari Takko, Finnish ice hockey goalkeeperKari Tapio, Finnish singerKari Tiainen, Finnish motorcycle riderKari S. Tikka, Finnish legal scholarKari Turunen, Finnish musicianKari Ukkonen, Finnish footballerKari Uotila, Finnish politicianKari Väänänen, Finnish actor and directorKari Ylianttila, Finnish ski-jumperDagur Kári, Icelandic filmmakerJarkko Kari, Finnish mathematicianSax Kari, born Isaac Toombs, American R&B musician and promoterTamla Kari, British actressTommi Kari, Finnish footballerSundaram Karivardhan, Indian motor sports promoterFictional and mythological characters
Kári, son of Fornjót, the personification of wind in Norse mythologyKari Grandi, Finnish advertising characterHikari "Kari" Kamiya, a character in Digimon mediaKari Nordmann, Norwegian placeholder nameKari Ragnarsson, a character in the book Snow-walker by Catherine Fisher