Given name & surname
Cali
“one who is lean”·“crowned with laurel”·“one who is slender”
Cali is a variant of Caley. One interpretation is “one who is lean.” Cali is a variant of Cayla. Interpretations include “crowned with laurel” and “one who is slender”. These belong to different or overlapping naming contexts.
Meaning & origin
What it means
Cali is a variant of Caley. One interpretation is “one who is lean.” Cali is a variant of Cayla. Interpretations include “crowned with laurel” and “one who is slender”. These belong to different or overlapping naming contexts.
Explained through its name family
Where it comes from
Cali is a variant of Cayla. An origin associated with Cayla is Hebrew.
Explained through its name family
The story
Published U.S. birth records include this spelling as early as 1959. This is the earliest published observation available here, rather than a date for the name’s origin.
From dated birth records
Cali through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 23,745
- 403 boys · 23,342 girls
- Most popular year
- 2014
- 1,688 babies
- 2025
- 533
- #574 for girls · #5,899 for boys
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- −38%
- Cooling
Where it’s given
By the numbers
In 2025, this name appeared in 518 U.S. birth records for girls, ranking No. 574 among girls’ names. Average annual use for girls was 37.5% lower in 2021–2025 than in 2016–2020. Its largest published annual count for girls was 1,664 in 2014. It also appeared in 15 birth records for boys in 2025. In 2025, California had the largest reported state-level birth count for girls with this name (58). Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 16,918 as a first name in 2020; 2,713 as a surname in 2020.
From Social Security birth records and U.S. Census name counts for this exact spelling. Other spellings are counted separately.
Cali’s family of names
In Somali usage, Cali has a conventional equivalent in the English form Ali. Cali has a related form in Cayla. Cali has a related form in Caley.
Inner ring: spellings · outer: nicknames and forms.
Around the world
Cali has relatives in 3 languages.
2 related names in 3 languages. Point at a dot, or tab to the map and use the arrow keys.
Nicknames & forms 3
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
Spellings & scripts 1
The same name written differently, including transliterations into other scripts.
People named Cali
Listed by how widely each person is written about, which says nothing about the name itself.
Similar names
If you love Cali, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.
Kali
“the dark one; in Hinduism, a destructive force” · “one who provides comfort”
3% boys · 97% girls
Callie
“crowned with laurel” · “one who is slender”
>99% girls
Camille
“a ceremonial attendant; a noble virgin”
>99% girls
Camilla
“a ceremonial attendant; a noble virgin”
>99% girls
Lilly
“God is my oath” · “My God is bountiful”
>99% girls
Kaylee
Kaylee is a feminine given name.
>99% girls
Aylin
“having a moonlit halo”
1% boys · 99% girls
Kaliyah
“a darling girl; sweetheart”
>99% girls