Given name & surname
Shari
“one who is greatly loved; a darling”·“rose of Sharon”·“from the plains; a flowering shrub”
In English use, Shari has a related form in Sherry. In English use, Sherry carries the interpretation “one who is greatly loved; a darling.” In English use, Shari is a diminutive of Sharon. Interpretations include “rose of Sharon” and “from the plains; a flowering shrub” (Hebrew). These may reflect different naming traditions.
Meaning & origin
What it means
In English use, Shari has a related form in Sherry. In English use, Sherry carries the interpretation “one who is greatly loved; a darling.” In English use, Shari is a diminutive of Sharon. Interpretations include “rose of Sharon” and “from the plains; a flowering shrub” (Hebrew). These may reflect different naming traditions. Shari is a variant of Sarah. Sarah means “princess” in Hebrew.
Explained through its name family
Where it comes from
In English use, Shari is a diminutive of Sharon. An origin associated with Sharon is Hebrew. Shari is a variant of Sarah. Sarah comes from Hebrew biblical tradition and is the name given to Abraham’s wife in Genesis.
Explained through its name family
How it developed
In English use, Shari is used as a spelling variant of Sari. Shari is a variant of Sarah. The shared background comes through Sarah: In the biblical account, Sarai is renamed Sarah as part of a blessing. Later Irish and Scottish uses sometimes adopted Sarah in place of local Gaelic names, a separate practice from its Hebrew origin.
Combines direct and name-family evidence
The story
Published U.S. birth records include this spelling as early as 1927. This is the earliest published observation available here, rather than a date for the name’s origin. In English use, Shari is a diminutive of Sharon. The history of Sharon gives this family its wider story. The phrase “rose of Sharon” in the Song of Solomon 2:1 connects the place name with floral imagery. Rose of Sharon also appears as a character name in John Steinbeck’s The Grapes of Wrath, providing a separate literary association. Shari is a variant of Sarah. The history of Sarah gives this family its wider story. Sarah is remembered in Genesis as Abraham’s wife and Isaac’s mother. Sarah’s later local adaptations included use for Sorcha in Ireland and Mor in Scotland, showing how an established biblical name could serve different naming traditions.
Combines direct and name-family evidence
Shari through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 40,973
- 46 boys · 40,927 girls
- Most popular year
- 1961
- 3,127 babies
- 2025
- 8
- #11,780 for girls
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- −24%
- Easing
By the numbers
In 2025, this name appeared in 8 U.S. birth records for girls, ranking No. 11,780 among girls’ names. The recent annual counts are too incomplete to establish a ten-year comparison. Its largest published annual count for girls was 3,117 in 1961. Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 35,862 as a first name in 2020; 113 as a surname in 2000.
From Social Security birth records and U.S. Census name counts for this exact spelling. Other spellings are counted separately.
Shari’s family of names
In English usage, Shari is a diminutive of Sharon. Shari has a related form in Sarah. Shari has a related form in Sharon.
The ring: nicknames and forms.
Nicknames & forms 4
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
People named Shari
- Shari ArisonAmerican-Israeli businesswoman and philanthropist, billionaire heiressborn 1957
- Shari HeadleyAmerican actressborn 1964
- Shari LewisAmerican ventriloquist, puppeteer, and television show host (1933-1998)
- Shari LapenaCanadian novelistborn 1960
- Shari BelafonteAmerican actressborn 1954
- Shari RedstoneAmerican businesswomanborn 1954
- Shari BossuytBelgian bicycle racerborn 2000
- Truth HurtsAmerican R&B singerborn 1971
- Shari EubankAmerican actressborn 1947
Listed by how widely each person is written about, which says nothing about the name itself.
Similar names
If you love Shari, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.
Sarita
“princess”
>99% girls
Wonda
“a wanderer”
>99% girls
Wanda
“a wanderer”
>99% girls
Vondia
“a wanderer”
>99% girls
Liesl
“my God is bountiful” · “God is my oath”
>99% girls
Vondella
“a wanderer”
>99% girls
Titania
“of the giants” · “queen of the fairies”
>99% girls
Tristana
“one who is sorrowful”
>99% girls