Etymology & Historical Origin of the Baby Name Kali

Kali is a name from Sanskrit (काली) “kāla” which translates to “the black one". Because we haven’t developed a Hindu origin category yet, we are calling this name English for now. Kāli is the Hindu goddess of time, change, destruction and empowerment (a redeemer of the universe). As the “black one”, Kāli predates light and therefore transcends time. As one of the most revered goddesses in India, the city of Calcutta is named for her. She is known to destroy ignorance and guide those toward God with her infinite knowledge. Often depicted as fierce and fearsome, she has feral eyes with a protruding tongue. She is often rendered carrying a bloody sword in one of her four arms and donning a belt of severed demon heads. Often regarded as the wife of Shiva (the most powerful god in Hinduism), Kāli was called into battle against evil forces. As she successfully defeated the demons, Kāli got carried away on her killing spree before Shiva threw himself at her feet to tame her wildness. She is a strong and powerful figure in Hindu tradition, and celebrated as a Divine Mother. She is a goddess of enlightenment and liberation more than the death and destruction often associated with her. She is both gentle mother and fierce protective warrior.

All About the Baby Name – Kali

Personality

OF THE GIRL NAME KALI

Romance is the hallmark of the Six personality. They exude nurturing, loving, and caring energy. Sixes are in love with the idea of love in its idealized form - and with their magnetic personalities, they easily draw people toward them. Like the number Two personality, they seek balance and harmony in their life and the world at large. They are conscientious and service-oriented, and a champion for the underdog. These personalities naturally attract money and are usually surrounded by lovely material objects - but their human relationships are always primary. They thrive in giving back to others rather than being motivated by their own desires. This is when they achieve great things. Sixes are natural teachers, ministers and counselors.

Popularity

OF THE GIRL NAME KALI

Kali first appeared on the female naming charts in 1982. We’re guessing this had something to do with elimination of U.S. immigration quotas in 1965 which spurred Indian immigration to America in larger waves during the late 1970s and early 80s. The name Kali showed steady increases in usage in the 1980s and 90s which was probably also influenced in part by American girl names like Cali, Callie and Kaylee (similar sounding). In this way Kali has become an Americanized respelling of other female names (and pronounced KAY-lee instead of KAH-lee). Kali reached its peak popularity in the mid-1990s and has since settled back down to levels of lower moderation. Today the name is fairly uncommon and many parents probably aren’t aware of its Hindu connection. As a “dark” deity, Kali reminds us a bit of Lilith which isn’t necessarily a bad thing for strong female role models. It’s all about perspective. On another note, we’ve also read (but haven’t confirmed) that “kali” is the Hawaiian word for “hesitation” but apparently sometimes used as the Hawaiian word for vagina. We thought that was worth knowing.

Quick Facts

ON KALI

GENDER:

Girl

ORIGIN:

English

NUMBER OF SYLLABLES:

2

RANKING POPULARITY:

363

PRONUNCIATION:

KAH-lee

SIMPLE MEANING:

The black one

Characteristics

OF KALI

Humanitarian

Community-minded

Family-oriented

Loving

Affectionate

Compassionate

Sensitive

Cultural References to the Baby Name – Kali

Literary Characters

OF THE BABY NAME KALI

Kali is the Hindu goddess who represents empowerment; she is first mentioned in texts around 600 CE, and is the consort of Lord Shiva. In spite of her rather fearsome appearance, Kali, the Dark Mother, is said to be compassionate and loving toward her human children. Indeed, you do want to have this goddess call you child, because to be on the wrong side of her is no small undertaking, no pun intended. Kali appears as a four-armed, three-eyed, black-complexioned warrior woman, with a garland of human heads, a girdle of human hands, a sword in one hand, the head of a demon in another, while, we are told, with the other two hands she blesses her children and bids them to “fear not”. She stands upon the thigh and chest of her husband, Lord Shiva, who is said to have thrown himself under her feet to deflect her murderous rampages during one of her frequent battles. We don’t know about you, but this isn’t exactly the image we come up with when thinking of loving mother figures, but to each her own! To her devotees, Kali is to be both loved and feared, but as the Universal Mother, never ignored. Fair enough – as if it were possible!

Childrens Books

ON THE BABY NAME KALI

We cannot find any childrens books with the first name Kali


Popular Songs

ON KALI

We cannot find any popular or well-known songs with the name of Kali


Famous People

NAMED KALI

We cannot find any celebrities or significantly famous people with the first name Kali.

Children of Famous People

NAMED KALI

We cannot find any children of famous people with the first name Kali

Historic Figures

WITH THE NAME KALI

We cannot find any historically significant people with the first name Kali