What Does the Name Kali Mean?

Kali is a girl's name of Sanskrit (Hindu) / also Greek origin meaning “Sanskrit: 'the black one' (feminine of kāla, 'time/black'); Greek: 'beautiful'.”

Updated June 2026

Name	Kali
Gender	female
Origin	Sanskrit (Hindu) / also Greek
Meaning	Sanskrit: 'the black one' (feminine of kāla, 'time/black'); Greek: 'beautiful'
Variants	Kaali, Cali, Callie, Kalie
Popularity	Moderately common in the U.S.; appears in the top 1000 and is often chosen for its sound rather than the goddess association.

The meaning and origin of Kali

The name Kali means “Sanskrit: 'the black one' (feminine of kāla, 'time/black'); Greek: 'beautiful'” and has Sanskrit (Hindu) / also Greek origins. Kali (Sanskrit काली) is the name of the powerful Hindu goddess of time, change, and destruction, the feminine form of 'kāla' meaning 'black' or 'time.' In Western use it is sometimes treated instead as a respelling of the Greek-derived Callie/Kallie ('beautiful'), so origin depends on the family.

Variants and related names

Kali is related to several other names you may recognize: Kaali, Cali, Callie, Kalie. These share a common root or are spelling and language variants of the same name.

How popular is the name Kali?

Moderately common in the U.S.; appears in the top 1000 and is often chosen for its sound rather than the goddess association.

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