| Diya | Kali | |
|---|---|---|
| Meaning | Lamp, light | the black one |
| Origin | sanskrit | sanskrit |
| Gender | Girl | Girl |
| Pronunciation | DEE-yuh | KAH-lee |
| Syllables | 2 | 2 |
| First appeared | 1991 | 1957 |
| Peak year | 2009 (309) | 2019 (1,312) |
| In 2025 | 119 | 948 |
| Trend | Declining | Rising |
Source: US Social Security Administration.
| Decade | Diya | Kali |
|---|---|---|
| 2020s | 789 | 6,625 |
| 2010s | 2,313 | 9,909 |
| 2000s | 1,916 | 5,759 |
| 1990s | 61 | 6,848 |
| 1980s | 0 | 2,752 |
| 1970s | 0 | 526 |
| 1960s | 0 | 87 |
| 1950s | 0 | 21 |
From the Hindi दीया (diyā), 'an oil lamp', descended from the Sanskrit dīpa ('lamp, light'). A genuine, everyday Hindi word evoking the lamps of Diwali.
From Sanskrit 'kali', the feminine of 'kala' meaning 'black, dark'. The name of the fierce Hindu goddess Kali; the sense is often blurred by popular etymology with a second 'kala' meaning 'time'. Include respectfully as a deity name.
Kali is more popular than Diya today: about 948 US babies were given the name Kali in 2025, compared with 119 named Diya.
Diya means Lamp, light (sanskrit origin), while Kali means the black one (sanskrit origin).
In US records, Diya first appears in 1991 and Kali in 1957, so Kali has the longer recorded history.