| Kali | Anika | |
|---|---|---|
| Meaning | the black one | brilliance, splendour; epithet of Durga |
| Origin | sanskrit | sanskrit |
| Gender | Girl | Girl |
| Pronunciation | KAH-lee | uh-NEE-kah |
| Syllables | 2 | 3 |
| First appeared | 1957 | 1961 |
| Peak year | 2019 (1,312) | 2006 (642) |
| In 2025 | 948 | 269 |
| Trend | Rising | Declining |
Source: US Social Security Administration.
| Decade | Kali | Anika |
|---|---|---|
| 2020s | 6,625 | 1,895 |
| 2010s | 9,909 | 5,038 |
| 2000s | 5,759 | 5,591 |
| 1990s | 6,848 | 2,083 |
| 1980s | 2,752 | 949 |
| 1970s | 526 | 1,222 |
| 1960s | 87 | 26 |
| 1950s | 21 | 0 |
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.
From Sanskrit anika (अनीक), 'splendour, brilliance; also a battle array or army'; used as an epithet of Goddess Durga. Cross-cultural: Anika is independently a Germanic/Scandinavian diminutive of Anna.
Kali is more popular than Anika today: about 948 US babies were given the name Kali in 2025, compared with 269 named Anika.
Kali means the black one (sanskrit origin), while Anika means brilliance, splendour; epithet of Durga (sanskrit origin).
In US records, Kali first appears in 1957 and Anika in 1961, so Kali has the longer recorded history.