| Kali | Reva | |
|---|---|---|
| Meaning | the black one | the Narmada river |
| Origin | sanskrit | sanskrit |
| Gender | Girl | Girl |
| Pronunciation | KAH-lee | RAY-vah |
| Syllables | 2 | 2 |
| First appeared | 1957 | 0 |
| Peak year | 2019 (1,312) | 1921 (351) |
| In 2025 | 948 | 0 |
| Trend | Rising | Vintage |
Source: US Social Security Administration.
| Decade | Kali | Reva |
|---|---|---|
| 2020s | 6,625 | 393 |
| 2010s | 9,909 | 571 |
| 2000s | 5,759 | 423 |
| 1990s | 6,848 | 517 |
| 1980s | 2,752 | 906 |
| 1970s | 526 | 503 |
| 1960s | 87 | 988 |
| 1950s | 21 | 1,582 |
| 1940s | 0 | 1,795 |
| 1930s | 0 | 2,379 |
| 1920s | 0 | 3,108 |
| 1910s | 0 | 2,067 |
| 1900s | 0 | 593 |
| 1890s | 0 | 212 |
| 1880s | 0 | 11 |
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 reva (रेवा), an ancient name of the sacred Narmada river, connoting flowing water. Well established.
Kali is more popular than Reva today: about 948 US babies were given the name Kali in 2025, compared with 0 named Reva.
Kali means the black one (sanskrit origin), while Reva means the Narmada river (sanskrit origin).
In US records, Kali first appears in 1957 and Reva in 0, so Reva has the longer recorded history.