| Kali | Tara | |
|---|---|---|
| Meaning | the black one | star |
| Origin | sanskrit | sanskrit |
| Gender | Girl | Girl |
| Pronunciation | KAH-lee | TAH-rah |
| Syllables | 2 | 2 |
| First appeared | 1957 | 1939 |
| Peak year | 2019 (1,312) | 1972 (7,234) |
| In 2025 | 948 | 322 |
| Trend | Rising | Declining |
Source: US Social Security Administration.
| Decade | Kali | Tara |
|---|---|---|
| 2020s | 6,625 | 1,432 |
| 2010s | 9,909 | 2,911 |
| 2000s | 5,759 | 8,572 |
| 1990s | 6,848 | 23,370 |
| 1980s | 2,752 | 56,338 |
| 1970s | 526 | 65,072 |
| 1960s | 87 | 14,543 |
| 1950s | 21 | 3,175 |
| 1940s | 0 | 392 |
| 1930s | 0 | 7 |
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 tara (तारा), 'star'; also the name of a goddess in Hindu and Buddhist tradition. Cross-cultural: Tara is independently an Irish name (the Hill of Tara).
Kali is more popular than Tara today: about 948 US babies were given the name Kali in 2025, compared with 322 named Tara.
Kali means the black one (sanskrit origin), while Tara means star (sanskrit origin).
In US records, Kali first appears in 1957 and Tara in 1939, so Tara has the longer recorded history.