Chari

♀ Girl

How to Pronounce Chari

Pronounced CHAIR-ee /ˈtʃɛr.i/Medium

Meaning: Chari is usually a short form or respelling of Cherry or Charity; Charity comes from Latin caritas, 'Christian love, charity', which lends Chari its inherited meaning. Some bearers may treat it simply as a spelling of Cherry.Low

In 30 seconds: Chari is a short form of Cherry or Charity, tied to Latin caritas, 'love, charity' (said 'CHAIR-ee').

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Origin LowLatin, English

MeaningChari is usually a short form or respelling of Cherry or Charity; Charity comes from Latin caritas, 'Christian love, charity', which lends Chari its inherited meaning. Some bearers may treat it simply as a spelling of Cherry.

U.S. rank (2020)#10434 ↗ Rising

2020 U.S. births9 girls (0.00% of U.S. girls)

Peak year1960

Total births (all-time)≈ 1,202

Popularity in the U.S. · SSA data

U.S. births per year (Social Security Administration, 1880–present). Pink marker = peak year.

SSA data updated May 2026. How we source & verify this data.

History & Origin

Chari is best read as a short form of Charity or a spelling of Cherry. Charity is one of the old virtue names, from Latin caritas, 'Christian love', while Cherry belongs to the sweet fruit-and-sweetheart names; Chari can lean either way.

It was never common, cresting around 1960 and appearing thinly since. It reads as a light, informal name tied to its fuller parents, and it has not become a fashion in its own right.

Did you know? Chari reads as a trimmer take on the virtue name Charity or the fruit-and-sweetheart name Cherry, both popular in the same mid-century decades.

Overall data confidence 45%

References — Chari — short form of Cherry/Charity; Latin caritas

Variations

ChareeSherryCherry

Nicknames

Char

Famous Bearers

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If you like Chari…

Cherry— one of the parent names Chari shortens

Charity— the virtue name behind Chari's meaning

Sherry— a like mid-century girl's name of the same sound

Cheri— a French-styled name of the same 'dear' feel

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Frequently Asked

What does the name Chari mean?

Chari is a short form of Cherry or Charity; through Charity it carries the Latin sense 'love, charity'.

How do you pronounce Chari?

It's said CHAIR-ee /ˈtʃɛr.i/ — two syllables, stress on the first.

Is Chari a boy or girl name?

Chari is used as a girl's name.

How popular is Chari?

Chari has always been rare, a light short form of the more familiar Cherry and Charity.