Hari

♂ Boy

Pronounced HUH-ree /ˈhʌ.ri/High

Meaning: Tawny, golden-brown, bay-colored; an epithet and beloved name of the god Vishnu and of KrishnaHigh

In 30 seconds: One of God's everyday names in India: Hari names Vishnu himself — the word means 'tawny, golden'. Chanted in kirtans, carried by millions, light as two syllables.

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Origin HighSanskrit, Indian

MeaningTawny, golden-brown, bay-colored; an epithet and beloved name of the god Vishnu and of Krishna

U.S. rank (2025)#4446 ↘ Falling

2025 U.S. births23 boys (0.00% of U.S. boys)

Peak year2024

Total births (all-time)≈ 871

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

Hari is a Sanskrit color word — 'tawny, golden, bay' — that became one of the principal names of Vishnu and of Krishna, saturating Hindu devotion from the Vishnu Sahasranama to street-corner kirtans. Compounds run through Indian life: Hariprasad, Harish, the greeting 'Hari Om'.

The name travels the diaspora easily, identical in sound to English 'hurry'-adjacent Harry, which some bearers adopt as a slip-on anglicization. In the U.S. it is rare, devotional, and millennia-deep.

Did you know? The chant 'Hare Krishna' uses this very name in its vocative form — making Hari among the most-sung names on Earth.

Overall data confidence 90%

Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary — hari — word and epithet

Variations

HarryHarishHariom

Nicknames

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Famous Bearers

★Hari Kondabolu (1982–present)
American stand-up comedian known for The Problem with Apu.

If you like Hari…

Krishna— the god whose epithet Hari is

Arjun— a fellow epic Indian classic for sons

Ravi— the sun name of the same compact build

Dev— the short Sanskrit 'god' companion

Explore names like Hari

By themesanskrit hindu devotional

By meaningLove God / Divine Gold

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Frequently Asked

What does the name Hari mean?

Hari is Sanskrit for 'tawny, golden-brown' and is one of the principal names of Vishnu and Krishna.

How do you pronounce Hari?

It's said HUH-ree /ˈhʌ.ri/ — two syllables, stress on the first.

Is Hari a boy or girl name?

Hari is a boy's name in Indian tradition.

How popular is Hari?

Hari is rare in the U.S. and ubiquitous across Hindu South Asia.