UK boy's name
Hari
Lion or lord among the gods in Hindu tradition.
For 2026, the newest official UK baby-name figures on this page are from 2024. That release is the current official benchmark rather than a forecast.
Hari is a boy's name in the UK records. People looking for Hari popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2024 in this profile. In that release it ranked #524, with 74 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 2012, with 97 births.
This profile covers 1,774 England and Wales registrations across 29 recorded years from 1996 to 2024. The figures come from ONS England and Wales and NRS Scotland, so the page is a view of published baby-name registrations rather than a forecast or a live count of people using the name today.
The latest count is about 76% of the recorded peak, which gives a quick read on how the name has moved since its high point.
We estimate that about 1,769 living people in the UK are called Hari. This uses published birth registrations from England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, then applies ONS national life tables to estimate how many are likely still alive. It does not forecast extra births for 2025 or 2026.
Key insights
- • Hari ranked #524 for boys in England and Wales in 2024, with 74 registrations.
- • The name peaked in 2012, when 97 boys were registered as Hari.
- • Hari ranks best in Scotland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #704 in 2018.
- • About 1,769 living people in the UK are estimated to have Hari as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.
Latest rank (E&W)
#524
2024
Births in 2024
74
Latest year
Peak year
2012
97 births
Estimated living
1,769
2026
Meaning
What does Hari mean?
The name Hari has its origins in the Sanskrit language, which has been used in ancient India for over 3,500 years. It is derived from the Sanskrit word "Haridra," meaning "yellow" or "golden," referring to the color of turmeric. The name is closely associated with Hindu culture and religion.
In Hinduism, Hari is one of the names used to address Lord Vishnu, the preserver and protector of the universe. The name appears in various Hindu scriptures, including the Bhagavad Gita and the Puranas. It is believed that the name Hari has been in use since the Vedic period, which dates back to around 1500-500 BCE.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Hari can be found in the ancient Indian epic, the Mahabharata. The epic mentions Hari as one of the names of Lord Krishna, who is considered an incarnation of Lord Vishnu. The Mahabharata is believed to have been composed between the 8th and 4th centuries BCE.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the name Hari. One of the most famous is Hari Govind Sarma (1603-1644), the sixth Guru of the Sikhs. He played a crucial role in shaping the Sikh religion and its martial tradition. Another well-known figure is Hari Singh Nalwa (1791-1837), a prominent military leader and commander of the Sikh Empire during the reign of Maharaja Ranjit Singh.
In the field of literature, Hari Narayan Apte (1864-1919) was a renowned Sanskrit scholar and lexicographer from Maharashtra, India. He is known for his monumental work, the "Apte Sanskrit-English Dictionary," which is widely used by students and scholars of Sanskrit.
Hari Mohan Nath (1924-2003) was a distinguished Indian civil servant and diplomat who served as the Governor of Assam and the Lieutenant Governor of Pondicherry. He was also the Chairman of the Minorities Commission of India.
In the realm of arts, Hari Kondabolu (born 1982) is an American stand-up comedian, writer, and podcast host of Indian descent. He is known for his socially conscious comedy that tackles issues of race, identity, and cultural stereotypes.
The name Hari has a rich cultural and historical significance, deeply rooted in the ancient Sanskrit language and Hindu tradition. Its association with Lord Vishnu and its presence in various Hindu scriptures have contributed to its enduring popularity across generations.
Sourced from namecensus.com.
Popularity
Hari over time
The chart below shows babies named Hari registered in England and Wales in the years where the name appears in the published records, from 1996 to 2024. Empty years are left out so rare names are not stretched across long periods where the published files do not show any registrations.
For Hari, the clearest high point is 2012. The latest England and Wales figure is 74 births in 2024, compared with 97 at the peak.
Babies born per year
Decades
Hari by decade
Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Hari was a short-lived spike or a name that stayed in regular use. Average rank is calculated only from years where a published rank exists.
| Decade | Average rank | Total births | Years covered |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020s | #532 | 361 | 5 |
| 2010s | #460 | 861 | 10 |
| 2000s | #564 | 488 | 10 |
| 1990s | #984 | 64 | 4 |
Geography
Where Hari is most common
The bars show the latest published local birth counts for Hari. They are useful for spotting where the name is showing up in real numbers, while the rank beside each bar shows how strongly it performs inside that region.
Hari ranks best in Scotland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #704 in 2018.
Across the UK
Hari in Scotland and Northern Ireland
Scotland (NRS)
#704 in 2018
2 years of NRS records, 7 total registered
Notable bearers
Famous people named Hari
-
Hari McCoy
association football player
English footballer (born 2002)
2002-
-
Hari Kunzru
writer; journalist; novelist
British novelist and journalist (1969-)
1969-
Related
Names similar to Hari
- Harry 141,693
- Henry 65,177
- Harrison 45,958
- Harvey 35,648
- Harley 22,095
- Hugo 18,779
- Hayden 12,622
- Hunter 10,350
- Hudson 9,104
- Hamza 8,564
- Hassan 5,982
- Hasan 3,599
FAQ
Hari: questions and answers
How popular is the name Hari in the UK right now?
In 2024, Hari was ranked #524 for boys in England and Wales, with 74 births registered.
When was Hari most popular?
The peak year on record was 2012, with 97 babies registered as Hari in England and Wales.
What is the meaning and origin of Hari?
Lion or lord among the gods in Hindu tradition.
How many people are called Hari in the UK?
A total of 1,774 babies have been registered as Hari across the 29 years of ONS England & Wales records shown here, plus 7 more in Scotland.
Where is Hari most common?
In the latest published local rankings, Hari ranks best in Scotland, where it placed #704 in 2018. The regional bars on this page use birth counts, so they also reflect the size of each region.
Which records is this page based on?
The England and Wales timeline uses ONS baby-name records. Scotland figures come from NRS and Northern Ireland figures come from NISRA. Counts are registrations in published baby-name files. The living estimate uses those birth registrations with ONS national life tables.