Cali is best known in the United States as the nickname for California, which gives it a sunny, laid-back feel; it also works as a short form of Calista, from the Greek kallistos, "most beautiful", and is the name of a major city in Colombia. In the United States Cali ranked number 817 in 2000, peaked at number 202 in 2014 and has eased to number 574 among girls' names in 2025.