Kalli is a short form of Calliope and Kallista and goes back to the Greek kallos, "beauty", though American parents often use it as a spelling of Callie, the pet form of Caroline. In Greece Kalli is a common nickname in its own right. Kalli stood at number 1290 in 2000, peaked at number 1022 in 2007 and has eased down to number 2974 in 2025.