Holding steady, #5,917 for girls today.
Popularity of Kharisma since 1986
Babies named Kharisma per year in U.S. Social Security records. Raw births topped out in 2008, but relative to how few babies were recorded back then, Kharisma's real moment was 2021.
Data table (by decade)
| Decade | Girls |
|---|---|
| 1980s | 6 |
| 1990s | 84 |
| 2000s | 145 |
| 2010s | 133 |
| 2020s | 114 |
Meaning & origin
Kharisma is a modern spelling variant of the word 'charisma,' introduced as a given name in the mid-1980s. It first appeared in U.S. birth records in 1986 and has seen modest but consistent use since. As of 2025, it ranked 5,917, with approximately 1 in 80,363 girls receiving the name. Its peak year was 2021, suggesting a recent uptick in popularity. The name reflects a broader trend of virtue names and creative respellings in American naming culture, particularly within communities that value distinctive and meaningful names. Despite its late entry, Kharisma has maintained a stable trajectory without dramatic spikes or declines.
Kharisma is a respelling of the English word 'charisma,' which derives from the Greek χάρισμα (charisma), meaning 'gift' or 'divine favor.' The word entered English via Christian theological usage and later came to denote personal magnetism. The spelling with 'Kh' and 's' instead of 'c' and 'z' likely emerged as a creative variation in the late 20th century, particularly in African American naming traditions.
Nicknames & variants
Nicknames: Khari, Risma, Khari
Sibling names for Kharisma
Names that share Kharisma's style, for a brother or sister.
