jari

Jari is a masculine given name most associated with Finland, where it has been common since the mid-20th century. It is also found in Estonia and other Nordic countries, though less widely. The name has been borne by notable athletes and musicians, which has helped sustain its usage over several decades.

Etymology is not definitively established for Jari as a Finnish name. It is generally treated as a standalone given name rather than a direct derivative of another name, and it does not have a universally agreed-upon meaning in Finnish onomastics.

In Indonesian and Malay, jari is the common word for finger or toe. It appears in compounds such as ibu jari (thumb) and jari-jari (fingers). This linguistic use is unrelated to the Finnish given name beyond the similarity in spelling.

Notable people named Jari include Jari Litmanen, a Finnish former professional footballer; Jari Kurri, a Finnish former professional ice hockey player; and Jari Sillanpää, a Finnish singer. The name remains recognizable in Finland and among Finnish-speaking communities, and it occasionally appears in other countries through broader cultural exchange.