Karthik
/K-AA-R-T-IH-K/
Named for the month of Kartika and the star cluster Krittika — Karthik is an epithet of Murugan, the youthful war god born from six divine sparks to defeat the demon Tarakasura
Get Karthik's full report — nakshatra, rashi & a portrait — freeQuick — what every Hindu parent asks about Karthik:
How well does Karthik fit your family?
This page tells you what Karthik means. The app tells you whether it's right for your baby — scored against your family & your heritage, and your baby's birth details.
Unlock Karthik's score — free
Six signals — scored for your family & heritage, not in the abstract:
Meaning & origin
Yes — Karthik is a Hindu boy name of Sanskrit origin, meaning “Named for the month of Kartika and the star cluster Krittika — Karthik is an epithet of Murugan, the youthful war god born from six divine sparks to defeat the demon Tarakasura”.
Karthik is a boy's name of Sanskrit origin, traditionally used in Hindu families. The name means "Named for the month of Kartika and the star cluster Krittika — Karthik is an epithet of Murugan, the youthful war god born from six divine sparks to defeat the demon Tarakasura" and belongs to the Courage cluster — names for children who will grow into bold, fearless hearts.
Common among Indian, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Malayali families, Karthik carries cultural weight that goes beyond its dictionary definition — it's a name with a story and a community.
Karthik's nakshatra & rashi
In Hindu tradition, a baby's name is chosen to harmonise with their nakshatra (birth star) and rashi (moon sign) — most often through an auspicious first syllable. Karthik opens with “Ka”. Whether that's auspicious for your baby depends on their exact date, time and place of birth.
NameRoot works it out for you. Enter your baby's birth details and see exactly which nakshatra and rashi Karthik aligns with — and how strongly it scores.
See Karthik's nakshatra reading →What does Karthik's numerology say?
Numerology assigns each name a single-digit destiny number by summing its letter values. Different schools use different mappings — NameRoot computes both so you can see how Karthik resonates in either tradition.
Karthik's destiny number is 33 — but a number only matters in context. The app matches it to your family's own numbers for a real compatibility read. See Karthik's full reading →
Does Karthik go with your family's names?
Karthik breaks into 6 sounds: /K-AA-R-T-IH-K/. The real test isn't how it sounds alone — it's how it sounds beside the names already in your family: yours, your partner's, and any brothers or sisters. NameRoot scores that harmony, so Karthik sits naturally next to a Mum and Dad like Michael & Anna, or a big sister named Gianna — no awkward clashes, no two names that blur together. Hear Karthik beside your family's names →
Nicknames
Common affectionate forms of Karthik — useful for everyday family conversation, early childhood, or as standalone given names themselves.
Names similar to Karthik
If Karthik resonates with you, these names live in the same world — drawn from the same tradition, sharing the same meaning, or echoing a similar sound.
From the same tradition
Other Hindu boy names, common in Indian families
Sharing the same meaning
Other Hindu boy names from the Courage cluster
Names that sound similar
Hindu boy names that open with the same syllables as Karthik
Explore more names
Keep exploring names like Karthik — by tradition, by meaning, or by first letter.
Common questions about Karthik
What does the name Karthik mean?
Karthik means "Named for the month of Kartika and the star cluster Krittika — Karthik is an epithet of Murugan, the youthful war god born from six divine sparks to defeat the demon Tarakasura." It is a boy name of Sanskrit origin, traditionally used in Hindu families.
Is Karthik a boy or girl name?
Karthik is most commonly used as a boy name.
What is the origin of the name Karthik?
Karthik is of Sanskrit origin, used in Hindu tradition, commonly among Indian, Tamil, Telugu families.
Is Karthik a Hindu name?
Yes. Karthik is a boy name traditionally used in Hindu families, of Sanskrit origin.
What does Karthik mean in Sanskrit?
Karthik originates from Sanskrit, where it means "Named for the month of Kartika and the star cluster Krittika — Karthik is an epithet of Murugan, the youthful war god born from six divine sparks to defeat the demon Tarakasura."
What are common nicknames for Karthik?
Common short forms of Karthik include Kari, Kart.
What is the numerology of Karthik?
Karthik has a Pythagorean destiny number of 33 — the master teacher — unconditional love in action.
What is Karthik's rashi and nakshatra?
By its first syllable "Ka", Karthik falls under the Mrigashira nakshatra and Mithuna (Gemini) rashi — its naam-rashi, or name-based moon sign. (A baby's birth nakshatra comes from their date and time of birth; NameRoot matches the two.)
See how Karthik scores for your family
NameRoot is the only baby-name app that scores every name across 6 signals against your specific family context. Download free — Karthik is waiting.
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