Karthikeyan
/K-AA-R-T-HH-IH-K-EH-Y-AA-N/
Son of the Krittika stars — Karthikeyan names Lord Murugan as the divine child raised by the six Krittika nymphs (the Pleiades constellation). A foundationally Tamil name carrying the cosmic motherhood of the stars themselves.
See Karthikeyan scored for your familyQuick — what every parent wants to know about Karthikeyan:
Yes — Karthikeyan is a Hindu boy name of Sanskrit origin, meaning “Son of the Krittika stars — Karthikeyan names Lord Murugan as the divine child raised by the six Krittika nymphs (the Pleiades constellation). A foundationally Tamil name carrying the cosmic motherhood of the stars themselves.”.
How well does Karthikeyan fit your family?
This page tells you what Karthikeyan means. The app tells you whether it's right for your baby — scored against the names already in your family, your heritage, and your baby's exact birth star.
Unlock Karthikeyan's score — free
Six signals — scored for your family, not in the abstract:
Meaning & origin
Karthikeyan is a boy's name of Sanskrit origin, traditionally used in Hindu families. The name means "Son of the Krittika stars — Karthikeyan names Lord Murugan as the divine child raised by the six Krittika nymphs (the Pleiades constellation). A foundationally Tamil name carrying the cosmic motherhood of the stars themselves." and belongs to the Divine cluster — names rooted in sacred meaning and spiritual tradition.
Common among Indian, American, British, Marathi, Bengali, Gujarati, Punjabi, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Malayali, Singaporean families, Karthikeyan carries cultural weight that goes beyond its dictionary definition — it's a name with a story and a community.
What's Karthikeyan's birth star?
In Vedic tradition, a baby's name is matched to their nakshatra (birth star) and rashi (moon sign) — usually through its first syllable. Karthikeyan opens with “Ka.” But whether that's auspicious depends on your baby's 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 Karthikeyan aligns with — and how strongly it scores.
See Karthikeyan's birth-star reading →What does Karthikeyan'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 Karthikeyan resonates in either tradition.
Karthikeyan's destiny number is 6 — but a number only matters in context. The app matches it to your family's own numbers for a real compatibility read. See Karthikeyan's full reading →
Does Karthikeyan go with your family's names?
Karthikeyan breaks into 11 sounds: /K-AA-R-T-HH-IH-K-EH-Y-AA-N/. 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 Karthikeyan 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 Karthikeyan beside your family's names →
Nicknames
Common affectionate forms of Karthikeyan — useful for everyday family conversation, early childhood, or as standalone given names themselves.
Names similar to Karthikeyan
If Karthikeyan 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 Divine cluster
Names that sound similar
Hindu boy names that open with the same syllables as Karthikeyan
Explore more names
Keep exploring names like Karthikeyan — by tradition, by meaning, or by first letter.
Common questions about Karthikeyan
What does the name Karthikeyan mean?
Karthikeyan means "Son of the Krittika stars — Karthikeyan names Lord Murugan as the divine child raised by the six Krittika nymphs (the Pleiades constellation). A foundationally Tamil name carrying the cosmic motherhood of the stars themselves.." It is a boy name of Sanskrit origin, traditionally used in Hindu families.
Is Karthikeyan a boy or girl name?
Karthikeyan is most commonly used as a boy name.
What is the origin of the name Karthikeyan?
Karthikeyan is of Sanskrit origin, used in Hindu tradition, commonly among Indian, American, British families.
Is Karthikeyan a Hindu name?
Yes. Karthikeyan is a boy name traditionally used in Hindu families, of Sanskrit origin.
What does Karthikeyan mean in Sanskrit?
Karthikeyan originates from Sanskrit, where it means "Son of the Krittika stars — Karthikeyan names Lord Murugan as the divine child raised by the six Krittika nymphs (the Pleiades constellation). A foundationally Tamil name carrying the cosmic motherhood of the stars themselves.."
What are common nicknames for Karthikeyan?
Common short forms of Karthikeyan include Karthik, Karthi.
What is the numerology of Karthikeyan?
Karthikeyan has a Pythagorean destiny number of 6 — nurturing and family devotion.
See how Karthikeyan 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 — Karthikeyan is waiting.
Get NameRoot — free