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Kartikeya as a Baby Name. Meaning and Origin of Kartikeya

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The baby name Kartikeya is a Male name , 4 syllables long and is pronounced /kɑrˈtɪkeɪə/ — kar-TIH-kay-uh.

Kartikeya is Sanskrit in Origin.

Gender: Male
Syllables: 4.0
Origin: Sanskrit
Pronunciation: /kɑrˈtɪkeɪə/ — kar-TIH-kay-uh

What is the meaning of the name Kartikeya ?

The baby name Kartikeya is a Male name , 4 syllables long and is pronounced /kɑrˈtɪkeɪə/ — kar-TIH-kay-uh.

Kartikeya is Sanskrit in Origin.

Kartikeya is a Sanskrit name (Kārttikeya) meaning “son of the Krittikās,” the Pleiades, alluding to the legend of the war god raised by the six star-nymphs. As the youthful commander of the gods’ armies, also called Skanda, Murugan, Kumara, and Subrahmanya, he symbolizes courage, purity, and victorious energy. The name also connects to the lunar month Kārtika, reinforcing associations with auspicious beginnings and illumination.

Used across the Indian subcontinent and the diaspora, Kartikeya appears in classical literature and temple inscriptions and remains popular in modern Hindu communities, especially in Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, and Malayalam regions where Murugan devotion is strong. Common variants and spellings include Kartik, Kartikey, Karthik, Karthikeya, and Karthikeyan; related theophoric forms are Subramaniam/Subrahmanyam. Nicknames such as Karthi occur in casual use. Pronunciation typically approximates KAR-ti-kay-uh in English. Festivals like Skanda Ṣaṣṭi and Thaipusam keep the name culturally vibrant.

Kartikeya has the following similar or variant Names

Kartikeya – Popularity by country

Based on birth registration data from national statistics agencies.

Country Gender Year Rank Born of
IN 0 #71 1 2,963
AE 0 #187 1 10,220
SI Boys 0 #211 1 3,402
JP Boys 0 #303 1 7,909
HK Boys 0 #557 1 12,905
BH 0 #587 1 17,937
SG Boys 0 #739 1 17,960
United States Boys 2023 #893 6 7,053
OM Boys 0 #918 1 17,948
IN Boys 0 #969 33 16,750
AE Boys 0 #1,140 4 22,615
MY Boys 0 #1,178 5 25,439

Kartikeya is popular in 10 countries — most recent births per country:

United States
AE
BH
HK
IN

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People also ask about Kartikeya

Kartikeya is predominantly a boy's name.
Kartikeya is a 4 syllable name, pronounced /kɑrˈtɪkeɪə/ — kar-TIH-kay-uh.
Common nicknames and spelling variations include Kartik, Kartikey, Karthik, Karthikeya, Karthikeyan and Karthi.
Somewhat — Kartikeya ranked #893 in United States in 2023, placing it just outside the most common names.
Kartikeya's popularity is declining significantly. It moved from #870 in 2013 to #893 in 2023 in United States.