NameCensus.

UK boy's name

Kartar

An Indian name referring to divine light and grace.

For 2026, the newest official UK baby-name figures on this page are from 2024. That release is the current official benchmark rather than a forecast.

Kartar is a boy's name in the UK records. People looking for Kartar popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2024 in this profile. In that release it ranked #1322, with 20 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 2021, with 20 births.

This profile covers 186 England and Wales registrations across 19 recorded years from 2001 to 2024. The figures come from ONS England and Wales, so the page is a view of published baby-name registrations rather than a forecast or a live count of people using the name today.

The latest count is about 100% of the recorded peak, which gives a quick read on how the name has moved since its high point.

We estimate that about 185 living people in the UK are called Kartar. This uses published birth registrations from England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, then applies ONS national life tables to estimate how many are likely still alive. It does not forecast extra births for 2025 or 2026.

Key insights

  • Kartar ranked #1322 for boys in England and Wales in 2024, with 20 registrations.
  • The name peaked in 2021, when 20 boys were registered as Kartar.
  • About 185 living people in the UK are estimated to have Kartar as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.

Latest rank (E&W)

#1322

2024

Births in 2024

20

Latest year

Peak year

2021

20 births

Estimated living

185

2026

Meaning

What does Kartar mean?

The name Kartar originates from the Punjabi language and has its roots in the Indian subcontinent, particularly in the regions of Punjab and Haryana. It is derived from the Sanskrit word "kartar," meaning "creator" or "doer."

In Sikhism, one of the major religions in the region, Kartar is a name given to the divine creator, often used as an epithet for God. The name holds significant religious and spiritual connotations within the Sikh tradition.

The earliest recorded instances of the name Kartar can be found in ancient Hindu and Sikh scriptures, such as the Vedas and the Guru Granth Sahib, respectively. These sacred texts frequently reference the name in their teachings and hymns.

Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the name Kartar. One of the most prominent figures was Guru Arjan Dev (1563-1606), the fifth Sikh Guru, who was responsible for compiling the Adi Granth, the sacred scripture of Sikhism.

Another famous bearer of the name was Kartar Singh Sarabha (1915-1915), an Indian revolutionary and a key figure in the Ghadar Party, who played a significant role in the Indian independence movement against British colonial rule.

In the realm of literature, Kartar Singh Duggal (1917-2012) was a renowned Punjabi novelist and short story writer, renowned for his contributions to Punjabi literature and his explorations of social and cultural themes.

The name Kartar also holds historical significance in the field of sports. Kartar Singh (1919-2008) was an Indian field hockey player who represented India at the 1948 Summer Olympics in London, where the Indian team won the first gold medal in hockey for the newly independent nation.

Lastly, Kartar Singh Thindiq (1885-1961) was a pioneering Indian-American writer, best known for his works that documented the experiences of early Punjabi immigrants in the United States, shedding light on the struggles and challenges they faced in a new land.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

Popularity

Kartar over time

The chart below shows babies named Kartar registered in England and Wales in the years where the name appears in the published records, from 2001 to 2024. Empty years are left out so rare names are not stretched across long periods where the published files do not show any registrations.

For Kartar, the clearest high point is 2021. The latest England and Wales figure is 20 births in 2024, compared with 20 at the peak.

Babies born per year

Kartar
05101520200120122024

Decades

Kartar by decade

Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Kartar was a short-lived spike or a name that stayed in regular use. Average rank is calculated only from years where a published rank exists.

Decade Average rank Total births Years covered
2020s #1577 80 5
2010s #2597 88 10
2000s #3300 18 4

Related

Names similar to Kartar

FAQ

Kartar: questions and answers

How popular is the name Kartar in the UK right now?

In 2024, Kartar was ranked #1322 for boys in England and Wales, with 20 births registered.

When was Kartar most popular?

The peak year on record was 2021, with 20 babies registered as Kartar in England and Wales.

What is the meaning and origin of Kartar?

An Indian name referring to divine light and grace.

How many people are called Kartar in the UK?

A total of 186 babies have been registered as Kartar across the 19 years of ONS England & Wales records shown here.

Which records is this page based on?

The England and Wales timeline uses ONS baby-name records. Scotland figures come from NRS and Northern Ireland figures come from NISRA. Counts are registrations in published baby-name files. The living estimate uses those birth registrations with ONS national life tables.