UK boy's name
Karthikeyan
Son of Krittikas (the Pleiades star cluster), a Hindu warrior deity.
For 2026, the newest official UK baby-name figures on this page are from 2023. That release is the current official benchmark rather than a forecast.
Karthikeyan is a boy's name in the UK records. People looking for Karthikeyan popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2023 in this profile. In that release it ranked #4991, with 3 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 2023, with 3 births.
This profile covers 3 England and Wales registrations across 1 recorded years from 2023 to 2023. 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.
Karthikeyan is at its recorded peak in the England and Wales series.
We estimate that about 3 living people in the UK are called Karthikeyan. 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 2024 or 2026.
Key insights
- • Karthikeyan ranked #4991 for boys in England and Wales in 2023, with 3 registrations.
- • The name peaked in 2023, when 3 boys were registered as Karthikeyan.
- • About 3 living people in the UK are estimated to have Karthikeyan as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.
Latest rank (E&W)
#4991
2023
Births in 2023
3
Latest year
Peak year
2023
3 births
Estimated living
3
2026
Meaning
What does Karthikeyan mean?
Karthikeyan is a Hindu masculine given name of Tamil origin. It is derived from the name of the Hindu god Kartikeya, also known as Murugan or Subrahmanya. Kartikeya is the son of the gods Shiva and Parvati, and is the god of war, wisdom, and divine velour.
The name Karthikeyan has its roots in ancient Tamil literature and Hindu mythology. It is mentioned in several ancient Tamil texts, such as the Sangam literature, which dates back to the early centuries CE. The name is also found in the Skanda Purana, a Hindu scripture dedicated to the god Kartikeya.
One of the earliest recorded examples of the name Karthikeyan can be found in the inscriptions of the Pallava dynasty, a prominent ruling family in South India between the 3rd and 9th centuries CE. Several Pallava rulers bore this name, including Karthikeyan Pallava, who ruled in the 7th century CE.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the name Karthikeyan. One of the most famous was Karthikeyan Sivasenapathy (1624-1670), a renowned Tamil scholar and poet who authored the work "Sivavakya Nidhi," a compilation of verses on Shaivism.
Another notable Karthikeyan was Karthikeyan Naicker (1823-1875), a prominent Tamil scholar and social reformer who played a significant role in the Renaissance of Tamil literature and culture in the 19th century.
In the field of music, Karthikeyan Govindaraghavan (1923-2000) was a renowned Carnatic vocalist and composer, known for his contributions to the Madurai Bani style of music.
Karthikeyan Ramasamy (1914-1977) was a prominent Indian politician and freedom fighter, who served as the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu from 1967 to 1969.
Karthikeyan Sivathamby (1938-2023) was a prominent Sri Lankan Tamil writer, known for his novels and short stories that explored the lives of Tamil people in Sri Lanka.
Sourced from namecensus.com.
Decades
Karthikeyan by decade
Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Karthikeyan 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 | #4991 | 3 | 1 |
Related
Names similar to Karthikeyan
- Kieran 30,429
- Kyle 28,463
- Kai 24,432
- Kian 17,666
- Kayden 8,305
- Kevin 7,927
- Kane 7,149
- Kaiden 5,762
- Kieron 4,547
- Kacper 4,366
- Kye 4,012
- Kit 3,529
FAQ
Karthikeyan: questions and answers
How popular is the name Karthikeyan in the UK right now?
In 2023, Karthikeyan was ranked #4991 for boys in England and Wales, with 3 births registered.
When was Karthikeyan most popular?
The peak year on record was 2023, with 3 babies registered as Karthikeyan in England and Wales.
What is the meaning and origin of Karthikeyan?
Son of Krittikas (the Pleiades star cluster), a Hindu warrior deity.
How many people are called Karthikeyan in the UK?
A total of 3 babies have been registered as Karthikeyan across the 1 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.