Karthikeya
Boy name · #3501 in 2025 · Uniqueness 52/100
Karthikeya is currently the #3501 boy name in the United States — 33 babies received it in 2025. A decade ago it stood at #4179, so the name has been rising over the past ten years. Roughly one in every 54,545 boys born in 2025 was named Karthikeya.
The 21-year story
Karthikeya first appears in the Social Security records in 2004, when 6 boys received the name. Its peak came in 2016, when 39 boys were named Karthikeya — good for #2993 that year. Today's parents encounter it on its way down the popularity curve, which for many parents is exactly the appeal. Following the curve matters more than today's snapshot: a name's position on its rise-peak-decline arc is the best predictor of how common it will feel in a kindergarten class five years from now.
Babies named Karthikeya per year, 1880–2025. Source: SSA.
Unlock the 5-year forecast and compare Karthikeya against up to 5 other names.
Uniqueness: will there be another Karthikeya in class?
Karthikeya scores 52 out of 100 on our uniqueness scale, which blends current rarity with five-year momentum — putting it in the "distinctive" band. That middle band is the sweet spot many parents hunt for: recognizable without being everywhere.
Where Karthikeya is most common
State-level data for Karthikeya is sparse in 2025 — the name's footprint is too small for most states to report (the SSA suppresses counts under 5 per state for privacy).
Names like Karthikeya
Statistically, parents drawn to Karthikeya tend to be choosing among names with similar popularity arcs, era profiles, and sounds — the closest matches in our model are Khalifa, Beauregard, Kingsten, Kharter, and Kaydence.
KhalifaBeauregardKingstenKharterKaydenceKeplerKesslerEllington
Rank history (last 25 years)
| Year | Babies named Karthikeya | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 33 | #3450 |
| 2024 | 19 | #5067 |
| 2023 | 25 | #4220 |
| 2022 | 14 | #6147 |
| 2021 | 19 | #4936 |
| 2020 | 18 | #5041 |
| 2019 | 16 | #5555 |
| 2018 | 21 | #4610 |
| 2017 | 27 | #3889 |
| 2016 | 39 | #2993 |
| 2015 | 24 | #4179 |
| 2014 | 32 | #3371 |
| 2013 | 14 | #5923 |
| 2012 | 13 | #6306 |
| 2011 | 11 | #7009 |
| 2010 | 11 | #7087 |
| 2009 | 8 | #8985 |
| 2008 | 5 | #12553 |
| 2007 | 8 | #8915 |
| 2006 | 7 | #9585 |
| 2004 | 6 | #9948 |
Frequently asked questions
Is Karthikeya a popular boy name?
Karthikeya ranked #3501 among boys in 2025 with 33 babies given the name — outside the top 500, making it an uncommon pick. Ten years earlier it ranked #4179.
When was the name Karthikeya most popular?
Karthikeya peaked in 2016, when 39 American boys received the name (ranked #2993 that year). Since 2016 the name has declined from that high.
How rare is the name Karthikeya?
In 2025, roughly 1 in 54,545 newborn American boys was named Karthikeya. It scores 52/100 on our uniqueness scale (rarity blended with momentum), which we classify as "distinctive".
Data source: U.S. Social Security Administration name statistics, 1880–2025, national and state files. Counts reflect Social Security card applications; names with fewer than 5 occurrences in a state-year are suppressed by the SSA.