Girl · Sanskrit (South Indian usage) · Hindu
Karthika
कार्तिकाSay it KAAR-thi-kaa
- Meaning today
- Radiant, bestower of courage
- Original meaning
- "of the month Kārttika, named after the Pleiades (Kṛttikā)" Monier-Williams, p. 275
- Say it
- KAAR-thi-kaa
- Written
- कार्तिका
- Other spellings
- Kartika, Karthiga, Kartiki
- First sound
- का · Mithun rashi
Karthika
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Karthika meaning
Karthika (कार्तिका) is a Hindu girl's name of Sanskrit origin (South Indian usage). By its first sound, का, it is a Mithun rashi name (Mrigashira nakshatra) in the North Indian table.
Meaning today
Radiant, bestower of courage
Original Sanskrit (South Indian usage) meaning
"of the month Kārttika, named after the Pleiades (Kṛttikā)"
Source: Monier-Williams, Sanskrit–English Dictionary (1899), p. 275 · entry kārttika · See the entry · checked 25 Oct 2026
Karthika (कार्तिका) is a feminine name built on Sanskrit kārttika, the month of October–November, so named because its full moon falls near kṛttikā, the Pleiades. Monier-Williams describes the Kṛttikās as the star cluster and as the six nymphs who nursed the war god, hence his name Kārttikeya. In Kerala the star is called Kārttika, and girls born under it may be given this name; the lamp festival Karthigai Deepam falls in the same month. Name lists give "radiant" or "bestower of courage", which are modern readings.
References: Monier-Williams, kārttika, p. 275 · Monier-Williams, kṛttikā, p. 304 · Wikipedia, Karthika (name)
Fits your syllable
First sound का
Mrigashira nakshatra, pada 3 · Mithun rashi
North Indian table. Tables vary by region and family tradition, so confirm with your priest.
Spellings
Karthika · Kartika · Karthiga · Kartiki