Boy · Sanskrit · Hindu
Nachiket
नचिकेतSay it NUH-chi-kayt
- Meaning today
- Fire, the sage nachiketa
- Original meaning
- "name of the boy-sage of the Katha Upanishad" Monier-Williams, p. 523
- Say it
- NUH-chi-kayt
- Written
- नचिकेत
- Other spellings
- Nachiketa, Nachiketh
Nachiket
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Nachiket meaning
Nachiket (नचिकेत) is a Hindu boy's name of Sanskrit origin.
Name of the boy-sage of the Katha Upanishad
Also used to mean: fire, the sage nachiketa
Nachiket (नचिकेत) is the name of Nachiketa, the boy in the Katha Upanishad who goes to the house of Yama, the god of death, and asks him what happens after a person dies. Monier-Williams records na-ciketas as the name of this sage in the Taittiriya Brahmana and the Katha Upanishad, linking it with the root cit, "to perceive". The related word nāciketa names the sacred Nachiketa fire that Yama teaches him, and the lexicons give it as "fire" in general, which is why name lists often give "fire". Nachiket is used in Maharashtra.
Source: Monier-Williams, Sanskrit–English Dictionary (1899), p. 523 · entry na-ciketas · See the entry · checked 25 Oct 2026
References: Monier-Williams, na-ciketas, p. 523 · Monier-Williams, nāciketa, p. 534 · Wikipedia, Nachiketa
Famous namesakes
- Nachiketa, the boy-seeker of the Katha Upanishad
Fits your syllable
First sound न
Anuradha nakshatra, pada 1 · Vrishchik rashi
This exact sound isn't in the table; the closest is ना, which differs only in vowel length. North Indian table. Tables vary by region and family tradition, so confirm with your priest.
Spellings
Nachiket · Nachiketa · Nachiketh