Boys' name · since 1977
Karthik
Since 1977, U.S. Social Security records show 1,495 babies named Karthik, peaking in 2010. See the year-by-year trend, decade totals, and state rankings below, sourced from federal birth data.
- #3,965 of 45,481
- all-time among boys
- #4,930 of 13,930
- 2025 SSA year
- 1,495
- born since 1977
- 2010s
- peak decade
Yes -- Karthik is the #4930 most popular boys' name in the U.S. today, with 1,495 recorded since 1977.
Karthik has 1,495 recorded births among boys since 1977, per the U.S. Social Security Administration, ranked #4930 as of the latest data, more common than 65% of boys, busiest in the 2010s -- see the year-by-year trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution below, all drawn directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1977 to 2025.
- #3,965 of 45,481 all-time among boys
- #4,930 of 13,930 2025 SSA year
- 1,495 born since 1977
- 2010s peak decade
Data updated Aug 2026
The verdict
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Karthik ranks #3,965 of 45,481 boys' names by all-time recorded births (highest first) and #4,930 of 13,930 among boys' names in 2025. 1,495 born since 1977, peaking in the 2010s.
- #3,965 of 45,481
- all-time among boys
- #4,930 of 13,930
- 2025 SSA year
- 1,495
- born since 1977
- 2010s
- peak decade
Karthik's 1,495 recorded births place it above 91.27% of the 45,481 boys names in the full SSA archive.
11 jurisdictions carry state-level records, led by California.
How Karthik compares
1,495 Top 26% higher than 74% of 13,930 names currently given to boys
Based on all-time total births among currently-ranked boys names. Names with fewer occurrences are grouped into wider buckets on the right.
Source U.S. Social Security Administration, national baby name data
How the numbers stack up
Karthik's all-time total is 4x the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Karthik | Median boys name (Takari) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 1,495 | 369 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 79 | 34 | 22,252 |
Karthik's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Splitting Karthik's full recorded timeline at 2003, 71% of its total births fall in the more recent half of the record versus 29% in the earlier half -- usage has skewed toward the present, not a one-decade spike. Its quietest year on record was 1977, with just 5 recorded births -- worth weighing against the 2010 peak of 79 to see the full range of the name's swing in popularity.
Karthik popularity over time
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1977–2025
- Peak year (2010)
- 79
- Annual births at peak, across 49 years of records
Karthik by decade
2010s is the heaviest window (561 births, 38% of the file).
2010s was Karthik's strongest decade.
561 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 38% of all-time use.
Karthik births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1970s 5
1970s
5 births
- 1980s 71
1980s
71 births
- 1990s 221
1990s
221 births
- 2000s
2000s
500 births
- 2010s
2010s
561 births
- 2020s 137
2020s
137 births
What this shows Peak: 2010s at 561 births (38% of all-time use).
How Karthik compares to similarly-sized names
Years in SSA records vs. share of all-time use concentrated in the single peak year, among 15 boys names closest to Karthik's total volume
Karthik by state
Where Karthik concentrates geographically, total births since 1977
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | California | | 229 | 15.3% |
| #2 | Texas | | 124 | 8.3% |
| #3 | New Jersey | | 67 | 4.5% |
| #4 | New York | | 16 | 1.1% |
| #5 | Illinois | | 11 | 0.7% |
| #6 | Michigan | | 10 | 0.7% |
| #7 | North Carolina | | 10 | 0.7% |
| #8 | Virginia | | 6 | 0.4% |
229 of 1,495 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 11 reporting states.
Karthik appears in 11 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Karthik? ▼
Where does Karthik sit in the SSA name archive? ▼
When was Karthik most popular? ▼
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What to do with Karthik's data
- Karthik's decade-level peak was the 2010s (561 total births); usage has since declined to 137 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- California records the most Karthiks (229 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. California names
Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.
Keep exploring Karthik
Nearby Names Like Karthik
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Karthik
Compare Karthik side by side: Karthik vs Karl Karthik vs Karter Karthik vs Karson
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Karthik
Nationwide names with similar peak year or record span
Two nationwide peer axes for Karthik: closest SSA peak year, and closest first→latest record span. Distinct from the spelling and current-rank neighborhoods above.
Similar peak year (~2010)
Similar record span (~48 yrs)
Peak year is the single SSA year with the most births for that name; record span is first-to-latest year in the national files, not a recommendation or shared origin claim.
Data Sources
Data as of August 2026. Source: U.S. Social Security Administration (SSA).
According to the Social Security Administration, this profile draws directly from the agency's public-use baby-name files (updated June 2026). See our methodology for the full extraction, aggregation, and privacy-suppression rules.
Primary: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names from Social Security Card Applications, National Data, 1977–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Name Almanac is rendered directly from the Social Security Administration's public baby-name files, no number is typed in by an editor. This profile for Karthik draws directly on SSA national and state-level files, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of August 2026.