Find out how popular the last name Karthik is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Karthik.

Karthik, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Karthik surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Karthik in America

Karthik is the 51830th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Karthik surname appeared 401 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Karthik.

The history of the last name Karthik

The surname Karthik originates from India and is derived from the Sanskrit word "Karthika," which means "one who is born under the Karthika star." This name has its roots in ancient Hindu mythology and astrology.

Karthik is a common surname found among various communities in the southern Indian states of Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, and Andhra Pradesh. It is particularly prevalent among the Brahmin and other upper-caste Hindu communities in these regions.

Historically, the name Karthik has been associated with scholars, poets, and other learned individuals. In ancient Tamil literature, there are references to poets and authors bearing this surname, although specific dates and records are not always available.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Karthik can be found in the inscriptions of the Chola dynasty, which ruled parts of southern India between the 9th and 13th centuries CE. These inscriptions mention individuals with the surname Karthik holding positions of importance in the royal court or as administrators.

A notable figure bearing the surname Karthik was Karthik Thirunavukkarasu (1809-1875), a Tamil scholar and poet who made significant contributions to the revival of classical Tamil literature during the 19th century.

Another prominent individual with this surname was Karthik Sivaramakrishnan (1904-1994), an Indian writer and journalist who played a crucial role in the Indian independence movement and was actively involved in the Dravidian movement.

In the field of music, Karthik Raja (1957-1988) was a renowned Indian classical vocalist and composer who specialized in the Carnatic music tradition. He is widely regarded as one of the most influential musicians of his time.

Karthik Sivakumar (born 1976) is a contemporary Indian film actor and producer who has appeared in several Tamil and Telugu films, gaining widespread popularity and critical acclaim.

While the surname Karthik has its origins in southern India, individuals bearing this name can now be found across various parts of the country and even in other parts of the world due to migration and diaspora communities.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Karthik

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Karthik.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Karthik was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Karthik was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Karthik, please contact us.

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