Krittika nakshatra baby names: starting letters कृत्तिका

Last updated 18 October 2026

Krittika is nakshatra number 3 of 27, ruled by Sun. A baby born with the Moon in Krittika is traditionally given a name that starts with the syllable of its pada: A, I, U, E.

The four Krittika pada letters

Krittika at a glance

• Position: 26°40′ Mesh to 10°00′ Vrishabh of the sidereal zodiac, four padas of 3°20′ each.
• Ruling planet: Sun.
• Deity: Agni, the god of fire.
• Symbol: a razor or blade; some texts give a flame.
• Rashi: Mesh and Vrishabh (the nakshatra crosses a rashi boundary).
• Gana, yoni and nadi: Rakshasa gana, sheep yoni, Antya nadi (the matching tradition; see the nakshatra gana calculator).
• Rajju and vedha: Nabhi rajju (navel); vedha star Vishakha. These are South Indian porutham groupings; see the rajju dosha calculator.

How to use these letters

Take the Moon’s nakshatra and pada from the birth chart (or the nakshatra calculator by date of birth), then choose a name that begins with that pada’s letter. If the pada is unknown, the four letters above are the ones for this nakshatra. Without birth details, the rashi name finder shows the letters for any nakshatra and pada, and rashi by name shows where a name you already like falls.

Neighbouring nakshatras

Before Krittika comes Bharani, after it Rohini. See all 27 on the list of 27 nakshatras, the nakshatra letters chart or the 27 nakshatras explained.