Dravidian Submitted Surnames

These names are used by Dravidian peoples.
usage
Submitted names are contributed by users of this website. The accuracy of these name definitions cannot be guaranteed.
Ahamad Indian (Muslim), Tamil, Bengali, Punjabi, Sinhalese
Variant of Ahmad, particularly used in South India and Sri Lanka.
Ahamed Indian (Muslim), Tamil, Bengali, Punjabi, Sinhalese
Variant of Ahmed, particularly used in South India and Sri Lanka.
Akkineni Telugu
The surname Akkineni (అక్కినేని) is derived from the Telugu and Kannada word "akki (అక్కి)" which means rice and the suffix "neni (నేని)" which means country or region... [more]
Anandteerth Kannada
Madhvacharya (1199-1278 or 1238–1317), sometimes anglicised as Madhva Acharya, and also known as Purna Prajna and Ānanda Tīrtha, was a Hindu philosopher and the chief proponent of the Dvaita (dualism) school of Vedanta.
Ananthanarayanan Tamil
Means “descendant of devotee of Lord Vishnu”.
Angadi Indian, Kannada
From Kannada ಅಂಗಡಿ (aṃgaḍi) meaning "store, shop".
Annam Telugu
The surname is derived from the Telugu word అన్నం (annam) which means rice.
Annavarapu Telugu
Means “one who has received the blessings or gifts of an elder brother or respected person”.
Aravind Hindi, Marathi, Kannada, Tamil
From the given name Aravind.
Arige Telugu
This name is famous surname in telugu states of South India.
Babu Indian, Hindi, Telugu, Malayalam, Tamil, Kannada
Derived from Hindi बाबू (babu) meaning "father, sir", used as a respectful term of address for a man as well as a term of endearment for a young boy.
Bai Indian, Hindi, Punjabi, Telugu, Tamil, Odia, Malayalam
Perhaps derived from Hindi बाई (bāī) meaning "lady".
Balaji Tamil, Telugu
From the given name Balaji.
Balasubramanian Tamil
A Hindu name from Sanskrit bālasubrahmạnya ‘child Subrahmanya’ (from bāla ‘child’ + subrahmạnya ‘dear to Brahmans’, an epithet of the god Kartikeya, son of the god Shiva) + the Tamil-Malayalam third-person masculine singular suffix -n... [more]
Balija Indian, Telugu
It is a Telugu name, denoting either "traders/merchants" or "agriculturists".
Balji Indian, Telugu
Another form of Balija.
Bharath Tamil, Indian, Malayalam, Telugu
From the given name Bharath.
Bhat Kashmiri, Marathi, Kannada, Konkani, Urdu
Alternate transcription of Bhatt.
Bhatt Indian, Hindi, Kannada, Marathi, Gujarati, Malayalam, Nepali
Derived from Sanskrit भट्ट (bhatta) meaning "lord" or "learned one".
Cavarai Indian, Tamil
Variant transcription of Kavarai.
Chakkiliyan Indian, Telugu
It is a Telugu name, denoting "cobblers" and "leatherworkers".
Chandra Indian, Hindi, Bengali, Telugu
From Sanskrit चन्द्र (chandra) meaning "moon".
Chandran Indian, Malayalam, Tamil
Derived from Sanskrit चन्द्र (candrá) meaning "glittering, shining" or "moon".
Chaudari Indian, Telugu
Variant transcription of Chaudhary used in Southern India.
Chavali Telugu
Brahmin last name of South India, Andhra Pradesh
Chettiar Indian, Tamil, Malayalam
Refers to a member of any of the various South Indian castes of traders, businessmen, and merchants. The name itself may be from the Tamil honorific எட்டி (eṭṭi) or from a Sanskrit word meaning "wealth".
Chockalingam Indian, Tamil
From a nickname referring to the Hindu god Shiva, composed of the Sanskrit words चोक्का (cokkā) meaning "alluring" and लिङ्गम् (liṅga) meaning "sign, symbol, mark".
Chokalingam Indian, Tamil
Variant of Chockalingam. A famous bearer is American actress and comedienne Vera Mindy Chokalingam (1979-), who uses the stage name Mindy Kaling.
Chowdary Indian, Telugu, Tamil
Variant of Chaudhary used in Southern India.
Chuckler Indian, Telugu
Telugu occupational name for a leather worker, a job historically considered spiritually polluting and impure in India, where the surname belongs to Dalit, or "Untouchables" - members of the lowest caste.
Dasari Indian, Telugu
Means "mendicant, servant (of Vishnu)" in Telugu, ultimately from Sanskrit दास (dasa) meaning "servant, slave".
Dev Indian, Hindi, Marathi, Telugu, Tamil
Derived from Sanskrit देव (deva) meaning "god" (see the given name Dev).
Deva Indian, Hindi, Telugu, Tamil
Derived from Sanskrit देव (devá) meaning "heavenly, divine" or "deity, god".
Devasagayam Tamil
Means "God has Helped/ God's Help"
Dharmann Malayalam
Alternate transcription of Dharman.
Durga Indian, Odia, Telugu
From the given name Durga, the name of a Hindu warrior goddess.
Elamkunnapuzha Malayalam (Rare)
Elamkunnapuzha is a village in Ernakulam district in the Indian state of Kerala.... [more]
Gaddam Telugu
This surname means "on the hill" It is derived from the Telugu words "gadda (గడ్డ)" which means hill and "meeda (మీద)/meedi (మీది)" which means on. The two words were put together and shortened to Gaddam.
Gaddam Indian, Telugu
Derived from Telugu గడ్డము (gaddamu) meaning "beard".
Gaddamu Telugu
Variant of Gaddam. This surname means "on the hill" It is derived from the Telugu words "gadda (గడ్డ)" which means hill and "meeda (మీద)/meedi (మీది)" which means on. The two words were put together and shortened to Gaddamu.
Geevarghese Indian (Christian), Malayalam
From the given name Geevarghese, used by Malayalam-speaking Saint Thomas Christians.
Geevarughese Indian (Christian), Malayalam
From the given name Geevarughese, used by Malayalam-speaking Saint Thomas Christians.
Gentoo Indian, Telugu, Portuguese
It is a Telugu name, most likely meaning "Gentile". It was first used by the Portuguese.
Gogula Indian, Telugu
Possibly from Telugu గోగు (gōgu) "hemp plant".
Gopinath Tamil, Malayalam
From the given name Gopinath.
Hegde Kannada
Hegde means the Headman of the village. Hegde or Heggade Pergade is a surname from Maharashtra, Gujarat, Kasargod district of Kerala and Karnataka in India. It is found amongst Hindus of the Bunt community, Jain bunt community, Havyaka Brahmins, Vokkaligas in Karnataka.... [more]
Hiremath Indian, Kannada
Of uncertain meaning.
Kadam Indian, Marathi, Kannada
From the name of the Kadamba dynasty, which ruled parts of northern India during the 4th and 5th centuries.
Kalla Indian, Tamil
It is a Tamil name, meaning "priest".
Kallan Indian, Tamil
Alternate spelling of Kalla.
Kamat Indian, Hindi, Marathi, Kannada, Konkani
Means "people who work in soil" from काम (kām) meaning "work, task, labour" combined with मिट्टी (miṭṭī) meaning "soil, earth".
Kannan Indian, Tamil
From the given name Kannan, the Tamil variant of Krishna.
Kapu Indian, Telugu
It is a Telugu name, denoting an "agricultural worker".
Kavarai Indian, Tamil
It is a Tamil name, meaning "landowner".
Kiran Indian, Telugu, Hindi
From the given name Kiran.
Kishore Hindi, Marathi, Tamil, Telugu
From the given name Kishor.
Komati Indian, Telugu
It is a Telugu name, denoting "trader".
Konda Telugu
Hindu name meaning ‘hill’ in Telugu.
Krishnan Indian, Malayalam, Tamil
Derived from the given name Krishna, used in Kerala and Tamil Nadu.
Kulakarni Indian, Kannada
Kannada variant of Kulkarni.
Kumari Indian, Hindi, Punjabi, Malayalam, Telugu, Bengali, Assamese, Odia, Tamil, Nepali, Sinhalese
Means "(young) girl, daughter, princess" in Sanskrit.
Kunnathuparambil Malayalam (Rare)
Elamkunnapuzha-Kunnathuparambil Family has a rich history of around 200 years and traces its origins to a small village called Elamkunnapuzha in Ernakulam District. It was at that time one of our ancestors migrated from Elamkunnapuzha to a small village called Vennoor, near Mala in Thrissur District for his livelihood... [more]
Kurisingal Malayalam
Malayalam surname used by the St Thomas Christians of Kerala.
Kurup Malayalam
From a title traditionally bestowed upon weapon makers and masters of martial arts, of uncertain meaning.
Kutty Indian, Malayalam, Tamil
Means "child" in Malayalam and Tamil.
Lakshman Indian, Hindi, Telugu, Tamil, Marathi
From the given name Lakshman.
Lakshmi Indian, Telugu, Odia, Tamil, Malayalam
From the given name Lakshmi.
Lishoy Malayalam, Indian (Christian)
Uncommon Malayalam surname, used mostly by St Thomas Christians. The surname of a certain Malayalam actress.
Madiga Indian, Telugu
Telugu occupational name for a leather worker, a job historically considered polluting and impure in India, where the surname belongs to Dalit, or "Untouchables" - members of the lowest caste.
Mampuzha Malayalam, Indian (Christian)
Meaning: "Mango Tree River"; based on location in India.
Meka Telugu
From Telugu మేక (meka) meaning "goat".
Menon Malayalam
Means "accountant" in Malayalam, itself derived from the title മേലവൻ (melavan) meaning "overseer, boss, exalted one", from മേല (mel) meaning "top, above, high" and the third person pronoun അവൻ (avan) meaning "he".
Mondithoka Telugu (Modern)
they are honest people and having helping nature. at history one person has bull cart some time it was went into dig then all people was trying and trying for lift the cart. but no use from those,after that people were shouting as a bigger like come on 'mondithoka' this word not surname of farmer his bull has short tail... [more]
Mudaliar Tamil
"Mudaliar" is a combination of a Tamil word "Mudali" which means "First" and "yar" which is an honorific suffix. So the surname means "First People" or "Elite People" in Tamil.
Muthusamy Tamil
Pearl god; Lord Murugan
Naidu Indian, Telugu
Means "chief" in Telugu, ultimately from Sanskrit नाय (naya) meaning "guide, leader" combined with the Telugu masculine suffix డు (du).
Nair Indian, Malayalam
From Nair, the name of a group of Hindu castes concentrated in the Indian state of Kerala. The origin of the word itself is somewhat disputed. Some believe it is derived from nayaka, an honorific meaning "leader of the people", while another theory suggests that is is derived from the Sanskrit नाग (nāgá) "snake, serpent" (a reference to the practice of snake worship)... [more]
Narayanan Indian, Tamil, Malayalam
From the given name Narayanan. A famous bearer was Kocheril Raman Narayanan (1921–2005), the 10th President of India.
Narendra Hindi, Marathi, Telugu, Gujarati
From the given name Narendra.
Nayak Indian, Odia, Gujarati, Hindi, Bengali, Assamese, Kannada, Telugu, Marathi, Konkani, Nepali
From a title derived from Sanskrit नायक (nayaka) meaning "hero, leader".
Nayudu Indian, Telugu
Alternate transcription of Telugu నాయుడు (see Naidu).
Odda Indian, Tamil
It is a Tamil name, denoting agriculture, such as workers and laborers.
Oddai Indian, Tamil
Alternate spelling of Odda.
Oddar Indian, Tamil
Alternate spelling of Odda.
Odde Indian, Telugu
It is a Telugu name, meaning "earthworker".
Oppara Indian, Tamil
It is a Tamil name, denoting an agricultural occupation.
Padaiyachi Indian (Rare), Tamil (Rare)
Variant transcription of Padiachy.
Padiachy Indian, Tamil
It is a Tamil name, denoting a footsoldier of the Palli caste.
Padukone Indian, Kannada (Rare), Konkani (Rare)
From the name of ಕುಂದಾಪುರ (Kundapur), a coastal town in the state of Karnataka in India. This is the surname of Deepika Padukone (1986–), an Indian actress.
Palla Indian, Tamil
Another form of Palli.
Pallan Indian, Tamil
Another form of Palli.
Palle Telugu
This Surname usually belong to Fisherman Sect in Andhra Pradesh State of India
Palli Indian, Tamil
It is a Tamil name, meaning "agricultural laborers".
Pamireddy Indian, Telugu
From the name of the village of Pamidi in Andhra Pradesh, India, combined with Telugu రెడ్డి (reddi) meaning "village headman". The village's name means "snake killer" from Telugu పాము (pamu) meaning "snake, serpent".
Paraiya Indian, Tamil
It is a Tamil name, denoting laborers in agriculture and/or industry. This is a surname belonging to Dalit, or "Untouchables," in the Hindu caste system.
Pathappan Indian (Christian), Malayalam
From the given name Pathappan, used by Malayalam-speaking Saint Thomas Christians.
Pathrose Indian (Christian), Malayalam
Derived from a variant of the given name Peter (chiefly used by Malayalam Christians).
Peeri Indian (Christian), Malayalam
From the given name Peeri, used by Malayalam-speaking Saint Thomas Christians.
Pillai Tamil (Modern, Rare, Archaic), Malayalam
Pillai or Pillay is a surname found among the Malayalam and Tamil-speaking people of India and Sri Lanka... [more]
Pillai Indian, Malayalam, Tamil
Means "child" in Malayalam and Tamil.
Pitta Tamil
Not available.
Radhakrishnan Indian, Tamil, Malayalam
Derived from Sanskrit राधा कृष्ण (rādhā-kṛṣṇa), a combination of Radha and Krishna... [more]
Radzha Indian, Gujarati, Tamil, Hindi, Urdu, Bengali
Alternate transcription of Raja.
Radzhan Indian, Tamil, Malayalam, Bengali, Malaysian
Alternate transcription of Rajan.
Raj Indian, Punjabi, Hindi, Tamil, Malayalam, Telugu, Kannada, Bengali, Odia
Derived from Sanskrit राज (raja) meaning "king".
Rajah Indian, Gujarati, Tamil, Hindi, Urdu, Bengali
Alternate transcription of Raja.
Rajan Indian, Tamil, Malayalam, Bengali, Malaysian
From the title Raja or Raj denoting a South Asian king or prince; mainly used in Southern India.
Rajani Indian, Urdu, Hindi, Marathi, Nepali, Telugu, Tamil, Kannada, Malayalam, Bengali, Malaysian
Meaning unknown, either from the titles Rajan, Raja, or Raj, or from the given name Rajani.
Raju Indian, Telugu, Malayalam, Kannada, Tamil
Variant of Raj chiefly used in Southern India.
Ram Indian, Hindi, Punjabi, Bengali, Telugu, Tamil
Derived from the given name Ram 1.
Ramachandran Tamil, Malayalam
From the given name Ramachandra, a combination of Rama 1 and Chandra.
Ramakrishnan Indian, Tamil
From the given name Ramakrishna. A notable bearer is Tamil-American structural biologist Venkatraman Ramakrishnan (1952-).
Ramamurthy Indian, Tamil
Derived from Sanskrit राम (rāma) meaning "pleasing, pleasant, charming" or "dark, black" (see Rama) combined with मूर्ति (mūrti) meaning "idol, icon".
Ramasamy Tamil
From the name of the Hindu god Rama 1 combined with Tamil சாமி (sami) meaning "chief, master, lord" (ultimately from Sanskrit स्वामिन् (svamin)).
Ramaswami Tamil
Alternate transcription of Tamil ராமசாமி (see Ramasamy).
Ramaswamy Tamil
Alternate transcription of Tamil ராமசாமி (see Ramasamy).
Reddi Indian, Telugu
Alternate transcription of Reddy.
Reddy Indian, Telugu
Derived from Telugu రెడ్డి (reddi) meaning "village headman".
Sastri Indian, Kannada, Telugu
Kannada and Telugu variant of Shastri.
Senthilkumar Tamil
Tamil - ... [more]
Shankar Indian, Hindi, Telugu, Tamil, Kannada
From the given name Shankar.
Shastry Indian, Kannada, Telugu
Kannada and Telugu variant of Shastri.
Shehan Sinhalese, Dhivehi, Tamil
From the given name Shehan.
Shyamalan Indian (Rare), Malayalam (Rare)
Derived from the given name Shyamal or Shyama. This is the surname of Manoj "M... [more]
Simha Indian, Odia, Telugu
Alternate transcription of Sinha.
Srinivasan Indian, Tamil
Tamil variant of Shrinivas.
Subramaniam Tamil
From the given name Subramaniam
Surya Indian, Telugu
From the given name Surya.
Tachuri Telugu
THE GREAT LITTLESTAR SURNAME IS TACHURI
Telaga Indian, Telugu
It is a Telugu name, mostly denoting agricultural laborers.
Thevar Tamil
The Mukkulathor people, who are also collectively known as Thevar, are a community or group of communities native to the central and southern districts of Tamil Nadu, India. They comprise the Agamudayar, Kallar and Maravar communities that share a common myth of origin and claim to have once been members of various ancient South Indian dynasties.
Thondan Tamil, Indian
Tamil for "devotee, votary".
Unnikrishnan Malayalam
Means "Lord Krishna" or "young Krishna", a combination of the title and given name ഉണ്ണി (uṇṇi) meaning "infant boy, young boy" and the name of Krishna, Hindu deity.
Upadhyayula Telugu
Telugu form of Upadhyay.
Uppadathil Malayalam
From Old Malayalam uppadam (sea), lit. "from over the Arabian sea," referring to the descendants of a group of Arab traders who settled in Kerala. Predominantly Muslim, although sizeable sections have branched away and practice Hinduism... [more]
Uppara Indian, Tamil
Another form of Oppara.
Varghese Indian (Christian), Malayalam
From the given name Varghese, used by Malayalam-speaking Saint Thomas Christians.
Varma Indian, Hindi, Marathi, Telugu, Nepali
Derived from Sanskrit वर्मन् (varman) meaning "armour, protection".
Varughese Indian (Christian), Malayalam
From the given name Varughese, used by Malayalam-speaking Saint Thomas Christians.
Velama Indian, Telugu
It is a Telugu name, denoting mainly agricultural laborers.
Vellala Indian, Tamil
It is a Tamil name, denoting agricultural laborers.
Vellalan Indian, Tamil
Alternate spelling of Vellala.
Venkatesh Indian, Telugu, Tamil, Kannada
Means "lord of Venkata", from Venkata, the name of a hill in southern India (see Venkata), combined with Sanskrit ईश (īśa) meaning "lord, master, husband" (see Isha).
Wappara Indian, Tamil
Another form of Oppara.
Wodda Indian, Tamil
Another form of Odda.
Yadav Indian, Hindi, Marathi, Gujarati, Bengali, Telugu, Kannada, Punjabi, Nepali
From Sanskrit यादव (yadava) meaning "descendant of Yadu", Yadu being a legendary king in Hindu mythology who was believed to be an ancestor of Krishna.
Yohanan Assyrian, Indian (Christian), Malayalam, Jewish
From the given name Yohanan, used by Malayalam-speaking Saint Thomas Christians and Cochin Jews.