132 South Indian Baby Names With Meanings

Indian names are as diverse as the country itself. Each caste, religion, family, and community has its own set of naming conventions and customs. In South India, a baby is named after much thought and discussion. The first names in the South Indian community are influenced by the culture, religion, and virtues that parents desire for their children.

The surname convention of South Indians is very different from the naming practices found in other parts of India. In South India, the ancestral town or village or the father’s name is generally used as the last name. Another thing to note is that all the names (ancestral town, village, or father’s name), expect the given name are abbreviated. Also, a person is identified only by his given name. Only in the legal documents, the last name or names are fully expanded.

A South Indian girl takes her father’s surname name at the time of birth. After the wedding, she sheds that to take her husband’s family surname name. But the woman also has a choice of retaining her maiden surname. Have a look at MomJunction's glossary of South Indian baby names with meanings.