117 South Indian Baby Names From The Indian Peninsula

South India comprises five states, all with different languages and cultures. However, baby names in all the states are deeply rooted in their respective culture and religion. Naming customs vary, with particular surnames depicting their regional heritage in one state, while family names play a significant role in another (1).

Names in Southern India, specifically among the Tamil, Malayali, and Kannada-speaking communities, typically follow a specific structure. They usually consist of 'place of origin + father's personal name + personal name + jati/community name.' However, in the Telugu-speaking community, there is a different pattern observed, where names are formed as 'family name + personal name + jati name.' (3)

Arya is a gender-neutral name in South India that means 'noble.' Kiran is another unisex name that means 'dust,' thread,' or 'sunbeam.' Vijaya means 'victory' and is a popular South Indian name.

The Dravidian and Sanskrit languages strongly influence South Indian baby names. For Hindus, most names are drawn from the Hindu mythology. Names will mostly be inspired by Gods and Goddesses. Names would also be based or inspired by nature and concepts like love, success, wisdom, and truth.

South Indian baby names differ from other parts of India because they contain four names in this order; place of origin, father's name, given name, and caste name. While baby names in North India mostly have three names (1).

South Indian names generally do not follow the concept of using surnames or last names. Still, with the British colonization, South Indians were subjected to a naming system that was in tune with the British naming system (4).

In India, surnames are sometimes written before personal or given names to indicate a person's place of origin, caste, trades, or prominent positions of their ancestors (2).