Choosing a name for your boy in Kerala? Families here use Malayalam names, sometimes with names from other languages and communities. Below are names that keep appearing in recent Indian and regional name lists, with meanings. They are suggestions and not an official ranking, because India publishes no single list of names by state.
Hindu names in fashion
- Adwaith: non-dual
- Devan: divine
- Nandan: joy, a son
- Kannan: Krishna
- Gokul: Krishna's home
- Anirudh: unobstructed
- Hari: Vishnu
- Abhinav: new
Christian families
- Aaron: exalted
- Ethan: strong
- Joel: the Lord is God
- Jacob: supplanter
- Thomas: twin
- Mathew: gift of God
Muslim families
- Muhammed: praised
- Rayyan: a gate of paradise
- Zayan: grace
- Yusuf: God increases
- Ibrahim: father of many
Naming traditions in Kerala
Kerala has large Hindu, Christian and Muslim communities and each has its own naming habits. Many families add the house name or father's initial before the given name.
Before you choose
- Say the name aloud with the surname, and check the initials.
- Ask an elder, a priest or a language speaker to confirm the meaning, because meanings vary by source and community.
- Choose one spelling and use it on every document, from the birth certificate to Aadhaar.
- Check how the name sounds and reads in other languages, if your family may move.
More: Girl names in Kerala, trending boy names across India, baby names for every state and how to choose a baby name.
Related guides and nearby states
Names in nearby states: Tamil Nadu boy names, Karnataka boy names, Andhra Pradesh boy names, Telangana boy names, Goa boy names. Or see baby names for every state, how to choose a baby name, and pregnancy week by week.