Malayalam Baby Names with Meanings
Malayalam names for boys and girls with meanings — Kerala's Hindu, Syrian Christian and Muslim naming traditions, all in one place.
Kerala is one of the few Indian states where Hindu, Christian and Muslim naming are all genuinely mainstream, and Malayalam names reflect that: alongside Sanskrit-rooted Hindu names (Anand, Devika, Aparna) sit Syrian Christian names carried in Malayalam form for centuries (Ouseph for Joseph, Mariyakutty for Mary, Thoma for Thomas) and Mappila Muslim names built on Arabic roots (Ashraf, Suhara, Nafeesa).
Many old Kerala families are matrilineal, particularly among Nairs, and a child's house name (veedu peru) traditionally preceded the given name on formal documents — a pattern still visible in older records even though modern birth certificates usually list the given name alone. Malayalam also has a fondness for short, vowel-ending names that read well in both Malayalam and English: Anu, Amal, Ann, Arjun, Aana.
The list below combines all three traditions as used in Kerala, most common first. Use the finder's tradition filter to keep to Hindu, Christian or Muslim names only.
boy girl unisex — tap a name to see it in the finder with your surname.
Popular malayalam names 12
Boy names 38
- Arjun — bright, shining, white
- Fahad — panther
- Nikhil — complete, whole
- Pranav — the sacred syllable om
- Kannan — Krishna, the beloved
- Manoj — born of the mind, love
- Suresh — ruler of the gods
- Vishnu — the preserver, all-pervading
- Anand — bliss, joy
- Hari — Vishnu, the remover of sins
- Rajeev — blue lotus
- Ajith — invincible
- Dulquer — unique, precious
- Jayan — victorious
- Kichu — little Krishna
- Mohanlal — beloved, charming
- Nandu — joyful
- Nivin — holy, new
- Sooraj — the sun
- Unni — little one, Krishna
- Raju — little king
- Abhi — fearless
- Achu — little one, imperishable
- Appu — little one, darling
- Biju — seed, victorious
- Chandran — the moon
- Dileep — protector
- Gopan — cowherd, Krishna
- Jithin — conqueror
- Midhun — the twins, Gemini
- Sajan — beloved
- Sanoop — good, well-formed
- Sreejith — victory of fortune
- Sreekumar — auspicious prince
- Sreenath — lord of Lakshmi
- Vijeesh — victorious
- Vinayan — modest
- Vineeth — humble, learned
Girl names 36
- Nithya — eternal
- Kavya — poetry
- Lakshmi — goddess of wealth
- Saranya — surrendered, refuge
- Vidhya — knowledge
- Anjana — mother of Hanuman
- Devika — little goddess
- Reshma — silk
- Gauri — fair, goddess Parvati
- Keerthana — devotional song
- Indu — the moon
- Jaya — victory
- Deepthi — brightness
- Gayathri — the sacred hymn
- Vrinda — holy basil, Radha
- Anagha — sinless, pure
- Anupama — incomparable
- Malavika — princess of Malwa
- Manju — pleasant, sweet
- Nandana — delightful
- Radhika — successful, Radha
- Sreeja — born of Lakshmi
- Aiswarya — prosperity
- Ammu — little mother, darling
- Athira — a star, quick
- Haritha — green
- Meenu — fish, precious
- Nayanthara — star of the eyes
- Neethu — good conduct, moral
- Nimmy — sweet, lovely
- Parvathy — daughter of the mountain
- Remya — beautiful
- Sreedevi — goddess Lakshmi
- Sreelakshmi — the goddess of fortune
- Thara — star
- Uthara — a star, the north
Hindu malayalam names 30
- Nithya — eternal
- Arjun — bright, shining, white
- Kavya — poetry
- Lakshmi — goddess of wealth
- Nikhil — complete, whole
- Pranav — the sacred syllable om
- Saranya — surrendered, refuge
- Vidhya — knowledge
- Anjana — mother of Hanuman
- Devika — little goddess
- Kannan — Krishna, the beloved
- Kiran — ray of light
- Manoj — born of the mind, love
- Reshma — silk
- Suresh — ruler of the gods
- Surya — the sun god
- Gauri — fair, goddess Parvati
- Keerthana — devotional song
- Vishnu — the preserver, all-pervading
- Anand — bliss, joy
- Indu — the moon
- Jaya — victory
- Arya — noble, goddess Parvati
- Deepthi — brightness
- Gayathri — the sacred hymn
- Hari — Vishnu, the remover of sins
- Vrinda — holy basil, Radha
- Anagha — sinless, pure
- Anupama — incomparable
- Devu — little goddess
Modern picks 12
Classic picks 26
- Kiran — ray of light
- Manoj — born of the mind, love
- Reshma — silk
- Suresh — ruler of the gods
- Surya — the sun god
- Arya — noble, goddess Parvati
- Deepthi — brightness
- Anagha — sinless, pure
- Anupama — incomparable
- Devu — little goddess
- Manju — pleasant, sweet
- Nandana — delightful
- Aiswarya — prosperity
- Athira — a star, quick
- Mohanlal — beloved, charming
- Nayanthara — star of the eyes
- Neethu — good conduct, moral
- Remya — beautiful
- Uthara — a star, the north
- Raju — little king
- Biju — seed, victorious
- Midhun — the twins, Gemini
- Sanoop — good, well-formed
- Sreekumar — auspicious prince
- Vinayan — modest
- Vineeth — humble, learned
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Meanings and origins are compiled from common references and are approximate. Many names carry several meanings across traditions — please confirm with family or a native speaker before deciding. Updated 2026-09-20.