Tamil parents often choose a pure Tamil name, a name of Lord Murugan, or the name of a great Chola or Pandya king. Here are Tamil baby boy names with their meanings and Tamil spellings, from thani Tamil names to temple names and modern favourites.
1. Pure Tamil (Thani Tamil) Names
Names made from Tamil words rather than Sanskrit ones.
Names For Boys
| Name | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Ilango | Young prince; Ilango Adigal wrote the epic Silappatikaram (இளங்கோ) |
| Kathir | A ray of light (கதிர்) |
| Mugilan | Of the clouds (முகிலன்) |
| Nilavan | Like the moon (நிலவன்) |
| Amudhan | Sweet as nectar (அமுதன்) |
| Ezhil | Beauty (எழில்) |
| Iniyan | Sweet-natured, pleasant (இனியன்) |
| Tamizhselvan | Treasure of Tamil (தமிழ்செல்வன்) |
2. Names of Lord Murugan
Murugan is the god of the Tamil land, and his names are among the most loved for boys.
Names For Boys
| Name | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Murugan | The beautiful one; the Tamil god of the hills (முருகன்) |
| Karthikeyan | Raised by the six Krittika stars (கார்த்திகேயன்) |
| Senthil | Murugan of Tiruchendur (செந்தில்) |
| Saravanan | Born in the Saravana pond (சரவணன்) |
| Kumaran | The youthful one (குமரன்) |
| Shanmugam | The six-faced one (சண்முகம்) |
| Vetrivel | Murugan's victorious spear (வெற்றிவேல்) |
| Velan | One who holds the vel, Murugan's spear (வேலன்) |
3. Names of Tamil Kings
Names and titles of the Chera, Chola and Pandya dynasties.
Names For Boys
| Name | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Rajarajan | King of kings; the great Chola emperor who built the Thanjavur temple (ராஜராஜன்) |
| Karikalan | Karikala Chola, the early Chola king who built the Kallanai dam (கரிகாலன்) |
| Valavan | A title of the Chola kings (வளவன்) |
| Maran | A title of the Pandya kings (மாறன்) |
| Pandian | Of the Pandya dynasty of Madurai (பாண்டியன்) |
| Cheran | Of the Chera dynasty (சேரன்) |
4. Names from Tamil Temples
Names of Shiva and Vishnu as they are worshipped in the great temples of Tamil Nadu.
Names For Boys
| Name | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Natarajan | Lord of dance; Shiva at Chidambaram (நடராஜன்) |
| Arunachalam | The sacred red hill of Tiruvannamalai, a form of Shiva (அருணாசலம்) |
| Ranganathan | Lord Vishnu of Srirangam (ரங்கநாதன்) |
| Sundaram | Beautiful; from Sundareswarar, Shiva of Madurai (சுந்தரம்) |
| Thyagarajan | Shiva of Tiruvarur; also the composer Tyagaraja (தியாகராஜன்) |
5. Modern Tamil Boy Names
Short names popular with Tamil parents today.
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