Kerala (Ker)
Mal: കേരളം keralam
‘Land of Coconut Trees ’.
From Mal: kēram/chēra, coconut; and Mal: aḷam, coastal area.
Kerala grows 45% of India’s coconuts (7.5 billion of them) and manufactures a wide range of coconut products from oil, milk and honey to ropes, mats and spoons.
Other suggestions are that the name comes from:
(1) ‘Land of ‘Cheras’ –the Chera dynasty ruled most of Kerala from the 1st-5thC. Many dispute this on the grounds that the name pre-dates the dynasty or (2) ‘Land added on’ –from Tam/Mal: cēr/cēruka, ‘join’, ‘attach’, ‘add’.
According to Hindu mythology, parts of Kerala were created by Lord Parasurama, who reclaimed the land from the sea: ‘the land added on’.
Kerala Tourism describes Kerala as ‘God’s Own Country’ and it’s true that Kerala has a lot to be thankful for: beaches, backwaters, elephants, coconuts, a high literacy rate (93% compared to a national average of 74%), a female-to-male ratio of 1.084 (indicating impressive gender equality), 100% primary school enrolment, and the lowest infant mortality in India.

Adoor (Ker)
Mal: അടൂർ aṭūr ‘Valley Town’ City, Kerala. Mal: aṭi, ‘foot’, ‘bottom’,...
Alappuzha (Ker)
Mal: ആലപ്പുഴ ālappuḻa ‘Broad River’ [Alleppey] City/District, Kerala. From...
Aluva (Ker)
Mal: ആലുവ āluva. ‘River Mouth’ [Alwaye] City/Dictrict, Kerala. From Mal: āl,...
Anchal (Ker)
Mal: അഞ്ചൽ añcal 'Stopover' Town, Kerala From Mal/Tam: añcal, ‘relay’,...
Angamaly (Ker)
Mal: അങ്കമാലി aṅkamāli ‘Trading Port’ [Angadikadavu] Town, Kerala From...
Aranmula (Ker)
Mal: ആറന്മുള āṟanmuḷa ‘Six Bamboo (Boat)’ Town, Kerala From Mal: aṟu, ‘six’;...
Attingal (Ker)
Mal: ആറ്റിങ്ങൽ ā(tt)ṟṟiṅ(g)al 'Attingal Queens' Town, Kerala Marumakkathayam...
Aymanam (Ker)
Mal: അയ്മനം aymanaṁ 'Five Forests' Village, Kerala From Mal: ai(y)m 'five'...
Beypore (Ker)
Mal: ബേപ്പൂർ bēppūr ‘Estuary Town’ [Vaypura, Vadaparappanad, Sultan...
Chalakudy (Ker)
Mal: ചാലക്കുടി c(h)ālakkuṭi ‘Prosperous Settlement’ Town, Kerala From...
Changanassery (Ker)
Mal: ചങ്ങനാശ്ശേരി c(h)aṅ(g)anāśśēri ‘Sengan’s Town’ Town, Kerala From...
Chavakkad (Ker)
Mal: ചാവക്കാട് c(h)āvakkāṭ ‘Dead Forest’ [Chowghat] Town, Kerala From...
Cherthala (Ker)
Mal: ചേര്ത്തല c(h)ērttala ‘Joined Land’ Town, Kerala From Tam/Mal:...
Ernakulam (Ker)
Mal: എറണാകുളം eṟaṇākuḷaṁ 'Shiva's Tank' City/District, Kerala From...
Ezhikkara (Ker)
Mal: ഏഴിക്കര ēḻikkara 'Riverside' Village, Kerala From Mal: aḻi, 'river...
Haripad (Ker)
Mal: ഹരിപ്പാട് harippāṭ ‘Green Ricefields’ Town, Kerala. From Mal: hari...
Idukki (Ker)
Mal: ഇടുക്കി iṭukki ‘Gorge’ District, Kerala From Mal: iṭukku/iḍukkụ, ‘narrow...
Kadakkarappally (Mal)
Mal: കടക്കരപ്പള്ളി kaṭakkarappaḷḷi 'Seashore Church' From Mal: kaṭal/kaḍal,...
Kaduthuruthy (Ker)
Mal: കടുത്തുരുത്തി kaṭutturutti 'Sea Island' Town, Kerala From Mal: ...
Kalamassery (Ker)
Mal:കളമശ്ശേരി kaḷamaśśēri ‘Rice Settlement’ Suburb/Region (Kochi), Kerala...
Kalpetta (Ker)
Mal: കൽപറ്റ kalpaṟṟa 'Rocky Place’ [Kalpaṟṟa] Town, Kerala From Mal: kal,...
Kanhangad (Ker)
Mal: കാഞ്ഞങ്ങാട് kāññaṅṅāṭ ‘Strychnine Forest’ Town, Kerala. From Mal: ...
Kanjirangad (Ker)
Mal:കാഞ്ഞിരങ്ങാട് kāññiraṅṅāṭ ‘Strychnine Village’ Village, Kerala From...
Kannur (Ker)
Mal: കണ്ണൂര് kaṇṇūr ‘Bamboo Town’ [Cannanore] City/District, Kerala From...
Karunagappalli (Ker)
Mal: കരുനാഗപ്പള്ളി karunāgappaḷḷi. ‘Cobra Village’ Town, Kerala. From Mal:...
Kasaragod (Ker)
Mal: കാസർഗോഡ് kāsargōḍ ‘Backwater Lake’ [Kanhirakode] Town/District, Kerala...
Kattapana (Ker)
Mal: കട്ടപ്പന kaṭṭappana ‘Palm Trees’ Town, Kerala From Mal: kaṭṭa,...
Kayamkulam (Ker)
Mal: കായംകുളം kāyaṅkuḷaṁ ‘Backwater Lake’ Town, Kerala From Mal: kāyal,...
Kochi/Cochin (Ker)
Mal: കൊച്ചി kōccī ‘Short Estuary’ [Kochchi, Cochym, Cochin] ...
Kodungallur (Ker)
Mal: കൊടുങ്ങല്ലൂര് koṭuṅṅallūr ‘Corner Town’ [Cranganore, Muziris] ...
Kollam – Quilon (Ker)
Mal: കൊല്ലം kollam ‘Palace’ [Quilon, Covlaõ] City/District, Kerala From Mal:...
Kottarakara (Ker)
Mal: കൊട്ടാരക്കര koṭṭārakkarā ‘Palace Shore’ Town, Kerala From Mal::...
Kottayam (Ker)
Mal: കോട്ടയം kōṭṭayam ‘Interior of the Fort’ City/District, Kerala From Mal:...
Kovalam (Ker)
Mal: കോവളം kōvaḷam 'King's Coast' Town/Resort, Kerala From Mal: kō,...
Koyilandy (Ker)
Mal: കൊയിലാണ്ടി kōyilāṇṭi ‘Temple Passage’ [Pandalayani Kollam, Fandaraina,...
Kozhikode/Calicut (Ker)
Mal: കോഴിക്കോട് kōḻikkōṭu ‘Palace Fort’ [Qalicut, Calicut] City/District, ...
Kunnamkulam (Ker)
Mal: കുന്നംകുളം kunnamkulam ‘Hill Ponds’ Town, Kerala Mal: kunnu/kunnam,...
Malappuram (Ker)
Mal: മലപ്പുറം malappuram ‘City in the Hills’ City/District, Kerala From Mal:...
Mananthavady (Ker)
Mal: മാനന്തവാടി mānanthavādi ‘Great Bliss Village’ Town, Kerala From Skt:...
Manjeri (Ker)
Mal: മഞ്ചേരി manjeri ‘Walled Settlement’ Town, Kerala From Mal: maṇ,...
Manjeshwar (Ker)
Mal: മഞ്ചേശ്വരം manjeshvaram ‘Srimad Anantheswar’ Town, Kerala The most...
Mannarsala Temple (Ker)
Mal: മണ്ണാറശ്ശാല mannaraśśāla 'Coral Tree Hall' Temple, Kerala From Mal:...
Maradu (Ker)
Mal: മരട് marat ‘Indian Laurel’ Suburb (Kochi), Kerala From Mal/Tam:...
Mattanur/Mattannur (Ker)
Mal: മട്ടന്നൂര് maṭṭaṉūr ‘River Bank’ Town, Kerala From Mal: māṭṭam,...
Mavelikara (Ker)
Mal: മാവേലിക്കര māvēlikkara ‘Mahabali Bank’ Town, Kerala From...
Munnar (Ker)
Mal: മൂന്നാര് mūṇṇāṟ ‘Three Rivers’ Town/Hill Station, Kerala From Mal:...
Muvattupuzha (Ker)
Mal: മുവാറ്റുപുഴ mūvāṭṭupuḻā ‘Three River Confluence’ Town, Kerala From Mal:...
Nedumangad (Ker)
Mal: നെടുമങ്ങാട് neṭumaṅkāṭ ‘Long Bazaar’ Town, Kerala From Mal: neṭu, ‘long’...
Neyyattinkara (Ker)
Mal: നെയ്യാറ്റിൻകര neyyāṭiṉkara ‘Shore of Neyyar River’ Town, Kerala From...
Nileshwaram/Nileshwar/Neeleswaram (Ker)
Mal: നിലേശ്വർ nīlēṣvar ‘Nilakanta Shiva’ Town, Kerala Neeleswaram is the...
Ottappalam (Ker)
Mal: ഒറ്റപ്പാലം oṟṟappālaṁ ‘Single Bridge’ Town, Kerala From Mal: oṟṟa,...
Palakkad (Ker)
Mal: പാലക്കാട് pālakkāṭ ‘Blackboard Tree Wood’ [Palghat, Palakkattussery] ...
Pandalam (Ker)
Mal: പന്തളം pantaḷaṁ 'Pandalam (Dynasty)’ Town, Kerala The Pandalam...
Paravur (Ker)
Mal: പരവൂർ paravūr 'Paravar Village' Town, Kerala From Paravar and Mal: ūr,...
Pathanamthitta (Ker)
Mal: പത്തനംതിട്ട pattanantiṭṭa ‘Riverside Dwelling’ Town/District, Kerala...
Perinthalmanna (Ker)
Mal: പെരിന്തല്മണ്ണ perintalmaṇṇa ‘Great Wrestling Ground’ Town, Kerala...
Ponnani (Ker)
Mal: പൊന്നാനി ponnāni ‘Gold Coin’ Town/Taluk, Kerala From Mal: pon, ‘gold’;...
Punalur (Ker)
Mal: പുനലൂർ punalūr 'Riverbridge' Town, Kerala From Mal: puṇal, ‘water’,...
Ramanattukara (Ker)
Mal: രാമനാട്ടുകര rāmanāṭṭukara ‘Rama’s Riverbank’ Town, Kerala From Rama, the...
Sultan Bathery (Ker)
Mal: സുൽത്താൻ ബത്തേരി sulttān battēri ‘Tipu Sultan's Battery’...
Taliparamba (Ker)
Mal: തളിപ്പറമ്പ് taḷippaṟamp ‘Temple Ground’ Town, Kerala From Mal: taḷi,...
Thalassery (Ker)
‘Upper Village’ Town, Kerala From Mal: tala, ‘head’, 'top'; and c(h)ēri,...
Thekaddy (Ker)
Mal: തേക്കടി tēkkaṭi ‘Teak Forest’ Town, Kerala From Mal: tēkku, ‘teak’...
Thirurangadi (Ker)
Mal: തിരുരങ്ങാടി tiruraṅ(k)āṭi ‘Great Market’ [Tiruwarankad] Town, Kerala...
Thiruvalla (Ker)
Mal: തിരുവല്ല tiruvalla 'Sri Vallabha' Town, Kerala From Sri Vallabha and...
Thiruvananthapuram (Ker)
Mal:തിരുവനന്തപുരം tiruvanantapuraṁ ‘City of Lord Anantha’ [Trivandrum]...
Thodupuzha (Ker)
Mal: തൊടുപുഴ toṭupuḻā 'Stream River' Town, Kerala From Mal: tōṭu,...
Thrikkakkara (Ker)
Mal: തൃക്കാക്കര trikkākkara ‘Land of the Holy Foot’ Town, Kerala From...
Thrissur (Ker)
Mal: തൃശ്ശൂര് tr̥śśūr ‘City of Shiva’ [Trichur] City/District, Kerala From...
Tirur (Ker)
Mal: തിരൂര് tirūr ‘Prosperous Town’ Town, Kerala From Mal: tiru ‘eminent’,...
Travancore (Ker)
Historic Kingdom and Region, Kerala Tiruvalumkotu→tiruvitamkotu. From Tam:...
Uppala (Ker)
Mal: ഉപ്പള uppaḷa 'Saltpan' Town, Kerala From Mal: uppu/uppaḷam,...
Vaikom (Ker)
Mal: വൈക്കം vaikkaṁ 'Deposits' Town, Kerala From Mal: vaikkam, 'deposits',...
Varkala (Ker)
Mal: വർക്കല varkkala 'Line of Rocks' Town, Kerala From Mal: vara, ‘line’,...
Vatakara/Vadakara (Ker)
Mal: വടകര vaṭakara ‘North Bank’ [Badagara] Town, Kerala From Mal: vaḍa,...
Vechur/Vechoor (Ker)
Mal: വെച്ചൂർ veccūr 'Alluvial Village' Village, Kerala From Mal:...
Wayanad (Ker)
Mal: വയനാട് vayanāṭ ‘Ricefield Country’ District, Kerala From Mal: vayal,...