Pillai or Pillay is a surname found among the Malayalam and Tamil-speaking people of India and Sri Lanka.
Origin
According to epigraphic records, Pillai is an ancient title that was used as a suffix that goes back to the Tamil Sangam Era and was given to junior members of the royal family.[1] Originally a title meaning "royal child", it came to be given to administrators of temples; often holding large estates on behalf of the latter.[2]
Early English records also address these hereditary ruling chiefs as the princes of Kerala ranking below the monarch. The most well known are the Pillais of the Eight Noble Houses, the Ettuveettil Pillamar of Travancore.[3][page needed]
Tamil inscriptions define the direct meaning of Pillai as "Child of King" (prince), denoting nobility.[4] The title occur both as a single name or as a suffix to the name. This title has been in traditional use by the communities such as the Nairs and the Vellalars also some Brahmins[5][6][7]
People
Notable people with this surname or its variants include:
Ashan Pillai (born in Sri Lanka, 1969), British violist and academic
Gooty Kesava Pillai (1860–1933), Indian journalist and freedom-fighter. Delegate from Anantapur, Andhra Pradesh at the first session of the Indian National Congress.
^See inscription at Kannankara temple, Trivandrum District. Quoted as Inscription 9/60 in P. Sundaram Pillai's Some Early Sovereigns of Travancore. Page 40-41 He makes the observation that they were in his opinion not men in the royal service.
^Mark de Lannoy,Kulasekhara Perumals of Travancore, Page 202
^More, Lena (2003). English East India Company and the local rulers in Kerala. ISBN8188432040.
^Sircar, Dineschandra (1966). Indian Epigraphical Dictionary. p. 166. ISBN9788120805620.
^ Pandian, Jacob (1987). Caste, Nationalism and Ethnicity: An Interpretation of Tamil Cultural History and Social Order. Popular Prakashan. p. 110. ISBN9780861321360.
^University, Vijaya Ramaswamy, Jawaharlal Nehru (2017-08-25). Historical Dictionary of the Tamils. Rowman & Littlefield. p. 268. ISBN9781538106860.
^Pfister, Raymond (1995). Soixante ans de pentecôtisme en Alsace (1930-1990): une approche socio-historique. P. Lang. p. 166. ISBN9783631486207.
This page lists people with the surnamePillai. If an internal link intending to refer to a specific person led you to this page, you may wish to change that link by adding the person's given name(s) to the link.
January 04, 2023
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For the title see Pillai Kerala title Pillai or Pillay is a surname found among the Malayalam and Tamil speaking people of India and Sri Lanka Origin EditAccording to epigraphic records Pillai is an ancient title that was used as a suffix that goes back to the Tamil Sangam Era and was given to junior members of the royal family 1 Originally a title meaning royal child it came to be given to administrators of temples often holding large estates on behalf of the latter 2 Early English records also address these hereditary ruling chiefs as the princes of Kerala ranking below the monarch The most well known are the Pillais of the Eight Noble Houses the Ettuveettil Pillamar of Travancore 3 page needed Tamil inscriptions define the direct meaning of Pillai as Child of King prince denoting nobility 4 The title occur both as a single name or as a suffix to the name This title has been in traditional use by the communities such as the Nairs and the Vellalars also some Brahmins 5 6 7 People EditNotable people with this surname or its variants include Ashan Pillai born in Sri Lanka 1969 British violist and academic A R Pillai 1879 1938 Indian freedom fighter Anton Sebastianpillai 1944 5 2020 author and consultant geriatrician Ananda Ranga Pillai 1709 1761 dubash in the service of French East India Company Ariranga Pillay born 1945 former Chief Justice and briefly Acting President of Mauritius Arumuka Navalar born as Kandarpillai Arumugapillai a Sri Lankan Hindu reformer Bastiampillai Anthonipillai Thomas 1886 1964 Sri Lankan Tamil priest and founder of Rosarians Order Bastiampillai Deogupillai 1917 2003 Sri Lankan Tamil Roman Catholic bishop B Ravi Pillai born 1953 Indian entrepreneur C W Thamotharampillai 1832 1901 publisher of ancient Tamil texts Candice Pillay born 1981 singer and songwriter Changampuzha Krishna Pillai Malayalam poet Chempakaraman Pillai 1891 1934 freedom fighter from Travancore of Tamil descent Chinna Migapillai 17th century feudal lord and rebel leader from the Jaffna Kingdom Devasahayam Pillai 1712 1752 Indian court official controversial convert to Christianity Dhanraj Pillay born 1968 Indian hockey player G P Pillai 1864 1903 barrister established the first English newspaper in South India G Parameswaran Pillai 1890 1963 Dewan of Travancore Gerald Pillay born 1953 South African theologian and ecclesiastical historian Vice Chancellor and Rector of Liverpool Hope University Gooty Kesava Pillai 1860 1933 Indian journalist and freedom fighter Delegate from Anantapur Andhra Pradesh at the first session of the Indian National Congress Jerry Pillay born 1965 South African Reformed pastor theologian and General Secretary of the World Council of Churches K C Pillai 1900 1970 Bishop at large of the Indian Orthodox Church Antiochean Succession Chennai Madras India K Appavu Pillai 1911 1973 Indian politician K C Sreedharan Pillai 1920 1985 Indian mathematician K Perumal Pillai Indian politician K Thamboosamy Pillay 1850 1902 a prominent member of the Tamil community in British Malaya Kavimani Desigavinayagam Pillai 1876 1954 Indian freedom fighter poet L D Swamikannu Pillai 1865 1925 Indian astronomer Speaker of Tamil Nadu Assembly M M Pareed Pillay former Chief Justice of Kerala M P Narayana Pillai 1939 1998 Malayalam writer M K Mackar Pillay 1880 1966 Indian industrialist and politician Manonmaniam Sundaram Pillai 1855 1897 eminent writer in Tamil literature his poem Niraarum Kadal Udutha is the official Tamil Anthem Maraimalai Adigal Nagai Vedachalam Pillai 1876 1950 eminent Tamil orator and writer started Pure Tamil movement Tanittamil Iyakkam Marimutthu Pillai 1712 1787 musician Maruthanayagam Pillai 1725 1764 Indian soldier and administrator also known as Muhammed Yusuf Khan Murali Pillai Singaporean politician of Indian descent Nadakkal Parameswaran Pillai born 1931 leader of Indian Coffee House movement Naraina Pillai social entrepreneur and businessman Navanethem Pillay born 1941 South African judge UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Nisha Pillai Indian born journalist and BBC news anchor P Govinda Pillai 1926 2012 Communist Party of India leader P K Narayana Pillai scholar of Sanskrit and Malayalam literature Palani Subramaniam Pillai 1908 1962 Carnatic music percussionist Paravoor T K Narayana Pillai 1890 1971 Indian freedom fighter Pattom A Thanu Pillai 1885 1970 Second Chief Minister of unified Kerala Communist leader Periyapillai 16th century king of the Jaffna Kingdom Pradani Muthirulappa Pillai 18th century minister of Ramnad during the reign of Muthuramalinga Sethupathy Prem Nath Pillai born 1982 Malaysia based filmmaker and editor R Balakrishna Pillai 1935 2021 State minister in Kerala Rajmohan Pillai born 1964 Indian businessman Rhea Pillai Indian model Simone Ashwini Pillai British Actress of Tamil native Sreekanteswaram Padmanabha Pillai 1864 1946 lexicographer Subbayya Sivasankaranarayana Pillai 1901 1950 Indian mathematician Swadeshabhimani Ramakrishna Pillai 1878 1916 journalist and political activist Translated Karl Marx s biography into Malayalam T S Ramasamy Pillai 1918 2006 Freedom fighter politician and former Member of the Legislative Assembly India Thakazhi Sivasankara Pillai 1912 1999 Malayalam author Trevin Callistus Bastiampillai born 1985 Sri Lankan Canadian cricketer Vella Pillay 1923 2004 South African economist and political activist V N Rajasekharan Pillai born 1949 current Vice Chancellor of Indira Gandhi National Open University IGNOU V O Chidambaram Pillai 1872 1936 Indian freedom fighter popularly known as V O C and as Kappalottiya Tamilan Venkatarama Ramalingam Pillai Namakkal Kavignar Ramalingam Pillai 1888 1972 poet and freedom fighterReferences Edit See inscription at Kannankara temple Trivandrum District Quoted as Inscription 9 60 in P Sundaram Pillai s Some Early Sovereigns of Travancore Page 40 41 He makes the observation that they were in his opinion not men in the royal service Mark de Lannoy Kulasekhara Perumals of Travancore Page 202 More Lena 2003 English East India Company and the local rulers in Kerala ISBN 8188432040 Sircar Dineschandra 1966 Indian Epigraphical Dictionary p 166 ISBN 9788120805620 Pandian Jacob 1987 Caste Nationalism and Ethnicity An Interpretation of Tamil Cultural History and Social Order Popular Prakashan p 110 ISBN 9780861321360 University Vijaya Ramaswamy Jawaharlal Nehru 2017 08 25 Historical Dictionary of the Tamils Rowman amp Littlefield p 268 ISBN 9781538106860 Pfister Raymond 1995 Soixante ans de pentecotisme en Alsace 1930 1990 une approche socio historique P Lang p 166 ISBN 9783631486207 This page lists people with the surname Pillai If an internal link intending to refer to a specific person led you to this page you may wish to change that link by adding the person s given name s to the link Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Pillai surname amp oldid 1129240520, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
