Pillai or Pillay is a surname found among the Malayalam and Tamil-speaking people of India and

Sri Lanka Sri Lanka (, ; si, ශ්‍රී ලංකා, Śrī Laṅkā, translit-std=ISO (); ta, இலங்கை, Ilaṅkai, translit-std=ISO ()), formerly known as Ceylon and officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, is an ...

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. Originally a title meaning "royal child", it came to be given to administrators of temples; often holding large estates on behalf of the latter.Mark de Lannoy,Kulasekhara Perumals of Travancore, Page 202 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 The Ettuveetil Pillamar (Lords of the Eight Houses) were nobles from eight ruling Houses in erstwhile Travancore in present-day Kerala state, South India. They were associated with the Padmanabhaswamy temple in Thiruvananthapuram and the Ettara ...

of Travancore. Tamil inscriptions define the direct meaning of Pillai as "Child of King" (prince), denoting nobility. The title occur both as a single name or as a

suffix In linguistics, a suffix is an affix which is placed after the stem of a word. Common examples are case endings, which indicate the grammatical case of nouns, adjectives, and verb endings, which form the conjugation of verbs. Suffixes can carry ...

to the name. This title has been in traditional use by the communities such as the Nairs and the

Vellalars Vellalar is a generic Tamil term used primarily to refer to various castes who traditionally pursued agriculture as a profession in the Indian states of Tamil Nadu, Kerala and northeastern parts of Sri Lanka. The Vellalar are members of several ...

also some Brahmins

People

Notable people with this surname or its variants include: * Ashan Pillai (born in Sri Lanka, 1969), British violist and academic *

A. R. Pillai Ayyappan Pillai Raman Pillai (26 December 1879–7 September 1938), also known as A. Raman Pillai or A. R. Pillai, was an Indian expatriate who worked for India's freedom in Germany, journalist, writer and a book publisher in Göttingen in Ger ...

(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 Ariranga Govindasamy Pillay (Tamil: ''அரி ரங்க கோவிந்தசாமி பிள்ளை''; born 14 June 1945) was the chief justice of Mauritius from 1996 until 2007, when he was succeeded by Y. K. J. Yeung Sik Yuen. ...

(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 Sri Lankan Tamils ( or ), also known as Ceylon Tamils or Eelam Tamils, are Tamils native to the South Asian island state of Sri Lanka. Today, they constitute a majority in the Northern Province, live in significant numbers in the Eastern Pr ...

priest and founder of Rosarians Order *

Bastiampillai Deogupillai Right Reverend Jacob Bastiampillai Deogupillai (9 April 1917 – 25 April 2003) was a Ceylon Tamil priest and Roman Catholic Bishop of Jaffna. Early life and family Deogupillai was born on 9 April 1917 in Karampon on the island of Velanaitiv ...

(1917–2003),

Roman Catholic bishop * B. Ravi Pillai (born 1953), Indian entrepreneur *

C. W. Thamotharampillai Cirupitty Wyravanathar Thamotharampillai (Pillai) ( ta, சி. வை. தாமோதரம்பிள்ளை; 12 September 1832 – 1 January 1901)), sometimes referred to by the initials as C. Y., devoted his energies to the work of editing ...

(1832–1901), publisher of ancient Tamil texts * Candice Pillay (born 1981), singer and songwriter *

Changampuzha Krishna Pillai Changampuzha Krishna Pillai (Malayalam: ചങ്ങമ്പുഴ കൃഷ്ണപിള്ള; 10 October 1911 – 17 June 1948) was a celebrated Malayalam poet from Kerala, India, known for his elegy ''Ramanan'' (Malayalam: രമണന ...

, 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 The Jaffna Kingdom ( ta, யாழ்ப்பாண அரசு, si, යාපනය රාජධානිය; 1215–1624 CE), also known as Kingdom of Aryachakravarti, was a historical kingdom of what today is northern Sri Lanka. It came i ...

* Devasahayam Pillai (1712–1752), Indian court official, controversial convert to Christianity * Dhanraj Pillay (born 1968), Indian hockey player *

G. P. Pillai Govindan Parameswaran Pillai (2 February 1864–21 May 1903), also known as Barrister G. P. Pillai, was a freedom fighter, social reformer, barrister, journalist, and publisher. He established the first English language newspaper in South Ind ...

(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 Diwan Bahadur Pattu Kesava Pillai (8 October 1860 – 28 March 1933) was an Indian journalist, politician and activist of the Indian Independence movement. Early life Pattu Kesava Pillai was born in a Vellalar family of Pattu in North A ...

(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 K. Appavu Pillai (born 15 April 1911) is an Indian politician and former Member of the State Legislature (India), Member of the Legislative Assembly of Hosur. K. Appavu Pillai, popularly known as K.A.P, was an idealist and farsighted visionar ...

(1911–1973), Indian politician *

K. C. Sreedharan Pillai K C Sreedharan Pillai (1920–1985) was an Demographics of India, Indian statistician who was known for his works on multivariate analysis and probability distributions. Pillai studied at the University of Travancore in Trivandrum. He graduat ...

(1920–1985), Indian mathematician *

K. Perumal Pillai K. Perumal Pillai was an Indian politician and former Member of the Legislative Assembly. He was elected to the Tamil Nadu legislative assembly as an Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam candidate from Kanyakumari constituency in Kanyakumari district ...

, Indian politician *

K. Thamboosamy Pillay K. Thamboosamy Pillay (Tamil: தம்புசாமி பிள்ளை) was a prominent Malaysian of Tamil origin during the pre-independence years. He was considered the leader of the Tamil community. He was a wealthy businessman, tin miner ...

(1850–1902), a prominent member of the Tamil community in

British Malaya The term "British Malaya" (; ms, Tanah Melayu British) loosely describes a set of states on the Malay Peninsula and the island of Singapore that were brought under British hegemony or control between the late 18th and the mid-20th century. U ...

* Kavimani Desigavinayagam Pillai (1876–1954), Indian freedom fighter, poet *

L. D. Swamikannu Pillai Diwan Bahadur Lewis Dominic Swamikannu Pillai CIE, ISO (b. 11 February 1865 - d. 10 September 1925) was an Indian politician, historian, linguist, astronomer and administrator who served as the second President of the Madras Legislative Counci ...

(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 Manadath Kunju Mackar Pillay (1880 – 1966) was an Indian industrialist, banker, philanthropist, and politician who served in the Sree Moolam Popular Assembly. He was a leading cashew and lemongrass exporter, and founder of the eponymous Mac ...

(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 Maruthanayagam Pillai (1725 – 15 October 1764), was the commandant of the British East India Company's Madras Army . He was born in a Tamil Vellalar family in a village called Panaiyur in British India, what is now in Nainarkoil Taluk, Raman ...

* Murali Pillai, Singaporean politician of Indian descent * Nadakkal Parameswaran Pillai (born 1931), leader of Indian Coffee House movement *

Naraina Pillai Narayana Pillai was a social entrepreneur and businessman, who spent most of his life in Singapore during the colonial period. Of Tamil origins, he greatly contributed to the Tamil community in Singapore. Prior to 1819, Pillai (also spelled Nar ...

, 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 P. Govinda Pillai (23 May 1926 – 22 November 2012) was a veteran Communist Party of India (Marxist) leader and ideologue from Kerala, India, and former editing, Chief Editor of Deshabhimani. Biography Pillai was born on 23 May 1926 in ...

(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 Paravoor Thazhathuveettil Krishnan Kartha Narayana Pillai (25 March 1890 – 23 June 1971) was an Indian freedom fighter during the British Raj in India and was a member of the Indian National Congress (INC) which fought against the British ...

(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

* 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 Keezhoote Raman Balakrishna Pillai (8 March 1935 – 3 May 2021) was an Indian politician who served as minister of the state of Kerala in India, holding portfolios such as Transport and Electricity. He was a member of the Kerala Legislative A ...

(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 T. S. Ramaswami Pillai ( ta, டி எஸ் இராமஸ்வாமி பிள்ளை) (8 June 1918 – 15 June 2006) was an Indian politician, freedom fighter and former Member of the Legislative Assembly. He was elected to the Tr ...

(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 Vella Pillay (8 October 1923 – 29 July 2004) was a South African international economist and a founding member of the British Anti-Apartheid Movement. He was a member of the South African Communist Party and coordinated the party's overseas ac ...

(1923-2004), South African economist and political activist *

V. N. Rajasekharan Pillai V. N. Rajasekharan Pillai (born 20 October 1949) is the vice-chancellor of Somaiya Vidyavihar University and provost of Somaiya Vidyavihar, Pillai concurrently serving as the chancellor of the ICFAI University, Tripura. He was president of Mew ...

(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 Venkatarama Ramalingam, or V. Ramalingam Pillai (19 October 1888 – 24 August 1972),Indian surnames