Pillai () is a Tamil surname traditionally associated with the

Vellalar Vellalar is a group of Caste system in India, castes in the Indian states of Tamil Nadu, Kerala and northeastern parts of Sri Lanka. The Vellalar are members of several endogamous castes such as the numerically strong Arunattu Vellalar, Chozhi ...

community, a dominant agrarian and land-owning group in

Tamil Nadu Tamil Nadu (; , TN) is the southernmost States and union territories of India, state of India. The List of states and union territories of India by area, tenth largest Indian state by area and the List of states and union territories of Indi ...

and northern

Sri Lanka Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, also known historically as Ceylon, is an island country in South Asia. It lies in the Indian Ocean, southwest of the Bay of Bengal, separated from the Indian subcontinent, ...

. The term ''Pillai'' is believed to have originated as an honorific title meaning "child" or "son," connoting nobility and respect. Over time, it became a hereditary surname commonly associated with upper-caste Tamils, especially those involved in land administration and temple management. The ''Pillai'' surname of Tamil Nadu is distinct from the ''Pillai'' title associated with Kerala Pillai, The two are unrelated.

Etymology and origin

The term ''Pillai'' derives from the Tamil word ''pillai'' (பிள்ளை), which means "child" or "son," symbolizing status, respect, and lineage. Historical records suggest that the title was first conferred by Tamil kings and later adopted as a surname by prominent families in the Tamil regions. It was particularly associated with the

community, a caste traditionally involved in agriculture, land ownership, and governance.

History

Tamil Nadu

In Tamil Nadu, ''Pillai'' was predominantly used by the Vellalar caste, who were landowners and administrators under various Tamil kingdoms, including the

Cholas The Chola dynasty () was a Tamil dynasty originating from Southern India. At its height, it ruled over the Chola Empire, an expansive maritime empire. The earliest datable references to the Chola are from inscriptions dated to the 3rd cen ...

Pandyas The Pandya dynasty (), also referred to as the Pandyas of Madurai, was an ancient Tamil dynasty of South India, and among the four great kingdoms of Tamilakam, the other three being the Pallavas, the Cholas and the Cheras. Existing sinc ...

, and

Vijayanagara Empire The Vijayanagara Empire, also known as the Karnata Kingdom, was a late medieval Hinduism, Hindu empire that ruled much of southern India. It was established in 1336 by the brothers Harihara I and Bukka Raya I of the Sangama dynasty, belongi ...

. The title was often granted to individuals for their loyalty and service to the state, especially in administrative and military capacities. The Vellalar Pillais played a significant role in temple administration, overseeing donations, rituals, and land management. The prominence of the Pillai title in Tamil Nadu peaked during the medieval period when many Pillais were recorded as holding influential positions in local governance and as temple trustees.

Sri Lanka

The Sri Lankan Vellalars share partially common origins with the

s of

. The Vellalar traditionally inhabited the

Sangam landscape The Sangam landscape (Tamil language, Tamil: அகத்திணை "inner classification") is the name given to a poetic device that was characteristic of love poetry in classical Tamil language, Tamil Sangam literature. The core of the devi ...

of ''Marutham''. The earliest reference to the ''Vellalar,'' however, written in , is attested to in the ''

Akanaṉūṟu The ''Akananuru'' (, literally "four hundred oemsin the akam genre"), sometimes called ''Nedunthokai'' (''lit.'' "anthology of long poems"), is a classical Tamil poetic work and one of the Eight Anthologies (''Ettuthokai'') in the Sangam li ...

'', which divided the society into four classes ''Arasar,'' ''Andanar'', ''Vanigar'', and ''Vellalar''. The ''Vellalar'' mentioned in ''Akanaṉūṟu'' was a generic term for all agriculturists. In Tamil Nadu, however, the Vellalars gradually phased out their name with the generic one, thus, blurring its original meaning. There were two types of the Vellalars, the cultivators called ''Velkudi Ulavar'' and the wealthy landowners called ''Kaniyalar'' or ''Kodikkalar''. The Vellalar tribes are described as a landed gentry who irrigated the wet lands and the Karalar (use Vellalar as title) were the landed gentry in the dry lands. Karalar means "''lord of clouds''".

Social and cultural significance

The ''Pillai'' surname is closely tied to Tamil culture and social hierarchy. It is traditionally associated with notions of prestige and respectability. The title's widespread use among Vellalars reflects their historical dominance in agrarian and administrative spheres. While primarily associated with the Vellalar caste, The surname has also been adopted by some castes in Tamil Nadu and Sri Lanka as a means of social upliftment, including the

Konar Konar may refer to: * Konar (caste), a caste in Tamil Nadu, India * Kunar Province of Afghanistan * Kunar River of Afghanistan and Pakistan * Kunhar River of Pakistan * Konar River in the Indian state of Jharkhand * Konar Dam, damming Konar River ...

, Agamudaiyar and some other caste. These surnames have been considered markers of elevated social status and cultural identity in the respective communities.

Notable people

Ashan Pillai Ashan Pillai (born 1 December 1969 in Colombo, Sri Lanka) is a British violist. He was educated as a music and academic scholar at Merchant Taylors School, London and then at the Royal Academy of Music, London, the University of Southern Calif ...

(born in Sri Lanka, 1969), British violist and academic * Anton Sebastianpillai (1944/5–2020), author and consultant geriatrician *

Ananda Ranga Pillai M. R. Ry. Ananda Ranga Pillai (; 30 March 1709 – 16 January 1761) (often pronounced as ''Ānañtarañkam Pillai'') was a '' dubash'' in the service of the French East India Company. He is mainly famous for his set of private diaries from th ...

(1709–1761),

dubash Interpreting is translation from a spoken or signed language into another language, usually in real time to facilitate live communication. It is distinguished from the translation of a written text, which can be more deliberative and make use o ...

in the service of

French East India Company Compagnie des Indes () may refer to several French chartered companies involved in long-distance trading: * First French East Indies Company, in existence from 1604 to 1614 * French West India Company, active in the Western Hemisphere from 1664 t ...

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 Arumuka Navalar (; 18 December 1822 – 5 December 1879) was a Sri Lankan Shaivite Tamil language scholar and a religious reformer who was central in reviving native Hindu Tamil traditions in Sri Lanka and India. Navalar's birth name was N ...

, born as Kandarpillai Arumugapillai, a

n Hindu reformer *

Bastiampillai Anthonipillai Thomas Bastiampillai Anthonipillai Thomas or "Father Thomas" (7 March 1886 – 26 January 1964) was a Roman Catholic priest of the congregation of Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate and founder of the Rosarians Order. Life Thomas was born on 7 Ma ...

(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, form the plurality in the Eastern Province a ...

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 Velanaiti ...

(1917–2003),

Roman Catholic bishop * C. W. Thamotharampillai (1832–1901), publisher of ancient Tamil texts *

Candice Pillay Candice Pillay (born June 10, 1981) is a South African singer-songwriter based in Los Angeles. She is best known for writing songs for artists including Rihanna, Kendrick Lamar, Calvin Harris, Christina Aguilera, Dr. Dre, Eminem, ScHoolboy Q, Why ...

(born 1981), singer and songwriter * Chempakaraman Pillai (1891–1934), freedom fighter from Travancore of Tamil descent * Chinna Migapillai, 17th century

feudal lord An overlord in the English feudal system was a lord of a manor who had subinfeudated a particular manor, estate or fee, to a tenant. The tenant thenceforth owed to the overlord one of a variety of services, usually military service or s ...

and rebel leader from the

Jaffna Kingdom The Jaffna kingdom (, ; 1215–1619 CE), also known as Kingdom of Aryachakravarti, was a historical kingdom of what today is northern Sri Lanka. It came into existence around the town of Jaffna on the Jaffna peninsula and was traditionally t ...

Dhanraj Pillay Dhanraj Pillay (born 16 July 1968) is a retired Indian field hockey player and former captain of the India national team. He also looks after the Air India Sports Promotion Board as a Joint Secretary based in Mumbai. For the last 5 years, Dhan ...

(born 1968), Indian hockey player *

Gerald Pillay Gerald John Pillay (born 21 December 1953) is a South African theologian and ecclesiastical historian. He was vice chancellor and rector of Liverpool Hope University in England from 2003 until the end of 2022. Early life and education Pillay was ...

(born 1953), South African theologian and

ecclesiastical historian Church history or ecclesiastical history as an academic discipline studies the history of Christianity and the way the Christian Church has developed since its inception. Henry Melvill Gwatkin defined church history as "the spiritual side of the ...

Vice Chancellor A vice-chancellor (commonly called a VC) serves as the chief executive of a university in the United Kingdom, New Zealand, Australia, Nepal, India, Bangladesh, Malaysia, Nigeria, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, South Africa, Kenya, other Commonwealth countr ...

and Rector of

Liverpool Hope University Liverpool Hope University (abbreviated LHU) is a public university with campuses in Liverpool, England. ‌The university grew out of three Normal school#United Kingdom, teacher training colleges: Saint Katharine's College (originally Warring ...

. * 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 Jerry Pillay is the current (since 2023) General Secretary of the World Council of Churches. He is a Reformed Churches, Reformed pastor, member of the Uniting Presbyterian Church in Southern Africa, former professor of theology at the University o ...

(born 1965), South African Reformed pastor, theologian and General Secretary of the

World Council of Churches The World Council of Churches (WCC) is a worldwide Christian inter-church organization founded in 1948 to work for the cause of ecumenism. Its full members today include the Assyrian Church of the East, most jurisdictions of the Eastern Orthodo ...

. * K. C. Pillai (1900–1970), Bishop-at-large of the

Indian Orthodox Church The Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church (MOSC) also known as the Indian Orthodox Church (IOC) or simply as the Malankara Church, is an autocephalous Oriental Orthodox church headquartered in Devalokam, near Kottayam, India. It serves India's ...

, Antiochean Succession,

Chennai Chennai, also known as Madras (List of renamed places in India#Tamil Nadu, its official name until 1996), is the capital city, capital and List of cities in Tamil Nadu by population, largest city of Tamil Nadu, the southernmost states and ...

(Madras), India * K. Appavu Pillai (1911–1973), Indian politician * K. Perumal Pillai, Indian politician * K. Thamboosamy Pillay (1850–1902), a prominent member of the Tamil community in

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

Kavimani Desigavinayagam Pillai Kavimani Desigavinayagam Pillai (27 July 1876 – 26 September 1954) was a renowned Tamil poet from the village of Theroor in the Kanyakumari district of Tamil Nadu, India. His works encompass a wide range of genres including devotional song ...

(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 Counc ...

(1865–1925), Indian astronomer, Speaker of

Assembly *

Manonmaniam Sundaram Pillai Manonmaniyam P. Sundaranar (4 April 1855 – 26 April 1897) was an Indian writer and scholar, noted for the famous Tamil drama '' Manonmaniyam''. as well as the state song of Tamil Nadu Tamil Thai Valthu. Career Sundaram showed his respect ...

(1855–1897), writer in

Tamil literature Tamil literature includes a collection of literary works that have come from a tradition spanning more than two thousand years. The oldest extant works show signs of maturity indicating an even longer period of evolution. Contributors to the T ...

; his poem " Niraarum Kadal Udutha" is the official Tamil Anthem *

Maraimalai Adigal Maraimalai Adigal (15 July 1876 – 15 September 1950) was a Tamil Saivite writer, orator and father of the Tanittamil Iyakkam movement. He authored more than 100 books, including works on original poems and dramas and notable research works o ...

(Nagai Vedachalam Pillai, 1876–1950), eminent

Tamil Tamil may refer to: People, culture and language * Tamils, an ethno-linguistic group native to India, Sri Lanka, and some other parts of Asia **Sri Lankan Tamils, Tamil people native to Sri Lanka ** Myanmar or Burmese Tamils, Tamil people of Ind ...

orator and writer, started Pure Tamil movement Tanittamil Iyakkam * Marimutha Pillai (1712–1787), musician *

Maruthanayagam Pillai Muhammad Yusuf Khan (born Maruthanayagam Pillai) was a commandant of the British East India Company's Madras Army. He was born in a Tamil Vellalar family in a village called Keelapanaiyur in British India, what is now in Mudukulathur Taluk, ...

(1725–1764), Indian soldier and administrator also known as

Muhammed Yusuf Khan Muhammad Yusuf Khan (born Maruthanayagam Pillai) was a commandant of the British East India Company's Madras Army. He was born in a Tamil Vellalar family in a village called Keelapanaiyur in British India, what is now in Mudukulathur Taluk, ...

Naraina Pillai Narayana Pillai (also spelled Narayana Pillay) was a social entrepreneur and businessman, who spent most of his life in Singapore during the Colonialism, colonial period. Of Tamil films, Tamil origins, he greatly contributed to the Tamil communi ...

, social entrepreneur and businessman *

Navanethem Pillay Navanethem "Navi" Pillay (born 23 September 1941) is a South African jurist who served as the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights from 2008 to 2014. A South African of Indian Tamil origin, Pillay was the first non-white woman ju ...

(born 1941), South African judge,

UN High Commissioner for Human Rights The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) is a department of the United Nations Secretariat that works to promote and protect human rights that are guaranteed under international law and stipulated in the Univer ...

Palani Subramaniam Pillai Pazhani Subramania Pillai (1909–1962) was a well known Carnatic music percussionist. He, along with his contemporaries Palghat Mani Iyer and Ramanathapuram C. S. Murugabhoopathy, are revered as the "Holy Trinity of Mridanga". He was adept i ...

(1908–1962), Carnatic music percussionist * Panchaksharam Rangasamy Pillai (born 1943), known as Vijayakumar, is an Indian actor who works in

Tamil cinema Tamil cinema is the segment of Indian cinema dedicated to the production of motion pictures in the Tamil language, the main spoken language in the state of Tamil Nadu. It is nicknamed Kollywood, a portmanteau of the names Kodambakkam, a Ch ...

* Periyapillai, 16th century king of the

Pradani Muthirulappa Pillai Pradani Muthirulappa Pillai (also known as Muthu Irulappa Pillai) was a prominent statesman and Pradani (chief minister)of the Kingdom of Ramnad during the late 18th century. He administered as regent during the reign of muthuramalinga sethupa ...

, 18th-century minister of

Ramnad Ramanathapuram (), also known as Ramnad, is a city Municipal Corporation in Ramanathapuram district in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It is the administrative headquarters of Ramanathapuram district and the second largest town (by population) ...

during the reign of Muthuramalinga Sethupathy * Prem Nath Pillai (born 1982),

Malaysia Malaysia is a country in Southeast Asia. Featuring the Tanjung Piai, southernmost point of continental Eurasia, it is a federation, federal constitutional monarchy consisting of States and federal territories of Malaysia, 13 states and thre ...

-based filmmaker and editor * Simone Ashwini Pillai, British Actress of Tamil native * Sivathanu Pillai, Rocket Scientist *

Subbayya Sivasankaranarayana Pillai Subbayya Sivasankaranarayana Pillai (5 April 1901 – 31 August 1950) was an Indian mathematician specialising in number theory. His contribution to Waring's problem was described in 1950 by K. S. Chandrasekharan as "almost certainly his best ...

(1901–1950), Indian mathematician *

T. S. Ramasamy Pillai T. S. Ramaswami Pillai () (8 June 1918 – 15 June 2006) was an Indian politician, freedom fighter and former Member of the Legislative Assembly (India), Member of the Legislative Assembly. He was elected to the Travancore-Cochin assembly fro ...

(1918–2006), Freedom-fighter, politician and former Member of the Legislative Assembly (India) * Trevin Bastiampillai (born 1985),

Sri Lankan Canadian Sri Lankan Canadians refers to people from Sri Lanka who have arrived and settled in Canada. Among these immigration, immigrants include members from the Sri Lankan Tamils, Tamil, Sri Lankan Moors, Moor, Sri Lankan Malays, Malay, Sinhalese people ...

cricketer * Vella Pillay (1923-2004), South African economist and political activist * V. O. Chidambaram Pillai (1872–1936), Indian freedom fighter, popularly known as V.O.C. and as Kappalottiya Tamilan *

Venkatarama Ramalingam Pillai Namakkal V. Ramalingam Pillai (1888–1972) was a prominent freedom fighter from Namakkal, a town known for its Anjaneya temple, situated between Salem and Madurai. Ramalingam was born into the Chozhia Vellalar community. Early life His fat ...

(Namakkal Kavignar Ramalingam Pillai, 1888–1972), poet and freedom fighter.

Notes

References

{{reflist Titles in India