Kannada Name Generator

Given names, surnames and initials-first names from Karnataka

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Browse 500 names from Karnataka: Kannada given names like Basavaraj, Manjunath, Chennamma and Kaveri, surnames such as Gowda, Patil, Hiremath, Hegde and Shetty, and the initials-first form of the south of the state, as in H. R. Sridhar and K. N. Malathi.

About Kannada names

Kannada is the language of Karnataka, and names from the state do not follow one pattern. In the old Mysore region of the south, many people have no surname at all. Initials come first, usually one for the home village and one for the father's name, and the given name comes last, as in H. R. Sridhar or K. N. Malathi. Others add Gowda, Rao, Murthy or Shastry after the given name.

In north Karnataka the order is given name, often the father's name, then a surname. Those surnames come from old village and district offices (Patil, Kulkarni, Desai), trades (Badiger, carpenter; Kumbar, potter), houses (Hosamani, "new house"; Doddamani, "big house"), a monastery (Hiremath) or the home village (Navalgund, Mudhol, Athani). On the coast you meet Shetty, Rai, Poojary, Hegde, Kamath, Pai and Bhat, names that belong largely to Tulu and Konkani speaking communities and appear here as Karnataka names.

Given names show their Kannada form in the endings: -appa, -anna and -aiah for men (Siddappa, Shivanna, Lingaiah), -amma, -avva and -akka for women (Lakshmamma, Basavva, Shivakka). The list also holds a small share of Muslim, Christian and Jain names from the state.

How to choose Kannada names

  • Pick the region first. A character from Mandya or Mysuru can be K. T. Manohar or Boraiah Gowda, one from Dharwad or Belagavi can be Vishwanath Kulkarni or Jagadevappa Hiremath, and one from Mangaluru or Udupi can be Sunil Rai or Girija Shetty.
  • Initials stand for real words. Decide what they are, a village such as Hosahalli and a father such as Ramaiah, even if the reader never learns it, and give brothers and sisters the same pair.
  • Use the endings to show age. Names in -appa, -aiah, -amma or -avva suit grandparents and village settings, while Karthik, Shreyas, Spoorthi or Bhoomika sound like people born in the last few decades.
  • In north Karnataka the father's given name often sits in the middle, so Mallikarjun Uppin, son of Siddappa, can be written Mallikarjun Siddappa Uppin.
  • Do not read a community or a rank into a surname unless you know the family behind it. The same surname is often carried by families of different backgrounds.

Frequently asked questions

How are Kannada names structured?

It depends on the region. In south Karnataka the usual form is initials for the village and the father's name followed by the given name, such as S. T. Chikkanna, and many people have no surname. In north Karnataka and on the coast a surname comes last, as in Jagadevappa Hiremath or Girija Shetty.

What are common Karnataka surnames?

Gowda, Patil, Kulkarni, Hiremath, Desai, Hegde, Shetty, Rai, Bhat, Kamath, Pai and Poojary are among the most familiar. North Karnataka adds house and village names such as Hosamani, Doddamani, Navalgund and Mudhol.

What do the endings -appa, -aiah and -amma mean?

They are respectful endings built on family words. Appa is father, anna is elder brother, amma is mother and akka is elder sister, avva is the north Karnataka word for mother, and -aiah is a term of respect for a man. Added to a first element they give names such as Siddappa, Shivanna, Lingaiah, Lakshmamma and Basavva.

Are Shetty, Rai and Kamath Kannada names?

They are Karnataka names. Shetty, Rai and Poojary are carried mainly by Tulu speaking families of the coast, and Kamath, Pai and Shenoy mainly by Konkani speaking families, most of whom speak Kannada as well. They are in the list because they are among the best-known surnames of the state.

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All 500 Kannada names

This is the complete list the generator above draws its random batches from, sorted A to Z and grouped by first letter.

Plain text, one name per line.

A: 22 names

  • A. A. Lakshminarayana
  • A. Puttanna
  • A. S. Chetan
  • A. Y. Vinutha
  • Abdul Khadar Mulla
  • Aditya Kunder
  • Aithal
  • Akkamahadevi
  • Akshatha Gaonkar
  • Akshatha Nayaka
  • Amarappa Mulimani
  • Ambika Setty
  • Anasuya Deshpande
  • Angadi
  • Anita Sajjanar
  • Annapurna Patil
  • Anuradha Hiremath
  • Apoorva Rao
  • Arun Acharya
  • Arun Nidagundi
  • Ashok Morab
  • Ayesha Mulla

B: 30 names

  • B. A. Pavithra
  • B. Doddanna
  • B. G. Mahadevamma
  • B. K. Tarun
  • B. M. Savithramma
  • B. N. Akash
  • B. R. Chennamma
  • B. R. Dileep
  • B. Rajashekar
  • B. Tulasi
  • Badiger
  • Bahubali Upadhye
  • Balakrishna Bhat
  • Bangera
  • Basanagouda Savanur
  • Basavanneppa Biradar
  • Basavaraj
  • Basavaraj Nadagouda
  • Basavva
  • Basavva Patil
  • Bhagyashree Bhat
  • Bharatesh Magdum
  • Bharathi Aradhya
  • Bhaskar Devadiga
  • Bhat
  • Bhavani Naik
  • Bhujanga Bangera
  • Bibijan Pinjar
  • Biradar
  • Boraiah Gowda

C: 14 names

  • C. K. Geetha
  • C. K. Vinay
  • C. Kavitha
  • C. Umesh
  • Chaitra Desai
  • Chandrakala Shettar
  • Chandrika Nayak
  • Channabasappa
  • Channabasappa Mudhol
  • Channakeshava Gowda
  • Channappa Gouda
  • Chennamma
  • Chennavva Hiremath
  • Clement Tauro

D: 23 names

  • D. A. Puttaswamy
  • D. Sujatha
  • Danamma
  • Dattatreya Betageri
  • Dawalsab Mujawar
  • Dayananda Gowda
  • Dayananda Punja
  • Deeksha Kudva
  • Deepa Kumbar
  • Deepa Sapaliga
  • Deepak Acharya
  • Denis Sequeira
  • Desai
  • Devadas Puranik
  • Devamma Gowda
  • Dhanraj Bhagwat
  • Dhanya Moolya
  • Dharanendra Indra
  • Divya Anchan
  • Divya Patil
  • Doddamani
  • Dundappa Konnur
  • Dundavva Nayak

E: 1 name

  • Eranna Angadi

F: 3 names

  • Fakirappa Gokak
  • Fathima Nadaf
  • Flavia Lasrado

G: 19 names

  • G. Bhoomika
  • G. T. Saraswathi
  • Gangavva
  • Gangavva Biradar
  • Gayathri Iyengar
  • Geetha Shettigar
  • Girija Shetty
  • Girish Kotian
  • Goudar
  • Gouramma Gokak
  • Gowda
  • Gowramma
  • Guddappa Talawar
  • Gurubai Desai
  • Gurunath Betageri
  • Gurupadappa Mudhol
  • Gururaj Suvarna
  • Gurusiddappa
  • Gurusiddappa Inamdar

H: 17 names

  • H. R. Sridhar
  • H. S. Nayana
  • H. S. Ramesh
  • Hanamantappa Hugar
  • Hanumanthappa
  • Hanumanthappa Gowda
  • Harshitha Shettigar
  • Haseena Soudagar
  • Hebbar
  • Hegde
  • Hemalatha Karanth
  • Hemanth Gowda
  • Hilda Rego
  • Hiremath
  • Honnamma
  • Hosamani
  • Hussainsab Mulla

I: 4 names

  • Imamsab Nadaf
  • Iqbal Kazi
  • Irappa Kalburgi
  • Irawwa Talawar

J: 16 names

  • J. B. Prajwal
  • J. Meenakshi
  • J. P. Amrutha
  • J. P. Javaraiah
  • J. R. Skanda
  • Jacintha D'Souza
  • Jagadevappa Hiremath
  • Jagadish Hegde
  • Jagadish Murthy
  • Jalaja Mayya
  • Jameela Pathan
  • Javaramma Aradhya
  • Jayarama Bhandary
  • Jayashree Bhat
  • Jinendra Ajila
  • Jois

K: 40 names

  • K. A. Ranganath
  • K. B. Thimmegowda
  • K. Girish
  • K. H. Guruprasad
  • K. Honnamma
  • K. L. Shekar
  • K. N. Malathi
  • K. N. Nirmala
  • K. R. Renukamma
  • K. Sushma
  • K. T. Manohar
  • K. V. Kalavathi
  • Kallappa Kori
  • Kalyanappa Talawar
  • Kamala Alva
  • Kamath
  • Karanth
  • Karibasappa Nargund
  • Karthik Karanth
  • Karthik Nayaka
  • Kashibai Hiremath
  • Kattimani
  • Kaveri
  • Kavita Kanavi
  • Kavitha Murthy
  • Kavya Holla
  • Kavya Mathad
  • Kempamma
  • Kempanna
  • Keshava Naik
  • Khadarsab Pinjar
  • Kiran Goudar
  • Kiran Mallya
  • Kotresh
  • Kotresh Mirji
  • Kshama Kulal
  • Kulkarni
  • Kumbar
  • Kusuma Baliga
  • Kusuma Murthy

L: 17 names

  • L. N. Rangaswamy
  • L. V. Hemanth
  • Lakshmamma
  • Lakshman Sankeshwar
  • Lakshmi Shetty
  • Lakshminarayana Rao
  • Lalita Hukkeri
  • Lalsab Kazi
  • Lavina Crasta
  • Laxmi Gouda
  • Laxmibai Patil
  • Likith Gowda
  • Lingaiah Gowda
  • Lingamma Gowda
  • Lingappa Bellad
  • Lingaraj
  • Lokesh Kottary

M: 49 names

  • M. B. Siddaraju
  • M. D. Vanitha
  • M. H. Dayananda
  • M. H. Kempanna
  • M. H. Manasa
  • M. L. Papanna
  • M. N. Thayamma
  • M. P. Sunanda
  • M. Pankaja
  • M. V. Kariyamma
  • Madappa Gowda
  • Madhava Kottary
  • Mahadevamma Achar
  • Mahadevappa
  • Mahadevaswamy Nayaka
  • Mahadevi
  • Mahadevi Halemani
  • Mahananda Malipatil
  • Mahantesh
  • Mahantesh Badiger
  • Mahanthappa Kerur
  • Mahaveer Chougule
  • Mahesh Achar
  • Mahesh Koppal
  • Mailarappa Kattimani
  • Maktumsab Attar
  • Mallamma Katti
  • Mallappa Sindagi
  • Mallavva
  • Mallavva Itagi
  • Mallesh Doddamani
  • Mallikarjun
  • Mallikarjun Uppin
  • Mamatha Bhat
  • Manjayya Shetty
  • Manjula Kabbur
  • Manjunath
  • Manjunath Chikkamath
  • Manjunath Gowda
  • Manohar Murthy
  • Maruti Sindagi
  • Mathapati
  • Meenakshi Ramdurg
  • Megha Patil
  • Mehaboobsab Bagwan
  • Melwyn Rasquinha
  • Mohan Sapaliga
  • Moulasab Sanadi
  • Mumtaz Attar

N: 27 names

  • N. A. Paramesh
  • N. B. Madappa
  • N. D. Shivaraju
  • N. N. Muniswamy
  • N. R. Chandramma
  • Nabisab Makandar
  • Nagamma Mathapati
  • Nagappa Athani
  • Nagaraj Shetty
  • Nagaratna Hiremath
  • Nagesh Adiga
  • Nalini Poojary
  • Namratha Murthy
  • Nanjamma
  • Nanjundappa
  • Nanjundaswamy Achar
  • Narasimha Bhagwat
  • Narayan Karadi
  • Nataraj Kumar
  • Nayak
  • Neelamma
  • Neelamma Yaragatti
  • Neelavva Hiremath
  • Nethravathi
  • Ningappa
  • Nirmala Prasad
  • Noorjahan Mujawar

O: 1 name

  • Oswald Monteiro

P: 31 names

  • P. Prabhakar
  • P. S. Kempegowda
  • P. T. Nagendra
  • Padmanabha Acharya
  • Padmaraj Ballal
  • Padmavathi Indra
  • Padmavati Shettar
  • Pai
  • Pallavi Rao
  • Pallavi Savanur
  • Pandurang Badami
  • Parashuram Kambar
  • Parshwanath Jain
  • Parvathamma Swamy
  • Patil
  • Philomena Castelino
  • Poojary
  • Prabhakar Rao
  • Pradeep Hebbar
  • Prakash Kedilaya
  • Prakash Patil
  • Pralhad Kulkarni
  • Praveen Gowda
  • Praveen Pattar
  • Preeti Pujar
  • Prema Biradar
  • Prema Pai
  • Purushotham Madival
  • Puttamma
  • Puttanna Nayaka
  • Puttaswamy

R: 40 names

  • R. D. Nagesh
  • R. H. Madhusudan
  • R. J. Vasanth
  • R. L. Ananda
  • R. M. Pallavi
  • R. N. Spoorthi
  • R. S. Narasamma
  • Rafiq Savanur
  • Raghuram Hebbar
  • Rai
  • Rajashekar Iyengar
  • Rajeevi Nayak
  • Rajesab Jamadar
  • Rajesh Kamath
  • Rajeshwari Lakkundi
  • Raju Nidagundi
  • Rakshith Tantri
  • Rakshitha Hegde
  • Ramachandra Kamath
  • Ramachandra Shastry
  • Ramani Somayaji
  • Ranganath Gowda
  • Rangaswamy
  • Rangaswamy Setty
  • Rashmi Rai
  • Rashmi Rao
  • Rathna Bhat
  • Ratnavva Kattimani
  • Ravindra Prasad
  • Rehana Makandar
  • Revanasiddappa Doddamani
  • Riyaz Mokashi
  • Rohini Mallya
  • Roopa Bellad
  • Royston Cutinha
  • Rudramma Pujar
  • Rudrappa Betageri
  • Rudravva Patil
  • Rudresh Nadagouda
  • Rukmini Shastry

S: 84 names

  • S. C. Madesha
  • S. C. Shreyas
  • S. K. Krishnappa
  • S. N. Kamalamma
  • S. R. Kiran
  • S. T. Chikkanna
  • Sakamma Swamy
  • Sandeep Pai
  • Sangamesh Hiremath
  • Sangamma Nayak
  • Sanganna Nargund
  • Santhosh Anchan
  • Saraswathi Padubidri
  • Savitri Joshi
  • Seetha Ballal
  • Seetharam Nayak
  • Shabana Inamdar
  • Shahnaz Jamadar
  • Shakuntala Hosur
  • Shankaranarayana Upadhyaya
  • Shankarappa Gudi
  • Shankargouda Honnalli
  • Shanta Kabbur
  • Shantala
  • Shantala Kumar
  • Shantappa Mathad
  • Shantavva Hallur
  • Shantha Shetty
  • Shanthamma Aradhya
  • Sharada Devadiga
  • Sharada Mathad
  • Sharadamma
  • Sharanabasappa
  • Sharath Hebbar
  • Shashidhar Rao
  • Shashikala Kumar
  • Shekharappa Kattimani
  • Shenoy
  • Sheshappa Hegde
  • Shetty
  • Shilpa Biradar
  • Shilpa Navada

S, continued

  • Shivakka Byali
  • Shivalingappa Kori
  • Shivanagouda Sindagi
  • Shivanna
  • Shivaraj Hadimani
  • Shobha Ullagaddi
  • Shraddha Kunder
  • Shridhar Mallya
  • Shruthi Gowda
  • Shruti Jahagirdar
  • Shweta Konnur
  • Siddappa
  • Siddappa Patil
  • Skanda Setty
  • Sneha Angadi
  • Somanagouda Managuli
  • Somashekhar Navalgund
  • Soujanya Suvarna
  • Spoorthi Aradhya
  • Sridevi Pattar
  • Srikanth Jois
  • Srujan Bayari
  • Stany Mascarenhas
  • Sudha Katti
  • Sujata Nargund
  • Sujatha Karkera
  • Sujatha Swamy
  • Sukanya Poojary
  • Sulochana Shenoy
  • Sumangala Hadimani
  • Sumathi Shastry
  • Sunanda Kunder
  • Sunil Hosur
  • Sunil Rai
  • Supriya Kamath
  • Suresh Ballal
  • Suresh Mundargi
  • Suryanarayana Gowda
  • Susheela Prabhu
  • Suvarna
  • Suvarna Menasinakai
  • Swathi Salian

T: 16 names

  • T. G. Krishnegowda
  • T. J. Mangalamma
  • T. K. Yogesh
  • T. N. Uday
  • T. Y. Lingamma
  • Tarabai Banakar
  • Tarun Iyengar
  • Tejaswini Mayya
  • Thanuja Setty
  • Tharanath Udupa
  • Thayamma
  • Thayamma Achar
  • Thejas Kotian
  • Thimmaiah
  • Trishala Jain
  • Tukaram Mirji

U: 9 names

  • Uday Achar
  • Udupa
  • Uma Hosur
  • Umadevi Shastry
  • Umesh Gowda
  • Umesh Pai
  • Usha Achar
  • Usha Patil
  • Usha Udupa

V: 24 names

  • V. J. Likith
  • V. S. Nagarathna
  • Vadiraj Desai
  • Vaishali Karjagi
  • Vardhaman Chougule
  • Vasanth Marakala
  • Vasanthi Kotian
  • Vedavathi Adiga
  • Veena Badiger
  • Veena Hegde
  • Veena Kumar
  • Veerabhadrappa
  • Venkataramana Kulal
  • Venkatesh Joshi
  • Venkatesh Mathapati
  • Veronica Menezes
  • Vidya Joshi
  • Vijayalakshmi Murthy
  • Vijaykumar Desai
  • Vimala Iyengar
  • Vincent Lobo
  • Vinod Kumbar
  • Vishwanath Kulkarni
  • Vithal Nayak

W: 1 name

  • Wilma D'Mello

Y: 10 names

  • Y. A. Subbanna
  • Y. L. Narayanappa
  • Y. S. Lingegowda
  • Yallappa Sajjan
  • Yamuna Navalgund
  • Yashoda Walikar
  • Yathish Rao
  • Yellamma
  • Yellamma Sankeshwar
  • Yogesh Jois

Z: 2 names

  • Zakir Peerzade
  • Zubeda Bagwan