Boy · Dravidian (Malayalam, Kannada and Telugu usage) · Hindu
Ayyappa
अय्यप्पाSay it uh-YUP-paa
- Meaning today
- Lord Ayyappa
- Original meaning
- "name of the hunting deity; ayyan 'father, lord', appan 'father'" Hermann Gundert, p. 46
- Say it
- uh-YUP-paa
- Written
- अय्यप्पा
- Other spellings
- Aiyappa
- First sound
- अ · Mesh rashi
Ayyappa
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Ayyappa meaning
Ayyappa (अय्यप्पा) is a Hindu boy's name of Dravidian origin (Malayalam, Kannada and Telugu usage). By its first sound, अ, it is a Mesh rashi name (Krittika nakshatra) in the North Indian table.
Name of the hunting deity; ayyan 'father, lord', appan 'father'
Also used to mean: Lord Ayyappa
Ayyappa (अय्यप्पा) is the name of the deity worshipped at Sabarimala in Kerala, written Ayyappan in Malayalam. Gundert's dictionary explains ayyan as "father, lord", a respectful form of address, and names Ayyappan as the hunting deity; appan on its own means "father". Name lists simply give "Lord Ayyappa", and some add "beloved son" or "dear lord", a reading the dictionary does not record. Families in Kerala, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh use the name, often after a pilgrimage to Sabarimala.
Source: Hermann Gundert, A Malayalam and English Dictionary (1872), p. 46 · entry ayyan (ayyappan) · See the entry · checked 25 Oct 2026
References: Gundert, ayyan, p. 46 · Gundert, appan, p. 37 · Wikipedia, Ayyappan · Wikipedia, K. Ayyappa Paniker
Famous namesakes
- K. Ayyappa Paniker, Malayalam poet and critic
Fits your syllable
First sound अ
Krittika nakshatra, pada 1 · Mesh rashi
North Indian table. Tables vary by region and family tradition, so confirm with your priest.
Spellings
Ayyappa · Aiyappa