Girl · Tamil
Kayal
கயல்Say it KUH-yal
- Meaning
- Carp, a freshwater tank fish Tamil Lexicon, p. 733
- Say it
- KUH-yal
- Written
- கயல்
Kayal
Stays on your phone. A family name is never required.
Kayal meaning
Kayal (கயல்) is a Tamil girl's name.
Carp, a freshwater tank fish
Kayal (கயல்) is the Tamil word for a carp, a fish of village tanks that the Tamil Lexicon identifies as Cyprinus fimbriatus, also called keṇṭai-mīṉ. The image matters more than the zoology. The Lexicon's own citation, from the Sangam anthology Aiṅkuṟunūṟu, speaks of kohl-darkened eyes taken for the kayal, and Tamil poetry often likens a woman's long, bright eyes to the fish. That is the image behind names such as Kayalvizhi, 'eyes like the kayal'. The carp was also the device on the banner of the Pandya kings of Madurai, according to Epigraphia Indica. Kayal is short and distinctly Tamil, and is used mainly for girls.
Source: Tamil Lexicon, University of Madras (1924–36), p. 733 · entry kayal (கயல்) · See the entry · checked 25 Oct 2026
References: Tamil Lexicon, kayal, p. 733 · Epigraphia Indica, vol. 3 (Pandya fish banner)