Girl · Tamil
Ponni
பொன்னிSay it PON-ni
- Meaning today
- Golden, Kaveri river
- Original meaning
- "the Kaveri river" Tamil Lexicon, p. 2952
- Say it
- PON-ni
- Written
- பொன்னி
Ponni
Stays on your phone. A family name is never required.
Ponni meaning
Ponni (பொன்னி) is a Tamil girl's name.
The Kaveri river
Also used to mean: golden
Ponni (பொன்னி) is the old Tamil name of the Kaveri, the river that waters the Chola heartland. The Tamil Lexicon defines poṉṉi as the Kaveri and cites the Vaishnava hymns of the Tiruvāymoḻi; the word is built on poṉ, "gold" or "wealth", so name lists also translate it as "golden". Kalki's historical novel Ponniyin Selvan, "son of Ponni", takes its title from the river's protection of the young Rajaraja Chola, and its film adaptation renewed interest in the name. The popular Ponni rice is also named after the river.
Source: Tamil Lexicon, University of Madras (1924–36), p. 2952 · entry poṉṉi (பொன்னி) · See the entry · checked 25 Oct 2026
References: Tamil Lexicon, poṉṉi (பொன்னி), p. 2952 · Tamil Lexicon, poṉ (பொன்), p. 2948 · Wikipedia, Kaveri · Wikipedia, Ponniyin Selvan