Girl · Tamil
Poonguzhali
பூங்குழலிSay it POON-gu-zhuh-li
- Meaning
- Pū (flower) with kuḻal (tresses): she of flower-decked hair Tamil Lexicon, p. 1031
- Say it
- POON-gu-zhuh-li
- Written
- பூங்குழலி
- Other spellings
- Poonkuzhali, Poongkuzhali
Poonguzhali
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Poonguzhali meaning
Poonguzhali (பூங்குழலி) is a Tamil girl's name.
Pū (flower) with kuḻal (tresses): she of flower-decked hair
Poonguzhali (பூங்குழலி) joins pū, "flower", with kuḻal, a woman's long hair, and the feminine ending -i. The Tamil Lexicon defines kuḻal as curling hair or a woman's hair coiled and tied behind, so the name describes a woman whose tresses are adorned with flowers, a favourite image in Tamil poetry. It is a fuller form of the name Kuzhali. Kalki's novel Ponniyin Selvan gave the name to a spirited boatwoman of Kodikkarai, and the 2022–23 films brought the character, and the name, back into the spotlight.
Source: Tamil Lexicon, University of Madras (1924–36), p. 1031 · entry kuḻal² (குழல்) · See the entry · checked 25 Oct 2026
References: Tamil Lexicon, pū (பூ), p. 2819 · Tamil Lexicon, kuḻal (குழல்), p. 1031 · Wikipedia, Poonguzhali
Famous namesakes
- Poonguzhali, boatwoman in Kalki's Ponniyin Selvan
How the name is built
- Poo பூ: flower, blossom
Tamil Lexicon 2819 - Kuzhal குழல்: curling hair; a woman's hair coiled and tied
Tamil Lexicon 1031
Spellings
Poonguzhali · Poonkuzhali · Poongkuzhali