Archive · 26 Aug 2026
Kerala Officially Renamed Keralam After Union Government Approval
Kerala is now officially called Keralam.
The Union Government approved the change on August 25, 2026.
The new name is the traditional Malayalam name for the state.
Parliament approved the name-change Bill before the notification was issued.
President Droupadi Murmu had also given her assent.
The name Keralam is connected to Kerala’s history and language.
Some explanations link it to the ancient Chera dynasty and the word Keralaputra.
Another explanation connects it to Kera, the Malayalam word for coconut.
Historians and linguists do not all agree on the name’s exact origin.
The Union Government notified Keralam as the new official name of Kerala, effective August 25, 2026.
The Kerala (Alteration of Name) Bill passed the Lok Sabha on August 11 and the Rajya Sabha on August 12.
President Droupadi Murmu had earlier approved the legislation, turning it into law.
Keralam is the state’s traditional Malayalam name and is linked to its linguistic and cultural identity.
The name’s origins are associated with the Chera dynasty, the term Keralaputra, and possibly the Malayalam word Kera, meaning coconut.
- Who
- The Union Government, Parliament, President Droupadi Murmu, and the state of Kerala are involved in the name change.
- What
- Kerala has officially been renamed Keralam under the Kerala (Alteration of Name) Act, 2026.
- When
- The change took effect on August 25, 2026, after the Bill passed Parliament on August 11 and 12.
- Where
- The name change applies to the southern Indian state formerly known as Kerala.
- Why
- The change recognises the state’s traditional Malayalam name, linguistic heritage, and historical identity.
Traditional-Identity View
Scholarly-Caution View
Meaning and origin of Keralam
Traditional-Identity View
Supporters view Keralam as the state’s traditional Malayalam name and a recognition of its linguistic, cultural, and historical identity.
Scholarly-Caution View
Historians and linguists have offered different interpretations of the name’s origin, so no single explanation is presented as definitive.
- New name
- Keralam
- Former name
- Kerala
- Effective date
- August 25, 2026
- Governing law
- Kerala (Alteration of Name) Act, 2026
- Lok Sabha approval
- August 11, 2026
- Rajya Sabha approval
- August 12, 2026
- Historical associations
- The Chera dynasty, Keralaputra, and the Malayalam word Kera