Surname Poduval - Meaning and Origin
all surnames with 'P'
Poduval: What does the surname Poduval mean?
Poduval is an Indian surname that has its roots in the Southwestern state of Kerala. The last name primarily belongs to the Malayali Hindu community, particularly the Pushpaka Unni Brahmin caste or the Vishwakarma (goldsmith) caste. In a traditional context, the term "Poduval" was used to denote a profession - those who were administrators or managers in temples, often of the East Kerala division. Some believe the name has its origin in the Malayalam terms “Podu” and “Val” which respectively mean “fire” and “sword”, symbolizing power and authority. Others suggest that it could derive from “Podu” referring to a parcel of common land used for shifting cultivation in the Eastern and the Central Western Ghats, and “Val” signifying social status or headman. However, both interpretations could be largely speculative. Today, people with this surname can be found in various fields contributing not just in India but also globally.
Order DNA origin analysisPoduval: Where does the name Poduval come from?
The last name Poduval is most commonly found in India, where it is one of the most common surnames amongst India’s Malayali people. It is also found among the Konkani people living in coastal Karnataka, Goa, and Kerala.
Tracing the origin of the name Poduval, some sources state that it is a form of transliteration of the Konkani surname "Puthuval" which is derived from the Sanskrit words "putha" meaning "new" and "uval" which means "place". This would suggest that the Poduvals are an amalgamation of families who migrated or settled near a new area and acquired the surname associated with their place of origin.
Therefore, Poduvals can be found all across India. However, they are most concentrated in the states of Karnataka and Goa; although they are comparatively less in number compared to other states in Kerala, Andhra Pradesh, Odisha, Tamil Nadu, Gujarat, and others.
The Poduvals are mostly Hindu although there are also some Christians and Muslims spread across the various states with this surname. They are known to be an upper-middle-class Brahmin caste and are even said to have served as priests in the prominent temples of Chennai, Salem, Madurai, and Trichy.
Today, the Poduval family is one of the most established and prominent families of the Indian subcontinent. As such, those who carry the Poduval surname can be found in all parts of India, representing many varied professions and often making a significant contribution to their local communities.
Variations of the surname Poduval
The surname Poduval is a historical Indian surname of partial Tamil origin. It is also referred to as Podaval, Poduwol, Podavell or Podval. Depending on the region, the surname can be spelled or pronounced in a variety of ways. For example, in some southern Indian states such as Kerala, it may be pronounced as ‘Poduvall’ or ‘Poddavall’.
In India, the surname Poduval is mainly found among Christians or upper-caste Hindus and is believed to have orgininated from the South Indian state of Tamil Nadu.
There are numerous variants and spellings of the Poduval surname. These include Poduvell, Podaval, Poduwol, Boduval, Podiaval, Paduve, Podiavell, Podlator, Ponval, Pondewol, Pudavol, Podivel, Poindinals, and Poduwolu.
In the United States of America, the surname Poduval has been anglicized to sound more similar to the American surname ‘Podval’. This includes spellings such as Podvyal, Podwell, Podvael, Podvalz, Podvale, etc.
The Poduval surname is not limited to India, as it is found throughout Asia, and can be widely observed in countries such as Thailand, Singapore, and Malaysia.
In Malaysia and Singapore, the surname is spelt as ‘Boduval’, and the same spelling is found in Thailand too, where the Poduval family members are known as as the ‘Buduwals’.
The different variants of the Poduval surname have led to numerous spelling variations across India, Asia, and the United States. It is, thus, a surname with a deep historical and geographical significance due to its origin and numerous spellings.
Famous people with the name Poduval
- D. Surendranath Poduval: a former member of the upper house of the Indian Parliament.
- Preetha Poduval: an Indian film actress and director.
- G. Balakrishna Poduval: an Indian politician.
- Meera Poduval: an Indian writer and professor.
- Jitendra Poduval: a member of the Gujarat Legislative Assembly.
- Prakash M. Poduval: an Indian cricketer.
- Akhil Poduval: an actor from India.
- Suvarna Poduval: an Indian film actress and dancer.
- Vishnu Poduval: a playback singer from India.
- Sanjana Poduval: an Indian folk dancer and singer.