The baby name Ayyappa is a Male name , 3 syllables long and is pronounced uh-YAH-puh (IPA: /əˈjɑːpə/).
Ayyappa is Indian in Origin.
The baby name Ayyappa is a Male name , 3 syllables long and is pronounced uh-YAH-puh (IPA: /əˈjɑːpə/).
Ayyappa is Indian in Origin.
Ayyappa is a South Indian theophoric male name rooted in Dravidian languages, especially Malayalam, Tamil, Kannada, and Telugu. It joins ayya/aiyya (“respected lord, sir”) with appa/appan (“father”), giving the sense “revered father” or “venerable lord.” The form aligns with Sanskritized honorifics used for the deity and relates to epithets such as Hariharasuta and Manikandan.
Usage arises from devotion to Lord Ayyappa, centered at Sabarimala in Kerala. Though the cult is older, the name spread as a given name in the 20th century alongside mass pilgrimages. It is favored among Hindu families in Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, and the diaspora, sometimes for boys born during the Mandala–Makaravilakku season. Variants and spellings include Ayyappan (Tamil/Malayalam), Aiyappa, Iyappa, Ayyapa, and Ayyappa Swami; shortened vernacular forms may drop the final nasal.
Based on birth registration data from national statistics agencies.
| Country | Gender | Year | Rank | Born | of |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| BN | Boys | 0 | #139 | 1 | 6,332 |
| KW | Girls | 0 | #559 | 3 | 19,177 |
| BH | 0 | #582 | 6 | 17,937 | |
| SG | Girls | 0 | #630 | 3 | 18,916 |
| IN | Girls | 0 | #650 | 5 | 13,121 |
| SG | Boys | 0 | #672 | 26 | 17,960 |
| QA | Boys | 0 | #698 | 10 | 18,093 |
| KW | Boys | 0 | #743 | 27 | 18,755 |
| OM | Boys | 0 | #853 | 29 | 17,948 |
| IN | Boys | 0 | #900 | 102 | 16,750 |
| SA | Girls | 0 | #1,014 | 1 | 25,931 |
| AE | Boys | 0 | #1,054 | 39 | 22,615 |
| ZA | Boys | 0 | #1,272 | 1 | 25,619 |
| SA | Boys | 0 | #1,575 | 40 | 28,008 |
Ayyappa is popular in 10 countries — most recent births per country:
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