Malayalam female names come from Kerala’s Malayalam-speaking communities and draw on Dravidian and Sanskrit sources, with additional influence from Christian and Muslim naming. Many feminine names end in -a or -i due to Sanskrit-derived feminine forms. A distinctive female feature in Kerala is the use of affectionate forms: suffixes like -mol/-mole and -kutty/-kutti, and the prefix Kunj-.

In practice, girls often have a formal given name for records and a domestic pet name. Amma and Ammu function as affectionate female forms; Kunjumary shows a Malayalam diminutive added to Mary. Examples in use include Amma, Ammu, Kunjumani, Kunjumary, Kunjumole, Kunjumukutty, Omana, Orma, Priyamani, and Cheera.