New Delhi: The Union Cabinet which was led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi has approved the proposal to change the name of the state from Kerala to Keralam on today on February 24. This decision matches the official name with how most people in Kerala say it in their native language Malayalam. After the Cabinet approval, the President of India will send a bill called the Kerala (Alteration of Name) Bill, 2026 to the Kerala Legislative Assembly.

The assembly will share its views on the change. Once those views come back, the central government will move forward. It will get the President’s recommendation to introduce the bill in Parliament. This follows the rules in Article 3 of the Constitution.

The rename stirs interest in the state’s past. Names hold stories of kings, lands and words.

Ancient Roots in Chera Kingdom

Rulers in the past shaped Kerala’s early name. The Chera dynasty controlled the area there for long time. The Mauryan emperor Ashoka said it in 257 BC. His rock edict called the ruler Keralaputra. This means son of Kerala. It also linked to son of Chera.

Scholars connect Chera to the name. Cheral came from Old Tamil words. One meaning is lake. Another is slope of a hill. The Cheras ruled from the west coast. Their land stretched between seas and hills. People called the region Cheralam. Chera means the dynasty. Alam means land. Hence it was called as land of the Cheras.

From Cheralam to Keralam

Words changed over time. Cheralam turned into Keralam in Malayalam. Folks tell stories talk about this. According to one legend, Lord Parashuram threw his axe into the sea and then he made land rise. He named it Cheranaalum. This is how it became Keralam.

Another way about the name is the idea ties to coconuts. Kera means coconut tree. Alam means land. So, in other words, Kerala became land of coconuts. Trees grow everywhere there. German missionary Dr Herman Gundert studied this. He wrote the first Malayalam-English dictionary. He said keram is like cheram in Kannada. Cher means to join or mud flat. The name fits the joined lands.

In 1956, India formed Kerala state. It combined Travancore-Cochin and Malabar. The English name stayed Kerala. But locals always said Keralam.

The push for official change

Kerala leaders wanted accuracy. The state assembly voted two times. The first time it happened in June 2024. Then again later it happened. They asked the Centre to act under Article 3. The Cabinet agreed. A bill will go to Parliament soon. This fixes the name in all languages.