# Pillai (Tamil surname)

Pillai (Tamil:) is a Tamil surname traditionally associated with the Vellalar community, a dominant agrarian and land-owning group in Tamil Nadu and northern Sri Lanka. The term Pillai is believed to have originated as an honorific title meaning "child" or "son," connoting nobility and respect. Over time, it became a hereditary surname commonly associated with upper-caste Tamils, especially those involved in land administration and temple management.
The Pillai surname of Tamil Nadu is distinct from the Pillai title associated with Kerala Pillai, The two are unrelated.

## Etymology and origin

The term Pillai derives from the Tamil word pillai (பிள்ளை), which means "child" or "son," symbolizing status, respect, and lineage. Historical records suggest that the title was first conferred by Tamil kings and later adopted as a surname by prominent families in the Tamil regions. It was particularly associated with the Vellalar community, a caste traditionally involved in agriculture, land ownership, and governance.

## History
### Tamil Nadu

In Tamil Nadu, Pillai was predominantly used by the Vellalar caste, who were landowners and administrators under various Tamil kingdoms, including the Cholas, Pandyas, and Vijayanagara Empire. The title was often granted to individuals for their loyalty and service to the state, especially in administrative and military capacities.
The Vellalar Pillais played a significant role in temple administration, overseeing donations, rituals, and land management. The prominence of the Pillai title in Tamil Nadu peaked during the medieval period when many Pillais were recorded as holding influential positions in local governance and as temple trustees.

### Sri Lanka

The Sri Lankan Vellalars share partially common origins with the Vellalars of Tamil Nadu. The Vellalar traditionally inhabited the Sangam landscape of Marutham. The earliest reference to the Vellalar, however, written in Tamil: வேளாளர், romanized: Vēḷāḷar, is attested to in the Akanaṉūṟu, which divided the society into four classes Arasar, Andanar, Vanigar, and Vellalar. The Vellalar mentioned in Akanaṉūṟu was a generic term for all agriculturists. In Tamil Nadu, however, the Vellalars gradually phased out their name with the generic one, thus, blurring its original meaning. There were two types of the Vellalars, the cultivators called Velkudi Ulavar and the wealthy landowners called Kaniyalar or Kodikkalar. The Vellalar tribes are described as a landed gentry who irrigated the wet lands and the Karalar (use Vellalar as title) were the landed gentry in the dry lands. Karalar means "lord of clouds".

## Social and cultural significance

The Pillai surname is closely tied to Tamil culture and social hierarchy. It is traditionally associated with notions of prestige and respectability. The title's widespread use among Vellalars reflects their historical dominance in agrarian and administrative spheres.
While primarily associated with the Vellalar caste, The surname has also been adopted by some castes in Tamil Nadu and Sri Lanka as a means of social upliftment, including the Konar, Agamudaiyar and some other caste. These surnames have been considered markers of elevated social status and cultural identity in the respective communities.

## Notable people

* Ashan Pillai (born in Sri Lanka, 1969), British violist and academic
* Anton Sebastianpillai (1944/5–2020), author and consultant geriatrician
* Ananda Ranga Pillai (1709–1761), dubash in the service of French East India Company
* Ariranga Pillay (born 1945), former Chief Justice and briefly Acting President of Mauritius
* Arumuka Navalar, born as Kandarpillai Arumugapillai, a Sri Lankan Hindu reformer
* Bastiampillai Anthonipillai Thomas (1886–1964), Sri Lankan Tamil priest and founder of Rosarians Order
* Bastiampillai Deogupillai (1917–2003), Sri Lankan Tamil Roman Catholic bishop
* C. W. Thamotharampillai (1832–1901), publisher of ancient Tamil texts
* Candice Pillay (born 1981), singer and songwriter
* Chempakaraman Pillai (1891–1934), freedom fighter from Travancore of Tamil descent
* Chinna Migapillai, 17th century feudal lord and rebel leader from the Jaffna Kingdom
* Dhanraj Pillay (born 1968), Indian hockey player
* Gerald Pillay (born 1953), South African theologian and ecclesiastical historian, Vice Chancellor and Rector of Liverpool Hope University.
* Gooty Kesava Pillai (1860–1933), Indian journalist and freedom-fighter. Delegate from Anantapur, Andhra Pradesh at the first session of the Indian National Congress.
* Jerry Pillay (born 1965), South African Reformed pastor, theologian and General Secretary of the World Council of Churches.
* K. C. Pillai (1900–1970), Bishop-at-large of the Indian Orthodox Church, Antiochean Succession, Chennai (Madras), India
* K. Appavu Pillai (1911–1973), Indian politician
* K. Perumal Pillai, Indian politician
* K. Thamboosamy Pillay (1850–1902), a prominent member of the Tamil community in British Malaya
* Kavimani Desigavinayagam Pillai (1876–1954), Indian freedom fighter, poet
* L. D. Swamikannu Pillai (1865–1925), Indian astronomer, Speaker of Tamil Nadu Assembly
* Manonmaniam Sundaram Pillai (1855–1897), writer in Tamil literature; his poem "Niraarum Kadal Udutha" is the official Tamil Anthem
* Maraimalai Adigal (Nagai Vedachalam Pillai, 1876–1950), eminent Tamil orator and writer, started Pure Tamil movement Tanittamil Iyakkam
* Marimutha Pillai (1712–1787), musician
* Maruthanayagam Pillai (1725–1764), Indian soldier and administrator also known as Muhammed Yusuf Khan
* Naraina Pillai, social entrepreneur and businessman
* Navanethem Pillay (born 1941), South African judge, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights
* Palani Subramaniam Pillai (1908–1962), Carnatic music percussionist
* Panchaksharam Rangasamy Pillai (born 1943), known as Vijayakumar, is an Indian actor who works in Tamil cinema
* Periyapillai, 16th century king of the Jaffna Kingdom
* Pradani Muthirulappa Pillai, 18th-century minister of Ramnad during the reign of Muthuramalinga Sethupathy
* Prem Nath Pillai (born 1982), Malaysia-based filmmaker and editor
* Simone Ashwini Pillai, British Actress of Tamil native
* Sivathanu Pillai, Rocket Scientist
* Subbayya Sivasankaranarayana Pillai (1901–1950), Indian mathematician
* T. S. Ramasamy Pillai (1918–2006), Freedom-fighter, politician and former Member of the Legislative Assembly (India)
* Trevin Bastiampillai (born 1985), Sri Lankan Canadian cricketer
* Vella Pillay (1923-2004), South African economist and political activist
* V. O. Chidambaram Pillai (1872–1936), Indian freedom fighter, popularly known as V.O.C. and as Kappalottiya Tamilan
* Venkatarama Ramalingam Pillai (Namakkal Kavignar Ramalingam Pillai, 1888–1972), poet and freedom fighter.