Most Indian names I see tend not to mix in bits and pieces that look western. Is something like this just random chance, or are there some groups or cultures where this is a done thing?
As mavelikara, above replied, Kerala has a unique mixture of three religions, Hinduism, Islam and Christianity. The Christians in Kerala are also of different denominations, Catholics (Syrian), Catholics (Latin), Orthodox Christians (Syrian), Orthodox Christians (Malankara), Protestants of all denominations etc.
In general, if you are Christian, your name has three parts to it, <First Name> <Middle Name> <Last Name> where the <First Name > is your given name, <Middle Name> is your father's given name and <Last Name> 'may' be a family name. The first and middle names are generally of Biblical origin and will be recognizable by Westerners, the family name will be a local name in Malayalam, which denotes many families of the same family tree so to speak.
The names of Malayalis (people of Kerala who speak the native tongue, Malayalam) are a source of confusion for Westerners. I am often asked is that you real name?
BTW, the Orthodox Christians of Kerala are 'believed' to be descendants of the first families, converted by St. Thomas (one of the 12 apostles of Christ) who is believed to have settled in Kerala (around 50 AD) in a place called Cranganore, and later is believed to have died/martyred in the neighboring state of Tamil Nadu. They are also called St. Thomas Christians. I leave it to more knowledgeable people to argue about authenticity of these beliefs.
My family belongs somewhere in this group. A few Australians have been confused by my last name which is biblical. Occasionally I remind them that India has more Christians than the Australian population and most of us have biblical names mixed in.
As an aside, I suspect the case was also driven by the fact that Keralite people are generally more aware of their rights given their high levels of education, knowledge of worker rights and socilaist exposure( the world first elected communist govt was here).
Most keralites migrate out to escape the socialist pressure that kills jobs there. Quite ironical that they get out and put up with such cr@p for so long but understandable given the obligations they get into.
> Andrews Isaac Padavettiyil
Most Indian names I see tend not to mix in bits and pieces that look western. Is something like this just random chance, or are there some groups or cultures where this is a done thing?