Old English last names on Tamil families almost never indicate English descent. They are the residue of missionary sponsorship — a Tamil convert took the name of the missionary or the mission’s founding minister, and it descended through the family line.
What "old" English last names on Tamil families typically indicate
- The missionary’s own surname — Schwartz for Tanjore Lutherans, Caldwell for Tirunelveli Anglicans, Ringeltaube for Travancore LMS, Rhenius for CMS Tirunelveli.
- A patron saint’s name — Peter, Paul, Cornelius, David, James.
- A mission-station name — sometimes the name of the location itself became a surname.
- Anglicised patronymic — the father’s Tamil first name became the family’s British-record surname.
Research method
- Parish and denomination first.
- Baptism register second from that specific parish.
- Village cross-reference with TamizhConnect’s voter roll.
- Diaspora extension through indenture registers.
- Attach to your family tree.
