1. Thiruvananthapuram Before the British called the city Trivandrum, it was known as Thiruvananthapuram, which means ‘the city of Lord Ananta’, a deity of Sri Padmanabhaswamy Temple.

2. Pathanamthitta While it has several different versions of how it got its name, the most popular one is it was coined from two Malayalam words — pathanam and thitta, which together mean a group of 10 families that settled on the banks of the river Achenkovil.

3. Munnar One of the most sought-after hill stations in Kerala, Munnar is coined after its three mountain streams — Mudrapuzha, Kundala and Nallathanni.

4. Palakkad The place is often known to be named after the pala trees, which occupied a great part of the region. Another popular story that goes around is that it was inhabited by a Jain community that spoke the language of Pali.

5. Kottayam The city got its name by merging kotta and akam, referring to the inside of a fort. In the 18th century, the area had numerous palaces and forts, which were later destroyed by Marthanda Varma, a ruler from Travancore. But the name still echoes the stories of its historical grandeur.

6. Mavelikara Located on the banks of the Achankovil river, Mavelikara is called so by combining the words Maveli, the mythical king of Kerala, and kara which means land.

7. Ernakulam The state's commercial capital has two widely known theories about its name. One suggests that the city is named after the Tamil word  Erayanarkulam, meaning ‘the abode of Lord Shiva’. Another theory proposes that the name originates from the Malayalam words Ere-Naal-Kulam, which literally translates to ‘pond for a long time’.

8. Kollam Renewed for its pepper production, Kollam derives its name from the Sanskrit word pippali, meaning pepper. Formerly recognised as Quilon during the British era, the city boasts historical references dating back to the reign of King Solomon.

9. Kozhikode As per historian K V Krishnan Iyer, the term is a blend of Malayalam words, koyil (palace) and kotai (fortified), collectively signifying a fortified palace. The evolution from Koyilkotai then progressed to Koliykode, ultimately transforming into the present-day name, Kozhikode.

10. Kalamassery The name Kalamassery is thought to originate from the term kalabhasery. Often employed to denote sandalwood paste, the word kalabham is also utilised in literary Malayalam to signify an elephant.

11. Aluva Near Ernakulam, the town of Aluva is believed to have a name rooted in Puranic times. In the Hindu mythological episode of Samudra Manthan, where gods and demons vie for the nectar of immortality, Shiva’s heroic act of swallowing the Halahala poison is renowned.

An idol was crafted in the likeness of Shiva consuming the poison, known as alam, using his vaa or mouth. This idol was then placed in a temple in present-day Aluva.

12. Angamaly According to folklore, battles called Ankam took place on ordinary grounds or myal. This area was once the site of duels between ancient warriors, giving it its name.

13. Thrissur Known for its ancient Shiva temples and colourful festivals, the city’s name comes from the words Thiru-Shiva-Perur, which translates to ‘the city with the name of the Lord Shiva’.

14. Wayanad Wayanad’s name is widely believed to be a combination of vayal (paddy field) and naad (land), making it ‘the land of paddy fields’.

.