Etymology

See also: Names of Chennai in different languages

The name Chennai is of Telugu origin.[31][32][33] It was derived from the

name of a Telugu ruler, Damarla Mudirasa Chennappa Nayakudu,
father of Damarla Venkatapathy Nayak, a Nayak ruler who served as a
general under Venkata III of the Vijayanagar Empire from whom the
British acquired the town in 1639.[34][35] The first official use of the
name Chennai is said to be in a sale deed, dated August 1639, to Francis
Day of the East India Company, even before[36] the Chennakesava
Perumal Temple was built in 1646,[37] while some scholars argue to the
contrary.[38]

The name Madras is also of native origin, and has been shown to have
been in use before the British established a presence in India. [39] A
Vijayanagar-era inscription dated to the year 1367 that mentions the
port of Mādarasanpattanam, along with other small ports on the east
coast, was discovered in 2015 and it was theorised that the
aforementioned port is the fishing port of Royapuram.[40] According to
some sources, Madras is derived from Madraspattinam, a fishing village
north of Fort St George.[41] However, it is uncertain whether the name
was in use before the arrival of Europeans. [42] British military
mapmakers believed Madras was originally Mundir-
raj or Mundiraj, which was the name of a Telugu community, Mudiraj,
who were the native inhabitants of the city.[43][44][45]
There are also suggestions that it may have originated from the
Portuguese phrase Mãe de Deus or Madre de Dios, which means "mother
of God", due to Portuguese influence on the port city, specifically
referring to a Church of St. Mary.[46]

In 1996, the Government of Tamil Nadu officially changed the name

from Madras to Chennai. At that time many Indian cities underwent a
change of name.[47][48] However, the name Madras continues in occasional
use for the city,[49] as well as for places named after the city such
as University of Madras, IIT Madras, Madras Institute of
Technology, Madras Medical College, Madras Veterinary
College, Madras Christian College.