Kerala becomes Keralam. Kera means coconut tree and Alam means land or realm, meaning the land of coconut trees

PRESIDENT Droupadi Murmu gave her assent to the Kerala (Alteration of Name) Bill, 2026 in August 2026, officially renaming the southern state of Kerala to Keralam in the First Schedule of the Indian Constitution.

The state has always been referred to as Keralam in the local Malayalam language.

"Kerala" was viewed as an anglicised variation adopted during British colonial rule.

The term Keralam comes from "Kera" (coconut tree) and "Alam" (land or realm), meaning the land of coconut trees.

The Kerala Legislative Assembly passed a unanimous resolution asking the central government to alter the official name.

In February 2026, the Union Cabinet formally cleared the proposal to amend the name under Article 3 of the Constitution. In August 2026, Parliament passed the bill through both the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha, culminating in the President's final assent.