Varghese
A South Indian Christian surname derived from a form of the name George, especially associated with Kerala.
The #5,010 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 44,025 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Varghese is a South Indian Christian surname and personal name ultimately linked to George. It comes through Syriac/Christian tradition from a local Malayalam form of the name, often explained as a regional rendering of 'George' rather than an independent native word. In many families it began as a baptismal or ancestral name and later became fixed as a hereditary surname.
History
The name is especially common among Saint Thomas Christian communities in Kerala, where biblical and saint names were adapted into local speech forms over many centuries. In modern usage it is often both a given name and a surname, and it is widely found among Malayalam-speaking diaspora communities in India and abroad.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
Varghese is one of several Kerala Christian names that trace back to a saint’s name filtered through Syriac and Malayalam pronunciation, which is why it can look quite different from 'George' at first glance.