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[Surname] Origin and meaning of Vencatachellum
Can anyone tell me the origin and meaning of the surname Vencatachellum? I don't really where it comes from, but it just doesn't sound like a European surname.. maybe it originates in India, but I'm not really sure.
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You are right about it being Indian, more specifically South Indian, like most of those polysyllabic names.
Here -
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Venkatachalam
It is explained as a variant of Venkatachalam, but I'm sure it's not from the place name. Several South Indian names incorporate the word Venkat, the name of a hill that is associated with some Hindu god. Venkatachellum appears to be a male given name which refers to this particular deity.
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Thank you for such a detailed explanation!
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