Verghese

Verghese is a name of Indian origin used as both a given name and a surname. It is common among the Saint Thomas Christian communities of Kerala and reflects the Malayalam adaptation of the given name George, with Syriac linguistic influence. Spelling variants include Varghese, Varghese, and related transliterations that appear in Indian and diaspora communities.

Origins of the name relate to the given name George, which derives from the Greek Georgios. In Kerala, Verghese can function as a patronymic or family name, and the form is widely found among people of Indian origin abroad, often preserving the Kerala spelling. The name’s use spans religious and cultural contexts within the broader Indian Christian tradition.

Notable individuals with the name include Abraham Verghese (born 1955), a physician and author known for Cutting for Stone and for his clinical and literary work at Stanford University. Verghese Kurien (1921–2012) was an Indian engineer and social entrepreneur who led the Amul dairy cooperative and played a key role in India's White Revolution. Together, these figures illustrate the name’s association with professional achievement across medicine, literature, and rural development.