Vijayan

Vijayan is a masculine given name and surname of Indian origin, widely used in Malayalam-speaking regions and among the Indian diaspora. The name comes from the Sanskrit word Vijaya, meaning victory, with the suffix -an that is common in South Indian name formation. As a result, Vijayan is often understood to signify “one who achieves victory” or simply “victorious.” It functions both as a standalone given name and as a family name in various communities, and it is found among Malayalam- and Tamil-speaking populations as well as in Sri Lanka and abroad.

The name is particularly associated with communities in Kerala, where it appears in both historical and contemporary contexts. It is used across generations and can be transliterated in slightly different ways, reflecting regional pronunciation and language scripts.

Notable people named Vijayan include Pinarayi Vijayan (born 1944), an Indian politician who has served as the Chief Minister of Kerala since 2016, and I. V. Vijayan (1930–2005), a renowned Malayalam writer and cartoonist best known for his novel Khasakkinte Itihasam. The name is carried by other professionals in India and among the diaspora, spanning fields such as politics, literature, and the arts.