India, Tamil Nadu state, Chennai district people groups

South Asia Peoples website

Country:	India
Province / State:	Tamil Nadu
District:	Chennai

Major People Groups

175

Major Unreached People Groups

151

Total Population

5,197,000

Buddhist

0.1 %

Christian

6.8 %

Hindu

82.2 %

Muslim

9.0 %

Sikh

0.1 %

Other Religions

1.8 %

Click column headings for sorting ▲▼
People Group ▲	Population	Primary Language	Progress Scale	Hindu	Muslim	Buddhist	Christian	Sikh	Other
Adi Andhra	43,000	Telugu	1	43,000	-1 -	80	400	-1 -	-1 -
Adi Andhra Christian	3,600	Telugu	3	-1 -	-1 -	-1 -	3,600	-1 -	-1 -
Adi Dravida	661,000	Tamil	0	659,000	-1 -	1,400	800	-1 -	-1 -
Adi Dravida Christian	86,000	Tamil	3	-1 -	-1 -	-1 -	86,000	-1 -	-1 -
Agamudaiyan Mukkulattar	200	Tamil	0	200	-1 -	-1 -	-1 -	-1 -	-1 -
Agamudaiyan Nattaman	27,000	Tamil	1	27,000	-1 -	-1 -	-1 -	-1 -	-1 -
Agamudaiyan unspecified	31,000	Tamil	1	31,000	-1 -	-1 -	-1 -	-1 -	-1 -
Ambalavasi	1,100	Malayalam	1	1,100	-1 -	-1 -	-1 -	-1 -	-1 -
Ambattan (Hindu traditions)	13,000	Tamil	0	13,000	-1 -	-1 -	80	-1 -	-1 -
Ambattan Christian	1,200	Tamil	3	-1 -	-1 -	-1 -	1,200	-1 -	-1 -
Anglo	2,700	English	3	-1 -	-1 -	-1 -	2,700	-1 -	-1 -
Ansari	16,000	Urdu	0	-1 -	16,000	-1 -	-1 -	-1 -	-1 -
Aray Mala	200	Telugu	0	200	-1 -	-1 -	-1 -	-1 -	-1 -
Arunthathiyar	8,700	Tamil	0	8,700	-1 -	-1 -	-1 -	-1 -	-1 -
Arwa Mala	31,000	Tamil	0	31,000	-1 -	-1 -	-1 -	-1 -	-1 -
Bandi (Hindu traditions)	60	Tamil	0	60	-1 -	-1 -	-1 -	-1 -	-1 -
Bania Agarwal	6,400	Hindi	0	4,000	-1 -	-1 -	-1 -	-1 -	2,400
Bania Chetti	51,000	Tamil	0	26,000	-1 -	-1 -	-1 -	-1 -	26,000
Bania Irupathi Nalu Manai Chetti	2,300	Telugu	0	2,300	-1 -	-1 -	-1 -	-1 -	-1 -
Bania Komti	7,300	Telugu	0	7,300	-1 -	-1 -	-1 -	-1 -	-1 -
Bania Oswal	4,500	Hindi	0	400	-1 -	-1 -	-1 -	-1 -	4,100
Bania Porwal	2,400	Hindi	0	1,200	-1 -	-1 -	-1 -	-1 -	1,200
Bania Trivarnika Vaisya	3,600	Telugu	0	3,600	-1 -	-1 -	-1 -	-1 -	-1 -
Bania unspecified	105,000	Hindi	0	59,000	-1 -	-1 -	-1 -	-1 -	46,000
Bedar (Hindu traditions)	1,400	Kannada	0	1,400	-1 -	-1 -	-1 -	-1 -	-1 -
Bengali Muslim Moghal	2,200	Urdu	0	-1 -	2,200	-1 -	-1 -	-1 -	-1 -
Bhoi (Hindu traditions)	4,400	Hindi	0	4,400	-1 -	-1 -	-1 -	-1 -	-1 -
Bohra	1,500	Gujarati	0	-1 -	1,500	-1 -	-1 -	-1 -	-1 -
Bondili	100	Telugu	0	100	-1 -	-1 -	-1 -	-1 -	-1 -
Boya	337,000	Telugu	0	337,000	-1 -	-1 -	-1 -	-1 -	-1 -
Brahmin Ashtashasram	5,500	Tamil	0	5,500	-1 -	-1 -	-1 -	-1 -	-1 -
Brahmin Christian	1,000	Tamil	3	-1 -	-1 -	-1 -	1,000	-1 -	-1 -
Brahmin Deshastha	8,400	Marathi	0	8,400	-1 -	-1 -	-1 -	-1 -	-1 -
Brahmin Gaud Saraswat	2,600	Marathi	0	2,600	-1 -	-1 -	-1 -	-1 -	-1 -
Brahmin Gaur	17,000	Hindi	0	17,000	-1 -	-1 -	-1 -	-1 -	-1 -
Brahmin Gujar Gaur	1,700	Hindi	0	1,700	-1 -	-1 -	-1 -	-1 -	-1 -
Brahmin Iyer	42,000	Tamil	0	42,000	-1 -	-1 -	-1 -	-1 -	-1 -
Brahmin Joshi	1,200	Hindi	0	1,200	-1 -	-1 -	-1 -	-1 -	-1 -
Brahmin Kannada	10,000	Kannada	0	10,000	-1 -	-1 -	-1 -	-1 -	-1 -
Brahmin Karhada	1,000	Marathi	0	1,000	-1 -	-1 -	-1 -	-1 -	-1 -
Brahmin Mahratta	10,000	Marathi	0	10,000	-1 -	-1 -	-1 -	-1 -	-1 -
Brahmin Marathi	1,200	Marathi	0	1,200	-1 -	-1 -	-1 -	-1 -	-1 -
Brahmin Mukkaniyar	11,000	Tamil	0	11,000	-1 -	-1 -	-1 -	-1 -	-1 -
Brahmin Sholiar	2,200	Tamil	0	2,200	-1 -	-1 -	-1 -	-1 -	-1 -
Brahmin Tamil	36,000	Tamil	0	36,000	-1 -	-1 -	-1 -	-1 -	-1 -
Brahmin Telaganya	4,000	Telugu	0	4,000	-1 -	-1 -	-1 -	-1 -	-1 -
Brahmin Telugu	2,400	Telugu	0	2,400	-1 -	-1 -	-1 -	-1 -	-1 -
Brahmin unspecified	357,000	Hindi	0	352,000	-1 -	-1 -	300	-1 -	4,400
Brahmin Vadama	28,000	Tamil	0	28,000	-1 -	-1 -	-1 -	-1 -	-1 -
Brahmin Velanadu	2,000	Telugu	0	2,000	-1 -	-1 -	-1 -	-1 -	-1 -
Budega Jangam	1,500	Telugu	0	1,500	-1 -	-1 -	-1 -	-1 -	-1 -
Burmese	100	Burmese	1	-1 -	-1 -	100	-1 -	-1 -	-1 -
Byari (Beary)	5,900	Konkani	0	-1 -	5,900	-1 -	-1 -	-1 -	-1 -
Christian	9,900	Hindi	3	-1 -	-1 -	-1 -	9,900	-1 -	-1 -
Darzi (Hindu traditions)	24,000	Hindi	0	24,000	-1 -	-1 -	-1 -	-1 -	-1 -
Devadasi	2,200	Kannada	0	2,200	-1 -	-1 -	-1 -	-1 -	-1 -
Devendrakulathan	900	Tamil	0	900	-1 -	-1 -	-1 -	-1 -	-1 -
Dhangar Bharwad	1,200	Gujarati	0	1,200	-1 -	-1 -	-1 -	-1 -	-1 -
Dhobi (Muslim traditions)	1,300	Urdu	0	-1 -	1,300	-1 -	-1 -	-1 -	-1 -
Dudekula	200	Telugu	0	-1 -	200	-1 -	-1 -	-1 -	-1 -
Ellamalawar	60	Kannada	0	60	-1 -	-1 -	-1 -	-1 -	-1 -
Gandla	4,000	Telugu	0	4,000	-1 -	-1 -	-1 -	-1 -	-1 -
Gavara	400	Malayalam	0	400	-1 -	-1 -	-1 -	-1 -	-1 -
Goanese	9,900	Konkani, Goan	3	-1 -	-1 -	-1 -	9,900	-1 -	-1 -
Godda	300	Kannada	0	300	-1 -	-1 -	-1 -	-1 -	-1 -
Hajam	13,000	Urdu	0	-1 -	13,000	-1 -	-1 -	-1 -	-1 -
Hakki Pikki	2,000	Vaagri Booli	1	2,000	-1 -	-1 -	-1 -	-1 -	-1 -
Han Chinese, Mandarin	300	Chinese, Mandarin	2	-1 -	-1 -	200	-1 -	-1 -	40
Ilavan	19,000	Malayalam	0	19,000	-1 -	-1 -	-1 -	-1 -	-1 -
Jat (Sikh traditions)	1,200	Punjabi, Eastern	0	-1 -	-1 -	-1 -	-1 -	1,200	-1 -
Kaikolan	13,000	Tamil	1	13,000	-1 -	-1 -	300	-1 -	-1 -
Kalal (Hindu traditions)	11,000	Telugu	0	11,000	-1 -	-1 -	-1 -	-1 -	-1 -
Kalal Idiga	5,100	Telugu	0	5,100	-1 -	-1 -	-1 -	-1 -	-1 -
Kallan unspecified	58,000	Tamil	1	58,000	-1 -	-1 -	-1 -	-1 -	-1 -
Kapu Reddi	3,800	Telugu	0	3,800	-1 -	-1 -	-1 -	-1 -	-1 -
Kapu unspecified	37,000	Telugu	0	37,000	-1 -	-1 -	-1 -	-1 -	-1 -
Koli (Hindu traditions)	5,700	Hindi	0	5,700	-1 -	-1 -	-1 -	-1 -	-1 -
Koli of Gujarat	1,800	Gujarati	1	1,800	-1 -	-1 -	-1 -	-1 -	-1 -
Kuda Korava	100	Tamil	0	100	-1 -	-1 -	-1 -	-1 -	-1 -
Kudumi	6,800	Tamil	0	6,800	-1 -	-1 -	-1 -	-1 -	-1 -
Kumhar, Kusavar (Hindu traditions)	5,600	Hindi	0	5,600	-1 -	-1 -	-1 -	-1 -	-1 -
Kunbi (Hindu traditions)	5,400	Gujarati	0	5,400	-1 -	-1 -	-1 -	-1 -	-1 -
Kuravan (Christian traditions)	300	Tamil	3	-1 -	-1 -	-1 -	300	-1 -	-1 -
Kuravan (Hindu traditions)	3,800	Malayalam	0	3,800	-1 -	30	-1 -	-1 -	-1 -
Kurmi (Hindu traditions)	4,200	Hindi	0	4,200	-1 -	-1 -	-1 -	-1 -	-1 -
Kuruman	1,600	Kurumba, Betta	1	1,600	-1 -	-1 -	-1 -	-1 -	30
Lingayat	9,400	Kannada	0	-1 -	-1 -	-1 -	-1 -	-1 -	9,400
Lohar (Hindu traditions)	50,000	Hindi	0	50,000	-1 -	-1 -	-1 -	-1 -	-1 -
Madasi Kuruva	700	Telugu	0	700	-1 -	-1 -	-1 -	-1 -	-1 -
Madiga (Christian traditions)	2,400	Telugu	3	-1 -	-1 -	-1 -	2,400	-1 -	-1 -
Madiga (Hindu traditions)	1,700	Telugu	1	1,700	-1 -	20	-1 -	-1 -	-1 -
Madiga Dasu	100	Telugu	0	100	-1 -	-1 -	-1 -	-1 -	-1 -
Mahratta Kunbi	4,100	Gujarati	0	4,100	-1 -	-1 -	-1 -	-1 -	-1 -
Mahratta unspecified	7,000	Marathi	0	7,000	-1 -	-1 -	-1 -	-1 -	-1 -
Mahyavanshi	1,300	Gujarati	1	1,300	-1 -	-1 -	-1 -	-1 -	-1 -
Mala (Christian traditions)	1,700	Telugu	3	-1 -	-1 -	-1 -	1,700	-1 -	-1 -
Mala Dasari	3,100	Telugu	0	3,100	-1 -	-1 -	-1 -	-1 -	-1 -
Mala Dasu	200	Telugu	0	200	-1 -	-1 -	-1 -	-1 -	-1 -
Malabar Catholic	14,000	Malayalam	3	-1 -	-1 -	-1 -	14,000	-1 -	-1 -
Malakkuravan	1,200	Tamil	1	1,200	-1 -	-1 -	-1 -	-1 -	-1 -
Malayarayar	90	Malayalam	2	90	-1 -	-1 -	-1 -	-1 -	-1 -
Malla Jetty	400	Telugu	0	400	-1 -	-1 -	-1 -	-1 -	-1 -
Mangala	135,000	Telugu	0	135,000	-1 -	-1 -	-1 -	-1 -	-1 -
Maniyattikkaran	1,100	Tamil	0	1,100	-1 -	-1 -	-1 -	-1 -	-1 -
Mappila	20,000	Malayalam	0	-1 -	20,000	-1 -	-1 -	-1 -	-1 -
Maravan	116,000	Tamil	1	109,000	-1 -	-1 -	6,800	-1 -	-1 -
Masthi	100	Telugu	0	100	-1 -	-1 -	-1 -	-1 -	-1 -
Matangi	40	Telugu	0	40	-1 -	-1 -	-1 -	-1 -	-1 -
Mudugar	30	Tamil	1	20	-1 -	-1 -	-1 -	-1 -	-1 -
Mukkuvan (Christian traditions)	500	Malayalam	3	-1 -	-1 -	-1 -	500	-1 -	-1 -
Nadar (Christian traditions)	136,000	Tamil	3	-1 -	-1 -	-1 -	136,000	-1 -	-1 -
Nadar (Hindu traditions)	171,000	Tamil	0	171,000	-1 -	-1 -	-1 -	-1 -	-1 -
Nai (Hindu traditions)	137,000	Hindi	0	137,000	-1 -	-1 -	-1 -	-1 -	-1 -
Nair	57,000	Malayalam	1	57,000	-1 -	-1 -	-1 -	-1 -	-1 -
Navait	6,700	Konkani	0	-1 -	6,700	-1 -	-1 -	-1 -	-1 -
Navithan	27,000	Tamil	0	27,000	-1 -	-1 -	-1 -	-1 -	-1 -
Pallan (Hindu traditions)	4,900	Tamil	1	4,900	-1 -	70	-1 -	-1 -	-1 -
Palleyan	30	Tamil	2	20	-1 -	-1 -	-1 -	-1 -	-1 -
Palliyan	100	Tamil	1	80	-1 -	-1 -	-1 -	-1 -	-1 -
Pandaram	500	Malayalam	0	500	-1 -	-1 -	-1 -	-1 -	-1 -
Paraiyan (Christian traditions)	5,100	Tamil	3	-1 -	-1 -	-1 -	5,100	-1 -	-1 -
Paraiyan (Hindu traditions)	6,100	Tamil	1	6,000	-1 -	80	-1 -	-1 -	-1 -
Pashtun, Pathan	14,000	Urdu	0	-1 -	14,000	-1 -	-1 -	-1 -	-1 -
Persian	200	Dari	0	-1 -	200	-1 -	-1 -	-1 -	-1 -
Perumal Makkukkaran	100	Telugu	0	100	-1 -	-1 -	-1 -	-1 -	-1 -
Puthirai Vannan	1,000	Tamil	1	1,000	-1 -	-1 -	-1 -	-1 -	-1 -
Rajaka Dhobi (Hindu traditions)	5,600	Hindi	0	5,600	-1 -	-1 -	-1 -	-1 -	-1 -
Rajput (Hindu traditions)	28,000	Hindi	0	28,000	-1 -	-1 -	-1 -	-1 -	-1 -
Rajput Chandrabansi	5,300	Hindi	0	5,300	-1 -	-1 -	-1 -	-1 -	-1 -
Rajput Chauhan (Hindu traditions)	1,200	Hindi	0	1,200	-1 -	-1 -	-1 -	-1 -	-1 -
Rajput Surajbansi	5,300	Hindi	0	5,300	-1 -	-1 -	-1 -	-1 -	-1 -
Razu	1,200	Telugu	0	1,200	-1 -	-1 -	-1 -	-1 -	-1 -
Sayyid	25,000	Urdu	0	-1 -	25,000	-1 -	-1 -	-1 -	-1 -
Sayyid Husaini	1,100	Urdu	0	-1 -	1,100	-1 -	-1 -	-1 -	-1 -
Shaikh Faruqi	1,800	Urdu	0	-1 -	1,800	-1 -	-1 -	-1 -	-1 -
Shaikh Qureshi	20,000	Urdu	0	-1 -	20,000	-1 -	-1 -	-1 -	-1 -
Shaikh Siddiqi	4,600	Bengali	0	-1 -	4,600	-1 -	-1 -	-1 -	-1 -
Shaikh unspecified	105,000	Urdu	0	-1 -	105,000	-1 -	-1 -	-1 -	-1 -
Shaikh Usmani	1,200	Urdu	0	-1 -	1,200	-1 -	-1 -	-1 -	-1 -
Silpi	10,000	Telugu	0	10,000	-1 -	-1 -	-1 -	-1 -	-1 -
Sinhalese	600	Sinhala	0	-1 -	-1 -	600	-1 -	-1 -	-1 -
Sonar (Hindu traditions)	100,000	Hindi	0	99,000	-1 -	-1 -	-1 -	-1 -	1,100
Syrian Christian	22,000	Malayalam	3	-1 -	-1 -	-1 -	22,000	-1 -	-1 -
Tamboli (Hindu traditions)	2,200	Hindi	0	1,900	-1 -	-1 -	-1 -	-1 -	300
Tamil (Muslim traditions)	225,000	Tamil	0	-1 -	225,000	-1 -	-1 -	-1 -	-1 -
Teli (Hindu traditions)	67,000	Hindi	0	67,000	-1 -	-1 -	-1 -	-1 -	-1 -
Thandan (Christian traditions)	600	Malayalam	3	-1 -	-1 -	-1 -	600	-1 -	-1 -
Tiruvalluvar	60	Tamil	0	60	-1 -	-1 -	-1 -	-1 -	-1 -
Toda	60	Toda	2	40	-1 -	-1 -	20	-1 -	-1 -
Urikkara Naicker	100	Telugu	0	100	-1 -	-1 -	-1 -	-1 -	-1 -
Vaddar (Hindu traditions)	46,000	Telugu	0	46,000	-1 -	-1 -	200	-1 -	-1 -
Vakkaliga unspecified	3,600	Kannada	1	3,600	-1 -	-1 -	-1 -	-1 -	-1 -
Valluvan	4,000	Tamil	0	4,000	-1 -	-1 -	-1 -	-1 -	-1 -
Vaniyan	104,000	Tamil	2	81,000	-1 -	-1 -	24,000	-1 -	-1 -
Vannan (Christian traditions)	3,600	Tamil	3	-1 -	-1 -	-1 -	3,600	-1 -	-1 -
Vannan (Hindu traditions)	8,700	Tamil	0	8,700	-1 -	-1 -	40	-1 -	-1 -
Vanniyan	545,000	Tamil	1	537,000	-1 -	-1 -	8,400	-1 -	-1 -
Vanniyan Agnikula	24,000	Tamil	1	24,000	-1 -	-1 -	500	-1 -	-1 -
Vanniyan Kalingi	24,000	Tamil	1	24,000	-1 -	-1 -	200	-1 -	-1 -
Vathiriyan (Christian traditions)	700	Tamil	3	-1 -	-1 -	-1 -	700	-1 -	-1 -
Vathiriyan (Hindu traditions)	100	Tamil	0	100	-1 -	-1 -	-1 -	-1 -	-1 -
Vellalan Isai	9,200	Tamil	1	9,200	-1 -	-1 -	-1 -	-1 -	-1 -
Vellalan Mudaliar	8,200	Tamil	1	8,200	-1 -	-1 -	-1 -	-1 -	-1 -
Vellalan Nanchilnattu	10,000	Tamil	2	8,200	-1 -	-1 -	2,000	-1 -	-1 -
Vellalan Pattanavan	5,100	Tamil	0	5,100	-1 -	-1 -	-1 -	-1 -	-1 -
Vellalan Sozhia	10,000	Tamil	1	9,700	-1 -	-1 -	500	-1 -	-1 -
Vellalan Tondamandalam	9,200	Tamil	1	9,200	-1 -	-1 -	-1 -	-1 -	-1 -
Vellalan unspecified	96,000	Tamil	1	92,000	-1 -	-1 -	4,000	-1 -	-1 -
Vellalan Virakodi	8,200	Tamil	1	8,200	-1 -	-1 -	-1 -	-1 -	-1 -
Viswakarma Asari	16,000	Malayalam	0	16,000	-1 -	-1 -	-1 -	-1 -	-1 -
Viswakarma unspecified	129,000	Tamil	1	128,000	-1 -	-1 -	1,000	-1 -	-1 -
Yadav (Hindu traditions)	137,000	Hindi	0	137,000	-1 -	-1 -	-1 -	-1 -	-1 -
Yadav Ghosi	3,400	Hindi	0	3,400	-1 -	-1 -	-1 -	-1 -	-1 -
Yadav Gola	100,000	Telugu	0	100,000	-1 -	-1 -	-1 -	-1 -	-1 -
Yenadi	17,000	Telugu	1	17,000	-1 -	-1 -	-1 -	-1 -	-1 -
Major Groups (displayed): 175	5,152,000		151 ●	4,238,000	466,000	2,700	350,000	1,200	94,000
All Groups (including small not displayed *): 413	5,197,000		358 ●	4,273,000	470,000	2,800	355,000	2,800	94,000

* District level entries that are less than 1,000 individuals AND less than 1% of the groups total in the country are not displayed.

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Prayer Cards

Level	Description	Criteria
1a	Unreached (Frontier) - Less than 1 in 1,000 (0.1%) identify as Christians in any way. ✸︎	Evangelicals <=0.1% Professing Christians <=0.1%
1b	Unreached (non-Frontier) - Few evangelicals and little, if any, history of Christianity. ◼︎	Evangelicals >0.1% and <=2% Professing Christians >0.1% and <=5%
1	Unreached (All) - Few evangelicals and few who identify as Christians. Little, if any, history of Christianity. ✸︎+◼︎	Evangelicals <= 2% Professing Christians <= 5%
2	Minimally reached - Few evangelicals, but significant number who identify as Christians.	Evangelicals <= 2% Professing Christians > 5% and <= 50%
3	Superficially reached - Few evangelicals, but many who identify as Christians. In great need of spiritual renewal and commitment to biblical faith.	Evangelicals <= 2% Professing Christians > 50%
4	Partially reached - Evangelicals have a modest to moderate presence.	Evangelicals > 2% and <= 10%
5	Significantly reached - Evangelicals have a significant presence.	Evangelicals > 10%

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