Panicker

Panicker (sometimes Panikkar) is an Indian title or last name.

The Dravidian Etymological Dictionary, entry number 3884, considers the word Panikkan as a word of Dravidian etymology, deriving from the Dravidian root word Pani, meaning service, work etc. Panikkan could mean a person who commands as well as one who serves. The DED traces cognates of the word Panikkan in twelve Dravidian languages, besides Malayalam.^{[citation needed]}

The Portuguese traveller Duarte Barbosa said that "They are the skillful men who teach this art Kalarippayattu, and they are called the Panickers: these are the captains in war. Commander of one hundred (100) captains. Each captain commands one hundred (100) soldiers."^[1]

Following the current conventions for Romanising Malayalam without diacritic marks, the name would be "Panikkar". However, Panikker, Panicker, Panickar, Paniker, Panikar, Panniker, Pannikavannar and possibly other variants are to be found.^{[citation needed]}

• Tischi Balachandra Panicker, entrepreneur, investor, engineer, Army Officer
• N. Kesava Panikkar, zoologist
• Ayyappa Paniker, poet
• Putumanna Panikkar, warrior of Valluvanad
• Arattapuzha Velayudha Panicker, Ezhava warrior of the 19th century
• Cheerappanchira Panicker,Ezhava kalari martial arts family
• Kavalam Narayana Panicker, Indian dramatist, theater director, and poet
• K. M. Panikkar, diplomat
• Muloor S. Padmanabha Panicker,Ezhava poet
• P. K. Narayana Panicker, former General Secretary and President of the Nair Service Society
• P. N. Panicker, father of the Library Movement
• Geevarghese Panicker, priest and educationalist of Syro-Malankara Catholic Church, Kerala
• Rahul Alex Panicker, entrepreneur, best known as president and co-founder of Embrace Innovations
• Arattupuzha Velayudha Panicker,Ezhava forerunner of Narayana Guru
• Akathayyadi Panicker,Ezhava chief commander of the ilayidath swaroopam (Kottarakkara kingdom)
• Ambanattu Panicker,Ezhava chief commander of the Chempakassery kingdom^[2]
• Lokanatha Panicker,Ezhava chief commander of the Kayamkulam kingdom
• Patheenatha Panicker, son of Lokanatha Panicker,Ezhava chief commander of the Kayamkulam kingdom ,who defeated Marathanda varma of travancore 3 times.
• Renji Panicker , journalist, script writer, producer, actor, and director