Chacko
A South Asian surname and given-name surname, most often found among Christians from Kerala, ultimately linked to the biblical name Jacob.
The #9,899 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 94,533 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Chacko is a Kerala Christian surname and family name derived from a vernacular form of the biblical name Jacob. In Malayalam Christian usage, it reflects the long history of Syriac and Aramaic church influence in South India, where biblical names were adapted into local speech. The underlying name traces back to Hebrew Ya‘aqov, meaning roughly 'supplanter' or 'holder of the heel.'
History
The name is especially associated with Saint Thomas Christian communities in Kerala and is common both as a personal name and as a hereditary surname. In diaspora communities, Chacko is often retained as a family name even where the original naming pattern was patronymic. It appears in many modern spellings because the Malayalam pronunciation has been romanized in more than one way.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
Chacko is one of several Kerala Christian surnames that preserve a local form of a biblical name rather than a clan, occupation, or place-name.