The origin of the name Madraspatnam has long been a puzzle. The name Madras occurs in many forms like Maddaraspatnam , Madras  Patnam, Madraspatnam, Madrapatnam, Madrazpatnam, etc.

According to one version there was a village of fishermen on the site, the headman of which was a Christian named Madaresan who persuaded Day to call the settlement after his own name. But we know that the name was in use even before the English came on the scene.









Otherwise writers have derived the name from the term madrassa (a college) and think that there might have been an old Muhammadan College at the place; or there might have been a Church of st.Mary (Madre de Deus) at Madras prior to 1640, probably founded by the Portuguese of San Thome which had been in existence from the previous century and the church might have given name to the village; or there was an Indian rules, Maddarazu, who might have been some local chief in the region in the past after whom the village might have been named maddarazpatnam.