Binu

Binu is a common given name for Boys in Kerala state in south western India. The name was popular in the 1970s. Binu is also a short form of Binyamin, a Aramiac, Hebrew, Syriac, Arabic name. The Latin name Benjamin is derived from Binyamin.

People in Kerala are often known by their first name alone. That was the practice in most of southern India. First names were usually long and religious. Most had a popular short name derived from the first name. Names in Kerala underwent a revolution in Kerala during the 60s and 70s. Many Parents wanted their children to have religious-neutral popular short names in a state with many religions practiced in harmony. Most parents were educated in English by that time. So they invented names with two sounds in Malayalam starting with English alphabets. Anu, Binu, Cinu, Dinu, Finu, Ginu, Jinu, Linu, Minu, Rinu, Sinu, Tinu, Vinu, Winu, Zinu were common names given to children in Kerala of all religions and no-religion during that time. The missing alphabets I, K, N, O, P, Q, X, Y in the list did not make it as they did not rhyme in Malayalam. Many of the people with first name "Binu", got their name in this period for this reason as well. Hindus, Muslims, Christians and non-religious have the first name Binu. Kerala also started a practice of using the first name of the head of the household as the last name of the spouse and children, as the use of last name was not very common in the olden days. Hence the last name "Binu" started appearing in Kerala since the 1980s.