What Do You Call Someone From Sri Lanka? (Answered!)

Someone from Sri Lanka is called Sri Lankan. This is the standard demonym for a person of Sri Lankan nationality and is the term which encompasses all citizens of Sri Lanka. Ethnic identities in Sri Lanka, though, are fairly diverse, and this can play a more important part in individual identity than nationality.

The short answer, then, is that someone from Sri Lanka is called Sri Lankan.

The truth, though, is a lot more complex and murky than this, though.

Most Sri Lankanks will accept this term without any issue, but at the same time it may be that their ethnic identity is far more important to them than being Sri Lankan in this broader sense.

Let;s find out more.

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What is someone from Sri Lanka called?

Someone from Sri Lanka is called Sri Lankan.

This is the standard demonym and the accepted term used for someone of Sri Lankan nationality.

This, then, is the simple answer, and the only one you will really need in order to encompass all people who live in or are native to Sri Lanka.

In reality, though, there’s a much more complex answer related to ethnic identity in Sri Lanka.

Before we even get into that, though, there’s a wider point to be made about our ideas of nationality.

There are many ways, legally speaking, that someone might be considered Sri Lankan.

Obviously, someone born in the country to Sri Lankan parents is a clear case. But equally, someone born outside the country to Sri Lankan parents will doubtless still feel it to be an important part of their identity.

Furthermore, someone born in the country to non-native parents will feel it to be an important part of who they are.

Beyond that, though, we have the question of ethnicity.

Sri Lanka is ethnically diverse and ethnic groups may generally feel they relate more to their ethnic identity than they do to their national one.

Sri Lanka’s population is made up for the most part of Sinhalese people.

This is an Indo-Aryan group that are native to the Sri Lankan island.

They make up around 75% of the country’s population, or around 16 million people.

The next 11% of the population comprises Sri Lankan Tamils, and another 9% Sri Lankan Moors.

You then also have Indian Tamils, as well as many smaller groups like Burghers, Malays, Chinese and Indians.

The point is that any of these people may feel themselves to be Sri Lankan, but on the other hand they may instead prefer to identify with their ethnic background.

Where does the name “Sri Lanka” come from?

The name for Sri Lanka is a fairly recent one, and up until the last few decades the country was known, at least in English, as Ceylon.

The name Sri Lanka derives from the older Lanka, which was originally the name for the island as well as for the name of its major city.

The “Sri” is simply the Sanskrit word for beauty.

The island has gone by many names over time, but its name in the native Sinhala is Sri Lanka today.

As many names as it may have gone by in the past, there’s only one you need to know today.

What, though, were the other names for Sri Lanka?

What are the other names for Sri Lanka?

According to the Mahavamsa, the chronicle of the legendary Prince Vijaya, the island was called Tambapanni, or “copper-red hands” due to the way the soil reddened the hands of his followers.

In Tamil, the name in the past for the island has been Eealam, designating the whole island in Sangam literature.

When the island was under Chola rule, it was called Mummudi Cholamandalam, meaning “realm of the three crowned Cholas”.

To Greek geographers, the name for the island was Taprobana, deriving from the legendary name Tambapanni.

Persians referred to the island as Sarandib, from the Sanskirt Simhaladvipah, which is were we get our modern word “serendipity”.

By the Portuguese, the island was named Ceilao, which was then eventually transliterated into the name that was used by the British, Ceylon.

It would then be known as Ceylon while it was a British colony until its independence in 1948.

Sri Lanka features in the myths and legends, as well as historical records, of many different countries so it is not surprising that it has gone by so many different names.

Where do Sri Lankans live?

One final point worth considering is the broader Sri Lankan diaspora around the world and how that might influence Sri Lankan identity.

Looking at the SInhalese people, we can see that of the 17 million found worldwide, around 16.2 million live in Sri Lanka itself.

Estimates vary but there is also a considerable population in Australia, with around 127,000 Sri Lankans living there.

There are also around 110,000 living in Britain, unsurprisingly given the country’s colonial past.

There are around 41,000 living in the United States, and more living in places like Canada, Singapore, Malaysia and New Zealand.

So, again, the question isn’t quite as simple as you might at first expect.

There is a simple answer, being Sri Lankan, but ultimately that doesn’t always reflect the reality of what Sri Lankan people feel about their identity.

There’s usually a lot more going on.

At the same time, Sri Lankan is a perfectly acceptable demonym that Sri Lankans themselves will be happy to use and hear.

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Founder - @PollyWebster

Polly Webster is the founder of Foreign Lingo and a seasoned traveler with a decade of exploration under her belt.

Over the past 10 years, she has journeyed to numerous countries around the globe, immersing herself in diverse cultures, traditions, and languages.

Drawing from her rich experiences, Polly now writes insightful articles about travel, languages, traditions, and cultures, sharing her unique perspectives and invaluable tips with her readers.

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