<P> The name Madras originated even before the British presence was established in India . The origin of the name is unclear; one suggestion of several is that it may have originated from a Portuguese phrase mãe de Deus, which means "mother of God", due to Portuguese influence on the port city, specifically referring to a Church of St. Mary . According to some sources, Madras was derived from Madraspattinam, a fishing - village north of Fort St George . However, it is uncertain whether the name was in use before the arrival of Europeans . The British military mapmakers believed Madras was originally Mundir - raj or Mundiraj . A Vijayanagar - era inscription dated to the year 1367 that mentions the port of Mādarasanpattanam, along with other small ports on the east coast was discovered in 2015 and it was theorised that the aforementioned port is the fishing port of Royapuram . </P> <P> The nativity of the name Chennai, being of Telugu origin, is clearly proved by historians . It was derived from the name of a Telugu ruler Damarla Chennappa Nayakudu, father of Damarla Venkatapathy Nayak, a Nayak ruler who served as a general under Venkata III of the Vijayanagar Empire from whom the British acquired the town in 1639 . The first official use of the name Chennai is said to be in a sale deed, dated 8 August 1639, to Francis Day of the East India Company, even before the Chennakesava Perumal temple was built in 1646 . </P> <P> In 1996, the Government of Tamil Nadu officially changed the name from Madras to Chennai . At that time many Indian cities underwent a change of name . However, the name Madras continues in occasional use for the city, as well as for places named after the city such as University of Madras, IIT Madras, Madras Institute of Technology, Madras Medical College, Madras Veterinary College, Madras Christian College . </P> <P> Stone age implements have been found near Pallavaram in Chennai . According to the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), Pallavaram was a megalithic cultural establishment, and pre-historic communities resided in the settlement . </P>

When was the name changed from madras to chennai