Ceylon Chetty
| Total population | |
|---|---|
| 6,075 (2012 census) | |
| Regions with significant populations | |
| Province | |
 Western
|
5,427 |
 North Western
|
279 |
 Central
|
193 |
| Languages | |
| Religion | |
| Christianity (mostly Roman Catholic and Anglican) | |
| Related ethnic groups | |
Sri Lankan Chetties (Sinhalese: ශී ලංකා චෙට්ටි, translit. Śī laṁkā Ceṭṭi, Tamil: இலங்கை செட்டி, translit. Ilaṅkai Ceṭṭi) also known as Colombo Chetties, is an ethnicity in the island of Sri Lanka. Formerly considered a Sri Lankan Tamil caste, were classified as a separate ethnic group in the 2001 census. They were a class of Tamil speaking traders, who migrated from the South India under Portuguese rule.
The word Chetty is a very general term denoting all merchant and trading groups of South India. The word is thought to have been derived from the Tamil word Etti, a honorific title bestowed on the leading merchants in the Chola kingdom and Pandya Kingdom.
Most of them trace their origin from Madurai, Tirunelveli and the Coromandel Coast of Southern India. They settled mostly in western and northern Sri Lanka, especially in the ports of Colombo, Jaffna and Galle from the 16th century to mid 17th century, during the rule of the Portuguese and Dutch. Some of the Chetties in Northern Sri Lanka were absorbed in other communities, mainly in the Sri Lankan Vellalar community, considered a subcaste known as Chetty Vellalar .
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