 The original name of Chunnakam is Mayilani.In Northern Sri Lanka, Chunnakam is only second to Jaffna in terms of population density and commercial activities in and around its neighborhoods.According to Tamil scholars, name "Chunnakam" derived from two Tamil words, Chunnam+Gramam, "Chunnam" means "Limestone" and "Gramam" means "village", "Limestone" are widely found in the nearby areas.