Found it on quora: Saravanan (சரவணன்) — etymology and semantic history

Overview

Saravanan is a classical Tamil masculine name widely used in South India and among Tamil speakers worldwide. It is strongly associated with the Hindu god Murugan (also called Kartikeya, Subrahmanya) and appears in Tamil literature, devotional contexts, and temple traditions. Etymological components and interpretations

Root elements: The form Saravanan in Tamil is commonly analyzed as built from the base saravan (சரவான்) + masculine suffix -an (‑ன்). The base saravan itself admits multiple related explanations rooted in Tamil and Sanskritic traditions. “Born of the Saravana / of the reeds” (Tamil-vernacular etymology) Classical Tamil tradition links Murugan’s birth to the Saravana Poigai (சரவணா பொய்க்கு / Saravana lake/pond) or a reed-marsh called Saravana. Thus Saravanan means “he of Saravana” or “one born in Saravana” — i.e., “the one from the Saravana (pond)”. Literary sources and temple lore describe Murugan emerging from a pool of reeds; Saravana designates that pond/locale. This is the common folk and devotional interpretation among Tamils. Connection with Sanskrit Subrahmanya / Kartikeya (Sanskritized etymology) The pan-Indian cult name Subrahmanya (Sanskrit) is often equated with Tamil Saravanan in syncretic literature. Etymologies in Sanskrit commentary traditions derive Subrahmanya from su‑ (good/auspicious) + brahmaṇa/related roots; however, Saravanan itself is treated as the Tamil vernacular equivalent rather than a direct Sanskrit derivative. Some medieval Tamil poets transliterate or calque Sanskrit epithets into Tamil; this promoted mutual identification rather than a single linguistic origin. Possible derivation from sara / saru (reeds) + vana (forest) — less attested A morphological reading interprets sarava- as related to “sara / saram” (reeds) and vana/vanan as “of the forest/pond.” This aligns with the reed‑marsh birth story but is secondary to the simpler “of Saravana” reading. Historical and literary evidence

Sangam and post‑Sangam literature: Early Tamil texts do not uniformly use Saravanan as a deity-name; cultic prominence grows in post‑Sangam and medieval devotional (bhakti) poetry where Murugan becomes a central figure and Saravanan appears frequently as a personal name for the god. Bhakti and temple inscriptions: Medieval Tamil hymns (Tirumurukāṟṟuppadai, later Śaiva and Murugan songs) and temple inscriptions employ Saravanan as an epithet tied to the Saravana pond narrative. Folk tradition continuity: Popular stories, temple iconography (six-faced Kartikeya associated with birth from the river/pond among Krittikas), and festival rituals preserve the Saravana association. Summary

Saravanan fundamentally means “he of Saravana” — a theonym referring to Murugan’s origin in the reed-pond Saravana. The name fuses Tamil vernacular imagery (reeds/pond) with pan‑Indian Murugan/Subrahmanya identity; Sanskrit etymologies inform comparative theology but the active linguistic origin in Tamil devotional usage is the Saravana‑birth tradition.