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The Origins of Burgher & Malay Surnames in Colonial Ceylon-by Michael Roberts Source:Thuppahis Author Unknown … sent to Thuppahi by Kodi Kodituwakku of Chandos St, Fort, Galle The Ceylon Burgher Community is the finest exponent of this European onoma-tology in Sri Lanka, as the members of the community carry some of the world’s rarest surnames which at present verge on extinction. The ancestors of the Dutch Burghers were not necessaril.y Dutch by ethnic origin as the Dutch East India Company [recruited] hundreds of mercenaries from all parts of Europe who later reached the shores of Lanka to strengthen the Dutch garrisons on the Island. These Europeans later espoused local women and paved the way for the Lankan Eurasian Community, which later came to be known as ‘Dutch Burghers’ meaning ‘Town Dwellers’. The Dutch surnames can be recognised by the ‘tussenvoegsel‘ referring to the words positioned between the forename and last name similar to ...