Nadars are one of the earliest inhabitants of India. Their origin was in the South, known as "Komari Land" probably related to the southern tip of India - Kanya Kumari. There are records which establish their links with the Chaldeans, Syria, Cambodia, Java, Sumatra, China, etc., and it is well established by historians.

The Nadars who until the last quarter of the 19th century were known as "Shanas" or "Shanars" were originally based in the two southernmost districts of Tamilnadu- Tirunelveli and Kanyakumari. The word " Nadar" may have been derived from what many modern Nadars believe to have been the highest of the original Shanar Jatis the Nadans, with the honorific "-ar" ending added. Some Nadars claim that the Nadans were petty local chieftains, who were the heirs of the fallen Pandya dynasty.