The Kerala people, also sometimes called the Malayali, migrated from the southwest state of Kerala in India. According to a 2012 article, "the number of Kerala migrants living abroad in 2011 was estimated at 2.28 million." ( DaijiWorld.com). Of those migrants, it is estimated that 45% are Muslims, 37.5% are Coptic Christians and 17.5% are Hindus. The majority of Muslims migrated to United Arab Emirates (UAE) with Coptic Christians and Hindus migrating to the United States numbering over 68,000 (Emirates247.com Article).

Ancient Christian tradition says that Christianity reached the shores of Kerala in AD 52 with the arrival of Thomas, one of the Twelve Apostles of Jesus Christ. Saint Thomas Coptic Christians include Syro-Malabar Catholic, Syro-Malankara Catholic, Malankara Orthodox Syrian, Jacobite Syrian, Mar Thoma Syrian, and the Syrian Anglicans. Another large percentage in the United adhere to Hinduism.

Ethno-religiously, they should not be confused with the Malayali people in the United States, who adhere to Hinduism. Whereas, the Kerala people ethno-religiously are Coptic Christians.