The name Marakkalage derives from the type of craft Marakkar (referring to wooden ships in Tamil) used in trade and warfare by the rulers of the Kuru Mandala coast, the region of the Kurus, and Sri Lanka.
[1] This may be an allusion to the Muslim Arab traders who were the prominent seamen of pre- and early colonial Sri Lanka.
[1] The ancestors of the families bearing these names may have been Muslim traders or the owners or commanders of such vessels.
Gallappathige and Manavige (Maha Navi), Malimage (deriving from Malimar/Malimam) meaning ship's captain, was also bestowed as an honor.
[2][3] A stamp issued by India shows the Marakkar war-paroe, a boat that could carry 30-40 men and be sailed or rowed in the sea as well as through lagoons and narrow waters.