All records of the Vişnukundi family refer to the dynastic name as Vişnukundi.

The phrase Vişnukundinam Maharaja preceding the personal name of every monarch in the copper-plate charters indicates that Vişnukundi is a dynastic or family name, not a tribal or clannish name.

The term Vişnukundi does not appear as a gātra name like śālankāyana, Bphatphalāyana, or Ananda.

In Pravarakanda, Vişnukundi does not occur as a gātra name.

Lakshmana Rao argued that Vişnukundi might be a gātra name, and the royal family adopted it as their dynastic appellation.

Rao further assumed that the Vişnukundins might be a separate clan or caste like the Agnikula-Ksatriyas or Vahnikula-Ksatriyas, claiming they originated from a sacrificial fire called Vişnu.

These are conjectures made without evidence; the Vişnukundins never claimed to have sprung from a sacrificial fire called Vişnukundi.

The epithet Kṣattriy-avaskanda-pravarttit-apratima-vikhyata-parakranasyal, given to Deva-varman in the Ipūru plates II, suggests that the Vişnukundins saw themselves as superior to Ksatriyas, and by implication, Brahmins.

It is improper to assume, as Lakshmana Rao does, that the Vişnukundins were a low caste or community, possibly the Vahni-kula Ksatriyas.

The term Vişnukundi seems to be a family name, similar to Pallava, Gupta, Vākāțaka, or Kadamba, unrelated to caste or origin.

Kielhorn suggested that Vişnukundi might be a Sanskritized form of Vinukonda, an ancient town in Guntūr district.

Vinukonda appears to be a variant of the Prakrit form Viņhukundi or Veņhukundi, which later became the Sanskrit term Vişnukundi.

It is a common practice among the Andhras to take their family name from the village or locality they originated from.

It is probable that the Vişnukundins took their family name from their original place of habitation or rulership, Vişnukuṇdinagara or Vişnukuṇdinapura.

There are instances where a village or district lent its name to the ruling dynasty, such as the Durjayas of Velanāņdu and the imperial Āravīdu Dynasty of Vijayanagara.

It seems likely that the Vişnukundins‘ family name originated from their association with Vişnukuṇdinagara over time.

The Sanskrit form Vişnukundi remained unchanged in copper plate charters and stone records, while the Prakrit form evolved into Vinukonda.