AHUJAIndian, Hindi, Marathi, Punjabi, Sindhi, Indian (Sikh) Sikh name meaning "descendant of Ahu", based on the name of a clan in these communities (see ARORA). Ahu is presumably the name of an ancestor; the suffix -jā is patronymic.
ARORAIndian, Hindi, Punjabi, Sindhi Hindu and Sikh name derived from اروهڙ (Aror), the name of the former capital of Sindh, India (now a part of Pakistan and known as Rohri). The name itself is derived from Hindi and Punjabi Aur meaning "someone else", used by the past Aroras to escape persecution.
CHANDRAIndian, Bengali, Indonesian, Hindi, Telugu, Fijian Derived from Sanskrit चन्द्र (candrá) meaning "glittering, shining" or "moon". In Hindu belief, this is the name of a lunar deity.
CHAUHANIndian, Marathi, Hindi, Urdu, Nepali, Assamese, Punjabi, Gujarati Of unknown meaning. Folk etymologies derive it from Sanskrit चतुर् (cátur) meaning "four" or possibly from a hero named Chahamana (of whom members of the caste trace their ancestry from).
CHHETRIHindi, Nepali Chhetri was a caste of administrators, governor and military elites in medieval Khas Kingdom and Gorkha Kingdom (later unified Kingdom of Nepal). The nobility of Gorkha Kingdom were mainly based from Chhetri families and they had a strong presence in civil administration affairs.
DEWIIndonesian, Javanese, Indian, Hindi, Malay Means "goddess, deity" in Malay and Indonesian, of Sanskrit origin. In India, it can also be a variant transcription of DEVI.
DIKSHITIndian, Hindi, Odia Derived from Sanskrit दीक्षित (dīkṣita) meaning "one who is initiated", ultimately from दीक्षा (dīkṣā) "initiation, dedication". It was historically used to refer to teachers and scholars of the Brahmin caste.
GANDHIIndian, Marathi, Gujarati, Hindi, Punjabi, Tamil Means "perfume seller", derived from Sanskrit गन्ध (gandha) meaning "odour, fragrance, perfume". Notable bearers include Mahatma Mohandas Gandhi (1869-1948), an Indian civil rights and independence leader, and Indira Gandhi (1917-1984), the first female Prime Minister of India.
GOSWAMIIndian, Bengali, Hindi, Assamese, Marathi Hindu surname derived from Sanskrit गो (go) meaning "cow, ox" or "earth" combined with स्वामी (svāmī) meaning "master, lord".
KAMATIndian, Hindi, Marathi, Kannada, Konkani Means "people who work in soil" from काम (kām) meaning "work, task, labour" combined with मिट्टी (miṭṭī) meaning "soil, earth".
KAPOORIndian, Punjabi, Hindi From Sanskrit कर्पूर (karpūra) meaning "camphor", referring to a white crystalline substance used in medicines.
KHATUNIndian, Hindi, Assamese, Bengali, Odia Derived from Persian خاتون (xātūn) referring to a title of nobility and the feminine equivalent of the Turkic title khan meaning "leader, ruler".
LALIndian, Hindi, Urdu, Punjabi, Malayalam, Nepali, Bengali Means "darling, precious, beloved", from Sanskrit lala meaning "cajoling". It can also mean "boy" or "red, ruby" in Hindi, Urdu, and Bengali.
MAHATOIndian, Nepali, Bengali, Hindi, Assamese, Odia From a secular title given to the head or chief of a village, possibly taken from Sanskrit महत् (mahát) meaning "great, large, big".
PANDEYIndian, Nepali, Hindi, Bengali, Marathi, Odia, Punjabi Derived from Sanskrit पण्डित (paṇḍitá) meaning "scholar, teacher". In Hindi, the word also refers to a Brahman who either teaches or cooks.
PANDITIndian, Nepali, Bengali, Hindi, Marathi, Odia, Kashmiri From Sanskrit पण्डित (paṇḍitá) meaning "learned, wise" and "scholar, teacher". It is used as a title for a teacher or scholar of Hinduism and Hindu philosophy.
PRADHANIndian, Odia, Bengali, Hindi, Marathi, Assamese, Nepali Derived from Sanskrit प्रधान (pradhāna) meaning "chief, foremost", used as a Hindu title equivalent to the Arabic وَزِير (wazīr) or vizier.
PRASADIndian, Hindi, Bengali, Marathi, Telugu, Malayalam, Tamil, Odia, Kannada From Sanskrit प्रसाद (prasadā) meaning "clearness, brightness, purity, graciousness", ultimately from प्रसद् (prasad) "to fall into the power of". In Hinduism and Sikhism, the term refers to a type of religious food... [more]
RAJPUTUrdu, Indian, Marathi, Hindi, Assamese, Punjabi Means "son of the king", derived from Sanskrit राजा (rājā) meaning "king, sovereign, prince" combined with पुत्र (putrá) meaning "son, child". This is also the name of a caste originating from the Indian subcontinent.
SAXENAIndian, Hindi Believed to mean "friend of the army" from Sanskrit सखा (sakhā) meaning "friend, companion" and सेना (sénā) meaning "army".
SETHIndian, Odia, Hindi, Marathi, Punjabi Derived from Hindi सेठ (seṭh) meaning "merchant, banker", ultimately from Sanskrit श्रेष्ठ (śreṣṭh) meaning "excellent, best".
SHAKYANepali, Indian, Hindi From Sanskrit शाक्य (Śākya) referring to the Shakya clan of India and Nepal during the Vedic period (1000-500 BCE). A noble member of the clan was Siddhartha Gautama (Buddha), the founder of Buddhism.
SHANGujarati, Hindi A Gujarati and Hindi surname with an unknown meaning.
SHRIVASTAVIndian, Hindi, Nepali Hindu Kayasth surname meaning "from Srivasta" in Sanskrit, referring to the Srivasta (श्रीवत्स) subgroup of the the Kayasth caste. The name itself means "beloved of Sri" or "child of Sri" from the name of the Hindu goddess SHRI (LAKSHMI) combined with वत्स (vatsá) meaning "child, offspring, son".
SOLANKIIndian, Gujarati, Marathi, Hindi Either from the name of the Rajput Solanki clan of India or the Solanki (Chaulukya) dynasty that once ruled Gujarat and Rajasthan.
SONIHindi A Suryavanshi Khatri family, the surname originating from the Punjab region of India. In India the term caste creates a crucial distinction between Varna and Jāti, even though jati does not fit into any of the four varnas and is more often referred to as Sudras.
SURIPunjabi, Hindi, Indian (Sikh) Based on the name of a clan in the Khatri community, from Sanskrit suri "sun", ‘priest’, ‘sage’. It is also an epithet of Krishna.
TRIPATHIIndian, Hindi, Odia, Marathi, Bengali, Punjabi Means "one that has studied three Vedas", derived from Sanskrit त्रि (trí) meaning "three" combined with पाठ (pāṭha) meaning "recitation, reading, studying".
TRIVEDIIndian, Hindi, Marathi, Gujarati Means "one who knows three Vedas", derived from Sanskrit त्रि (trí) "three" and वेद (véda) "Veda" or "knowledge".