Submitted names are contributed by users of this website. The accuracy of these name definitions cannot be guaranteed.
ADVANI Sindhi, IndianSindhi Hindu surname meaning "descendant of
Adu", most likely referring to the name of a past ancestor of the clan.
AHLUWALIA Indian, PunjabiFrom a village named Ahlu that existed as a misl (state) of the Sikh Confederacy during the 18th century.
ALAM Bengali (Muslim), Indian (Muslim), Hindi, Pakistani, Urdu, Arabic, Indonesian, AfghaniMeans "flag, banner, emblem", derived from the Arabic علم
('alam).
ALVI Urdu, Bengali (Muslim), Indian (Muslim)Derived from Arabic علوي
(ʿalawiyy) meaning "pertaining to
Ali (1)". The Alvi are a Muslim clan from India and Pakistan claiming descent from Ali ibn Abi Talib (601-661), a cousin and son-in-law of the Islamic Prophet
Muhammad.
ANNE IndianIndian (Andhra Pradesh); pronounced as two syllables: Hindu name of unknown meaning.
ARADHYA Indian, SanskritMeans "one who worships god". Commonly seen in India, Karnataka and other parts of India like kashi. They wear holy thread (yagnopaveetha).
ARIGE TeluguThis name is famous surname in telugu states of South India.
ARORA Indian, Hindi, Punjabi, SindhiHindu 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.
ASHIQ Punjabi, UrduDerived from Arabic عَاشِق
(ʿāšiq) meaning "enamored, infatuated" or "admirer, lover", ultimately from عِشْق
(ʿišq) "being in love".
AZMAT UrduDerived from the Arabic عَظَمَة
(ʿaẓama) meaning "majesty, glory".
BAKSHI Indian, Bengali, PunjabiDerived from Persian بخشی
(baxši) meaning "paymaster, scribe, secretary", used as a title for officials who distributed wages in Muslim armies.
BALIJA Indian, TeluguIt is a Telugu name, denoting either "traders/merchants" or "agriculturists".
BANGLA BengaliFrom বাংলা
(Bangla), the endonym of the Bengali people, the region of Bengal (including Bangladesh), and the Bengali language. The word itself is derived either from
Vanga, the name of an ancient kingdom on the Indian subcontinent, or from an Austric word meaning "sun god".
BASUMATARY Indian, Bodo, AssameseFrom a Sanskritized form of the Bodo name बसुमातारी
(Baisamatari), which meant "mother earth" or "earthly folks". The name was originally used by landowners or landlords.
BAWA PunjabiSikh name based on the name of a Jat clan. It is also a title given to the male descendants of the first three Sikh gurus.
BHALLI BHULLA Punjabi (Modern, Rare)This surname originates from the Punjab. It is a sub-cast of Bhullars Jats. bhalli and bhulla are descendants of Shaheed Baba Khus haal Singh Bhullar , who was a Sikh Empire head Military officer from 1809 to 1835.
BHARUCHA Indian (Parsi)Refers to the city of Bharuch in Gujarat, India, which is thought to be derived from the name of a figure in Hindu mythology.
BHOWMIK Bengali, IndianMeans "landowner, landlord" in Bengali, ultimately derived from Sanskrit भूमि
(bhūmi) "earth, soil, ground".
BHULLAR Punjabi (Latinized, Rare)Bhullars and Maans are brothers, and the ancient Jat Bhullar and Maan founded the word Jat and first called themselves Jat, hence this is the first founder of Jat words
BOURASSA IndianSeems to be an Indian name. I am in touch with a relative whose family were Pottawatomi Indians in Oklahoma. This name comes from that reservation.
BULSARA Indian (Parsi)Indian Parsi surname derived from the name of the city of
Bulsar (today known as
Valsad) in Gujarat, which served as a centre for Zoroastrian culture in the 17th century. A notable bearer was British singer and songwriter Freddie Mercury (1946-1991), who was born as
Farrokh Bulsara.
BUTT Punjabi, UrduMost likely derived from Sanskrit भटट
(bhatt) meaning "scholar".
CHAKRABORTY Indian, Bengali, AssameseMeans "ruler of a country" or "emperor", from Sanskrit चक्र
(cakrá) meaning "wheel, circle" combined with वर्तते
(vártate) meaning "to turn, to roll". The name literally means "turning wheels" or "rolling wheels", but metaphorically denotes a ruler whose chariot's wheels roll without hindrance or obstruction.
CHANDIA PunjabiSurname rarely used in Pakistani Punjab. The origin of Chandia is Pali. Chandia is a variation of the name Chanda (English and Indian).
CHANDIO Pakistani, Sindhi, BalochiFrom the given name
Chand, referring to a past ancestor of Kurdish-Balochi origin. This is the name of a Sindhi and Balochi tribe in Pakistan.
CHANDRASEKHAR IndianA Hindu name meaning literally "holder of the moon" (an epithet of the god Shiva). A notable bearer of this surname was the Indian-born US physicist Subrahmanyan Chandrasekhar (1910-1995); the Chandrasekhar limit, i.e. the upper limit for the mass of a white dwarf star beyond which the star collapses to a neutron star or a black hole, is named after him.
CHATTOPADHYAY BengaliFrom the name of the village of
Chaṭṭa combined with Sanskrit उपाध्याय
(upadhyaya) meaning "teacher, instructor, priest".
CHEEMA PunjabiMeaning unknown. This is the name of a Punjabi-speaking subclan of the Jat people found in India and Pakistan, with most members being either Muslim or Sikh.
CHOUREY Hindichourey surname basically belongs to kurmi caste
CHUCKLER Indian, TeluguTelugu occupational name for a leather worker, a job historically considered spiritually polluting and impure in India, where the surname belongs to
Dalit, or "Untouchables" - members of the lowest caste.
CONTRACTOR Indian (Parsi)Parsi occupational surname for a contractor, or someone who works on the basis of a contract. As the British rule of India demanded for all Parsees to adopt a surname, many adopted English vocabulary based on their occupation (i.e.
Engineer or
Merchant).
DARUWALA Indian (Parsi)Derived from Hindi दारू
(dārū) meaning "liquor, wine, alcohol" (borrowing from Persian) combined with the suffix -वाला
(-vālā) denoting an occupation. It was used to refer to someone who sold or brewed alcohol.
DAVE Indian, GujaratiDerived from Sanskrit द्विवेदिन्
(dvivedin) meaning "familiar with the two Vedas".
DAYAL Indian, Hindi, PunjabiMeans "kind, compassionate", derived from Sanskrit दया
(dayā) meaning "compassion, pity".
DEBNATH Indian, Bengali, AssameseDerived from Sanskrit देव
(devá) meaning "deity, god" combined with नाथ
(nāthá) meaning "possessor, owner".
DESAI Indian, Marathi, GujaratiFrom Sanskrit देश
(deśá) meaning "province, country, kingdom" combined with स्वामिन्
(svāmin) meaning "lord, master, owner".
DESHMUKH Indian, MarathiFrom the historical title देशमुख
(deśmukh) meaning "district head", derived from Sanskrit देश
(deśá) meaning "country, district" combined with मुख
(múkha) meaning "face".
DESHPANDE Indian, MarathiMeans "district accountant", derived from Sanskrit देश
(deśá) meaning "country, kingdom, province" combined with पण्डित
(paṇḍitá) meaning "learned, wise man".
DEVI Indian, Hindi, Punjabi, Assamese, Telugu, Bengali, Tamil, Malayalam, OdiaFrom Sanskrit देवी
(devī́) meaning "goddess, female deity" (see the given name
Devi). It is used as a surname by women who did not originally have a family name. In 2014, this was the second most common surname in the world and the most common in several Indian states.
DEWAN Indian, PakistaniStatus name for a treasurer or court official, from Arabic
diwan "royal court", "tribunal of justice", or "treasury". Under the Mughal administration in India the dewan was usually the highest official in a state.
DEY Indian, Bengali, Assamese, OdiaEither a variant or
Dev or
Deva meaning "deity, god" (from the Sanskrit देव
(devá)) or derived from the Sanskrit
deya meaning "suitable for a gift".
DHAR Indian, BengaliMost likely from Bengali ধার
(dhāra) meaning "credit"; ultimately from Sanskrit उद्धार
(uddhara) "deliverance, salvation, release".
DIKSHIT Indian, Hindi, OdiaDerived 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.
DWIVEDI IndianThis surname has multiple meanings, the most commonly accepted etymology is that Dwivedi means a person who has the knowledge of two Vedas, but there exists a conflicting view since Dwivedis are given higher status than Chaturvedis or Chaubeys...
[more] ENGINEER Indian (Parsi)Parsi name literally meaning "engineer", referring to someone who made machines or engines. As the British rule of India demanded for all Parsees to adopt a surname, many used English vocabulary based on their occupation.
GADDAM TeluguThis surname is primarily from the Telugu states of India (Telangana and Andhra Pradesh). It is the Telugu word for beard
GANDHI Indian, Marathi, Gujarati, Hindi, Punjabi, TamilMeans "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.
GANGOPADHYAY BengaliFrom the name of the Ganges River (also the name of a villge) combined with Sanskrit उपाध्याय
(upadhyaya) meaning "teacher, instructor, priest".
GANJOO Indian, Urdu, PersianGanjoo is a surname from Kashmiri Pandit clan . The original name was
Ganwar, meaning Person in charge of Treasury in Kings court. This name gradually changed to Ganjoo or
Ganju.
GHOSH Bengali, IndianMeans "cowherder" or "milkman" from Sanskrit गो
(gó) meaning "cow, cattle, ox".
GOEL IndianIndian (northern states): Hindu (Bania) and Jain name of unknown origin, based on the name of a clan in the Agarwal Bania community.
HAZRA Indian, BengaliPossibly from the name of a location near Kolkata, West Bengal, India.
IRANI Persian, Indian (Parsi)Denotes an Iranian person or something from Iran, as well as the Irani Zoroastrian ethnic group in India. It is widely used among Indian Parsis.
JUNEJO Pakistani, SindhiMeans "(sons) of Juno", derived from the name of a past ancestor, Jam Juno, combined with Sindhi جي
(jy) meaning "of". The Junejo are a Sindhi tribe mainly concentrated in Pakistan and parts of India.
KAJAL Indian, Gujarati, BengaliDerived from Sanskrit कज्जल
(kajjala) meaning "collyrium, lotion" or "ink, soot", though it also refers to
kohl, a dark powder used as a eye makeup.
KALITA Indian, AssameseMeaning unknown. This is the name of a Hindu caste in the Indian state of Assam.
KANDHAL Indian, GujaratiPeople with the last name of "Kandhal" are commonly descendants of Rao Kandhal who belonged to the "Rathore" clan of Rajputs (warrior class) in India. "Rao" is a royal title. Rao Kandhal was younger brother of Rao Jodha who founded the princely state of Jodhpur in western Rajasthan, India...
[more] KAPOOR Indian, Punjabi, HindiPunjabi Kshatriya name derived from Sanskrit कर्पूर
(karpūra) meaning "camphor" (referring to a white crystalline substance used in medicine), itself possibly of Proto-Austronesian origin.
KARAL Indian, BengaliThis Surname was given in honour by the Britishers to Nikhil Chandra Banerjee to recognize his efforts in constructing The Karali Kali temple in Dhaka,now the capital of Bangladesh. It was a very expensive construction and still attracts tourists every year...
[more] KARMAKAR Indian, Bengali, AssamesePerhaps derived from Sanskrit कर्म
(kárma) meaning "action, performance, deed". This is the name of a Bengali Hindu caste of blacksmiths.