Indian Submitted Surnames
Submitted names are contributed by users of this website. The accuracy of these name definitions cannot be guaranteed.
ADVANISindhi, IndianSindhi Hindu surname meaning "descendant of
Adu", most likely referring to the name of a past ancestor of the clan.
ALAMBengali (Muslim), Indian (Muslim), Hindi, Pakistani, Urdu, Arabic, Indonesian, AfghaniMeans "flag, banner, emblem", derived from the Arabic علم
('alam).
ALVIUrdu, 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.
ANNEIndianIndian (Andhra Pradesh); pronounced as two syllables: Hindu name of unknown meaning.
ARADHYAIndian, SanskritMeans "one who worships god". Commonly seen in India, Karnataka and other parts of India like kashi. They wear holy thread (yagnopaveetha).
ARIGETeluguThis name is famous surname in telugu states of South India.
ARORAIndian, 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.
ASHIQPunjabi, UrduDerived from Arabic عَاشِق
(ʿāšiq) meaning "enamored, infatuated" or "admirer, lover", ultimately from عِشْق
(ʿišq) "being in love".
AZMATUrduDerived from the Arabic عَظَمَة
(ʿaẓama) meaning "majesty, glory".
BALIJAIndian, TeluguIt is a Telugu name, denoting either "traders/merchants" or "agriculturists".
BANGLABengaliFrom 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".
BASUMATARYIndian, 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.
BAWAPunjabiSikh 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.
BHARUCHAIndian (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.
BHOWMIKBengali, IndianMeans "landowner, landlord" in Bengali, ultimately derived from Sanskrit भूमि
(bhūmi) "earth, soil, ground".
BOURASSAIndianSeems 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.
BULSARAIndian (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.
BUTTPunjabi, UrduMost likely derived from Sanskrit भटट
(bhatt) meaning "scholar".
CHAKRABORTYIndian, 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.
CHANDIAPunjabiSurname rarely used in Pakistani Punjab. The origin of Chandia is Pali. Chandia is a variation of the name Chanda (English and Indian).
CHANDRASEKHARIndianA 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.
CHATTOPADHYAYBengaliFrom the name of the village of
Chaṭṭa combined with Sanskrit उपाध्याय
(upadhyaya) meaning "teacher, instructor, priest".
CHEEMAPunjabiMeaning 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.
CHOUREYHindichourey surname basically belongs to kurmi caste
CHUCKLERIndian, 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.
CONTRACTORIndian (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).
DARUWALAIndian (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.
DESAIIndian, Marathi, GujaratiFrom Sanskrit देश
(deśá) meaning "province, country, kingdom" combined with स्वामिन्
(svāmin) meaning "lord, master, owner".
DESHPANDEIndian, MarathiMeans "district accountant", derived from Sanskrit देश
(deśá) meaning "country, kingdom, province" combined with पण्डित
(paṇḍitá) meaning "learned, wise man".
DEVIIndian, 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.
DEWANIndian, 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.
DEYIndian, 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".
DHARIndian, BengaliMost likely from Bengali ধার
(dhāra) meaning "credit"; ultimately from Sanskrit उद्धार
(uddhara) "deliverance, salvation, release".
DWIVEDIIndianThis 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] ENGINEERIndian (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.
GANDHIIndian, 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.
GANGOPADHYAYBengaliFrom the name of the Ganges River (also the name of a villge) combined with Sanskrit उपाध्याय
(upadhyaya) meaning "teacher, instructor, priest".
GANJOOIndian, 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.
GHOSHBengali, IndianMeans "cowherder" or "milkman" from Sanskrit गो
(gó) meaning "cow, cattle, ox".
GOELIndianIndian (northern states): Hindu (Bania) and Jain name of unknown origin, based on the name of a clan in the Agarwal Bania community.
HAZRAIndian, BengaliPossibly from the name of a location near Kolkata, West Bengal, India.
IRANIPersian, 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.
KAJALIndian, 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.
KALITAIndian, AssameseMeaning unknown. This is the name of a Hindu caste in the Indian state of Assam.
KANDHALIndian, 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] KAPOORIndian, 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.
KARALIndian, 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] KARMAKARIndian, Bengali, AssamesePerhaps derived from Sanskrit कर्म
(kárma) meaning "action, performance, deed". This is the name of a Bengali Hindu caste of blacksmiths.
KHALSAIndian (Sikh), PunjabiTheorised to be derived from Arabic خَلَصَ
(ḵalaṣa) meaning "to be pure, to be clear". In Sikhism, the term refers baptised or initiated Sikhs.
KHATUNIndian, Hindi, Assamese, Bengali, OdiaDerived from Persian خاتون
(xātūn) referring to a title of nobility and the feminine equivalent of the Turkic title
khan meaning "leader, ruler".
KRISHIndianShortened form of Krishna or of any other name beginning with Krishna (such as Krishnan, Krishnaswami, Krishnamurthy, etc.), used in the U.S. by families from southern India. It is not in use in India.
KRISHNAMURTHYIndianHindu name from Sanskrit kṛṣnamūrti meaning ‘manifestation of the god Krishna’, from krisna ‘black’ (epithet of an incarnation of the god Vishnu) + murti ‘image’, ‘manifestation’...
[more] KUMARIIndian, Hindi, Urdu, Punjabi, Malayalam, Telugu, Tamil, Bengali, Sinhalese, PakistaniFrom the given name
Kumari, the feminine form of
Kumar. It is exclusively used by women.
KUNNATHUPARAMBILMalayalam (Rare)Elamkunnapuzha-Kunnathuparambil Family has a rich history of around 200 years and traces its origins to a small village called Elamkunnapuzha in Ernakulam District. It was at that time one of our ancestors migrated from Elamkunnapuzha to a small village called Vennoor, near Mala in Thrissur District for his livelihood...
[more] LALIndian, Hindi, Urdu, Punjabi, Malayalam, Nepali, BengaliMeans "darling, precious, beloved", from Sanskrit
lala meaning "cajoling". It can also mean "boy" or "red, ruby" in Hindi, Urdu, and Bengali.
LĀNDAPunjabiLānda (ਲਾਨਦਾ) is a Punjabi surname that is used amongst families belonging to the Bhat tribe. The bearers of this surname belong to the gotra Lākhanpal, which is of Kshatriya origin.
LUNDIndianLund is also a Punjabi last name (i.e. from Punjab state of India/Pakistan)
MADIGAIndian, TeluguTelugu occupational name for a leather worker, a job historically considered polluting and impure in India, where the surname belongs to
Dalit, or "Untouchables" - members of the lowest caste.
MADRASWALAIndian (Parsi)From
Madras (presently Chennai), the name of the capital city of the Indian state of Tamil Nadu.
MAHAPATRAIndian, OdiaFrom the Sanskrit महत्
(mahat) "great, large, big" possibly combined with पात्र
(pātra) "drinking-vessel, goblet, bowl, cup".
MAHARANAIndian, OdiaFrom a title meaning "king of kings" or "great king", derived from Sanskrit महा
(mahā) meaning "great, large, big" combined with राणा
(rana), a Rajput title meaning "king" (see
Rana (2))...
[more] MANANIndianManans come from Lahore . They belong to Punjabi Brahmin caste of Hinduism.
MARAGHIndianMeans "king" in Hindu. Due to the vast amount of Indian emigrates in Jamaica, this is a common name there and also refers to a teacher of Rastafarianism.
MATHARUIndian (Sikh, Modern)Matharus were fierce warriors especially during, the time when the Matharu tribe, had converted to Sikhism; they fought numbers of wars for Guru Gobind Singh, Banda Singh Bahadur and Jassa Singh Ramgarhia....
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