250+ Indian Last Names and Their Meanings (With Origins & History)

India is a land of deep history, culture, and tradition. Last names, also called Indian surnames, show family roots, caste, region, and religion. From South Indian surnames to Indian royal surnames, each carries a story.

In this guide, you’ll discover 250+ Indian last names and their meanings with origins & history — perfect for understanding boy and girl surname choices, Hindu surnames, rich surnames, and low caste surnames in India.

Why Surnames Matter in Indian Culture

• Surnames show family lineage and ancestry.
• They connect people to caste, region, and religion.
• They reflect occupation, villages, and history.
• They help trace Indian genealogy and heritage.

The Role of Caste, Region, and Religion in Last Names

• Brahmin surnames often link to priests, teachers, or scholars.
• Kshatriya surnames reflect warriors, rulers, or nobles.
• Occupational surnames in India come from jobs (like Patel for farmer).
• Regional surnames differ across North, South, East, and West.
• Religious surnames in India show Hindu, Sikh, Muslim, Jain, or Christian roots.

Common Indian Last Names and Their Meanings

Popular Surnames Across India

1. Singh – Lion; common among Rajputs & Sikhs.
2. Sharma – Teacher/Priest; Brahmin surname.
3. Patel – Landowner or farmer.
4. Gupta – Protector; from Sanskrit “Goptri.”
5. Das – Servant of God.
6. Kumar – Prince or young boy.
7. Mehta – Accountant/Chief.
8. Kapoor – Derived from Camphor (Kapoor in Sanskrit).
9. Reddy – Village headman in Andhra/Telangana.
10. Yadav – Descendant of Lord Krishna.
11. Banerjee – Priestly surname from Bengal.
12. Iyer – Tamil Brahmin priestly community.
13. Shukla – Pure; a Brahmin surname.
14. Varma – Noble/Kshatriya title.
15. Kaur – Princess; Sikh female surname.

Last Names That Show Occupation or Profession

1. Joshi – Astrologer (Jyotish practitioner).
2. Deshpande – Head of district accountant.
3. Deshmukh – Chief of a village.
4. Gandhi – Perfume seller/grocer.
5. Seth – Merchant or banker.
6. Bhandari – Storekeeper or treasurer.
7. Naidu – Village leader in South India.
8. Chowdhury – Landowner in Bengal.
9. Pandey – Priest or scholar.
10. Kulkarni – Clerk of a village.
11. Bhatt – Scholar or priest.
12. Agrawal – Traders from Agroha region.
13. Malik – Ruler or chief.
14. Bedi – Derived from Vedas, Sikh priestly family.
15. Soni – Goldsmith.

Regional Indian Last Names and Their Origins

North Indian Surnames and Their Meanings

1. Agarwal – Merchant caste from Agroha.
2. Bhatnagar – Learned Brahmins from North India.
3. Tyagi – Derived from “Tyag,” meaning sacrifice.
4. Chaudhary – Landowner; common in UP, Haryana.
5. Verma – Noble title for Kshatriyas.
6. Goel – Derived from “Gopal,” connected to cowherds.
7. Jain – Followers of Jainism.
8. Saxena – A scholar or clerk.
9. Mathur – From Mathura, birthplace of Krishna.
10. Trivedi – Knower of three Vedas.
11. Dwivedi – Knower of two Vedas.
12. Pathak – Teacher, reader of scriptures.
13. Nigam – From ancient traders’ guilds.
14. Bhargava – Descendants of sage Bhrigu.
15. Upadhyay – Teacher or priest.

South Indian Last Names with Historical Roots

1. Reddy – Village chief in Andhra.
2. Naidu – Community leaders in Telugu regions.
3. Iyer – Tamil Brahmin priests.
4. Iyengar – South Indian Vaishnavite priests.
5. Rao – Title of respect for leaders.
6. Pillai – Title for landowners in Tamil Nadu/Kerala.
7. Chettiar – Merchant community.
8. Shetty – Traders and landowners in Karnataka.
9. Menon – Administrative title in Kerala.
10. Moily – Konkani-speaking community surname.
11. Hegde – Village headman in Karnataka.
12. Swamy – Priestly or saintly lineage.
13. Krishnan – Devotee of Krishna.
14. Balasubramanian – Devotee of Lord Subramanya.
15. Murthy – Idol or divine form; common Brahmin surname.

East Indian Surnames and Cultural Significance

1. Banerjee – Bengali Brahmin priests.
2. Mukherjee – Priestly surname in Bengal.
3. Chatterjee – Teachers and priests in Bengal.
4. Bhattacharya – Readers of sacred texts.
5. Ganguly – Priestly surname from Bengal.
6. Dasgupta – Servant of the Lord, Gupta lineage.
7. Chowdhury – Landlord or village head.
8. Bose – Derived from “Vasu,” meaning wealth.
9. Mitra – Friend; ancient Vedic name.
10. Pal – Protector or ruler.
11. Sen – Army chief; from Sanskrit “Sena.”
12. Dutta – Given by God.
13. Ray – Chief or king.
14. Saha – Merchant or trader.
15. Ghosh – Cowherd or milkman community.

West Indian Last Names and Their Origins

1. Shah – From Persian “King”; traders and moneylenders.
2. Parekh – Assayer of jewels, Gujarati origin.
3. Mehta – Chief accountant, from Gujarat/Rajasthan.
4. Patel – Farmer or landowner, Gujarat.
5. Modi – Grocer or trader.
6. Gandhi – Perfume seller or grocer.
7. Desai – Village head in Gujarat.
8. Thakkar – Noble/warrior title in Gujarat.
9. Jadeja – Rajput warrior clan of Gujarat.
10. Solanki – Ancient Rajput dynasty surname.
11. Chaudhary – Landlords in Rajasthan & Gujarat.
12. Rawal – Royal priest or Rajput ruler.
13. Gaekwad – Royal family of Baroda.
14. Barot – Storyteller caste in Gujarat.
15. Joshi – Astrologer/teacher in West India.

Religious and Community-Based Indian Surnames

Hindu Last Names and Their Meanings

1. Sharma – Teacher or priest; common Brahmin surname.
2. Pandey – Scholar or priestly lineage.
3. Bhatt – Vedic scholar or learned priest.
4. Trivedi – Knower of three Vedas.
5. Dwivedi – Knower of two Vedas.
6. Chaturvedi – Master of all four Vedas.
7. Upadhyay – Teacher or guru.
8. Mishra – Derived from “mixed,” symbolizing a Brahmin family.
9. Pathak – Reader of scriptures.
10. Goswami – Spiritual leader or preacher.
11. Acharya – Teacher or spiritual master.
12. Joshi – Astrologer (Jyotish practitioner).
13. Tiwari – Priestly family from North India.
14. Bhargava – Descendants of sage Bhrigu.
15. Purohit – Family priest or ritual performer.

Muslim Surnames in India and Their Origins

1. Khan – Title meaning ruler/leader, of Turkic origin.
2. Ansari – Descendant of Ansar tribe of Medina.
3. Sheikh – Teacher, elder, or leader.
4. Syed – Descendants of Prophet Muhammad.
5. Mirza – Noble title, Persian origin.
6. Chowdhury – Landowner; used in Muslim Bengal.
7. Farooqui – Descendants of Caliph Umar Farooq.
8. Qureshi – Descendants of Quraish tribe.
9. Hashmi – Lineage of Prophet Muhammad’s family.
10. Hussain – Descendants of Imam Hussain.
11. Malik – Chief or ruler, Arabic origin.
12. Abbasi – Descendants of Abbas ibn Abd al-Muttalib.
13. Shah – King, Persian origin, used by Muslim traders.
14. Usmani – Descendants of Caliph Uthman ibn Affan.
15. Rizvi – Descendants of Imam Ali al-Ridha.

Sikh Last Names and Their Historical Roots

1. Singh – Lion; mandatory for Sikh men.
2. Kaur – Princess; mandatory for Sikh women.
3. Gill – Jat Sikh clan from Punjab.
4. Sandhu – Prominent Jat Sikh clan.
5. Dhillon – Agricultural clan of Punjab.
6. Sidhu – Warrior clan from Punjab.
7. Bajwa – Jat Sikh clan; warriors.
8. Bains – Farming community of Sikhs.
9. Brar – Influential Sikh Jat clan.
10. Mann – Clan associated with agriculture.
11. Chahal – Sikh family name from Punjab.
12. Virdee – Devotees; linked to Sikh spiritual groups.
13. Rehal – Clan name, Punjab origin.
14. Bedi – Descendants of Guru Nanak’s family.
15. Ahluwalia – Clan of Maharaja Ranjit Singh’s lineage.

Christian Indian Surnames and Their Heritage

1. Fernandes – Portuguese surname adopted by Goan Christians.
2. D’Souza – Of Portuguese origin, Goa/Mangalore.
3. Pereira – Christian surname, Portuguese roots.
4. Rodrigues – Common among Goan Christians.
5. Mendonca – Portuguese-influenced surname.
6. Fonseca – Christian family name, Portuguese origin.
7. Lobo – Meaning “wolf,” common in Goa.
8. Carvalho – Derived from oak tree, Portuguese.
9. Noronha – Portuguese family surname in India.
10. Fernandez – Christian surname, European roots.
11. Joseph – Biblical Christian surname in India.
12. Thomas – Derived from Apostle Thomas.
13. Mathew – From Saint Matthew, Biblical.
14. George – Christian surname from the saint.
15. Peter – From St. Peter, common among Christians.

Jain and Parsi Last Names with Meanings

Jain Surnames

1. Shah – Merchant community surname, Jain origin too.
2. Mehta – Chief accountant; common Jain surname.
3. Doshi – Trader or moneylender.
4. Gandhi – Grocer, perfumer; many Jains use this.
5. Bafna – Jain trading community in Rajasthan.
6. Kothari – Storekeeper or treasurer.
7. Lodha – Jain community surname in Rajasthan.
8. Oswal – Derived from Osian town, Rajasthan.

Parsi Surnames

9. Tata – Famous Parsi industrialist family.

10. Wadia – Shipbuilding family of Parsis.

11. Godrej – Parsi business family.

12. Mistry – Craftsman or builder.

13. Engineer – Occupational Parsi surname.

14. Shroff – Banker or money changer.

15. Poonawalla – From Pune region, Parsi heritage.

Last Names Based on Language and States

Tamil, Telugu, and Kannada Surnames Explained

1. Iyer – Tamil Brahmin priests.
2. Iyengar – Vaishnavite Tamil Brahmins.
3. Pillai – Title for landowners in Tamil Nadu.
4. Reddy – Village headman in Andhra/Telangana.
5. Naidu – Community leader in Telugu regions.
6. Shetty – Merchant/trader caste in Karnataka.
7. Hegde – Village headman in Karnataka.
8. Urs – Royal surname from Mysore.
9. Moily – Konkani-speaking family name.
10. Swamy – Spiritual or priestly origin.
11. Rao – Title of respect in South India.
12. Gowda – Farmer/landlord in Karnataka.
13. Krishnamurthy – Devotee of Lord Krishna.
14. Balasubramanian – Devotee of Subramanya.
15. Ananth – Derived from Lord Vishnu’s name.

Bengali Last Names and Their Cultural Heritage

1. Banerjee – Brahmin priests of Bengal.
2. Mukherjee – Derived from Mukhopadhyay.
3. Chatterjee – From Chattopadhyay.
4. Bhattacharya – Readers of scriptures.
5. Ganguly – Ancient Brahmin clan.
6. Dasgupta – Devotee + Gupta lineage.
7. Basu – Derived from Vedic “Vasu,” wealth.
8. Bose – Anglicized form of Basu.
9. Pal – Protector/warrior title.
10. Sen – From Sanskrit “Sena,” army chief.
11. Mitra – Friend; Vedic meaning.
12. Ray/Roy – Chief or king.
13. Saha – Merchant community surname.
14. Dutta – Gifted by God.
15. Ghosh – Cowherd community surname.

Gujarati and Marwari Surnames with Meanings

1. Shah – Merchant or banker; Persian “King.”
2. Patel – Farmer or landowner.
3. Desai – Head of a district.
4. Thakkar – Noble or warrior title.
5. Parekh – Assayer of jewels.
6. Mehta – Chief accountant.
7. Modi – Grocer or trader.
8. Gandhi – Perfume seller.
9. Chaudhary – Landowner.
10. Jadeja – Rajput warrior clan.
11. Solanki – Rajput dynasty surname.
12. Rawal – Royal priest or king.
13. Soni – Goldsmith.
14. Bhatt – Priest or teacher.
15. Barot – Storyteller caste.

Punjabi Last Names and Their Origins

1. Gill – Prominent Jat Sikh clan.
2. Sandhu – Large farming community.
3. Dhillon – Agricultural clan.
4. Sidhu – Warrior Sikh clan.
5. Bajwa – Rajput-Jat warrior clan.
6. Mann – Farming and warrior community.
7. Chahal – Clan of Punjab.
8. Bains – Agricultural background.
9. Brar – Royal Sikh clan.
10. Pannu – Prominent Punjabi surname.
11. Kang – Sikh clan in Punjab.
12. Sekhon – Agricultural family name.
13. Rehal – Punjabi clan name.
14. Randhawa – Warrior Sikh clan.
15. Ahluwalia – Clan of Maharaja Ranjit Singh.

Maharashtrian Surnames and Their History

1. Deshmukh – Chief of a village.
2. Deshpande – Accountant of a district.
3. Kulkarni – Village clerk.
4. Patil – Village headman.
5. Gokhale – Marathi Brahmin surname.
6. Kamble – Common Dalit surname.
7. Jadhav – Maratha warrior clan.
8. Shinde – Maratha clan surname.
9. Bhosle – Royal Maratha dynasty surname.
10. Sawant – Chief or leader title.
11. Thorat – Warrior family surname.
12. Pawar – Royal Maratha surname.
13. Rane – Warrior surname of Konkan region.
14. Kadam – Derived from “steps,” Maratha clan.
15. Phadnis – Record-keeper in Maratha era.

Kashmiri and Himachali Last Names

1. Kaul – Kashmiri Pandit surname.
2. Pandit – Teacher or scholar, Kashmiri Brahmins.
3. Razdan – Kashmiri Hindu surname.
4. Raina – Derived from “Rajan,” meaning king.
5. Bhat – Priestly surname, common in Kashmir.
6. Handoo – Kashmiri Pandit community surname.
7. Dhar – From Kashmir’s Brahmin families.
8. Koul – Variant of Kaul.
9. Tikoo – Ancient Kashmiri Brahmin family.
10. Mattoo – Kashmiri surname, Pandit heritage.
11. Lal – Means “beloved,” Himachal and Kashmir.
12. Negi – Himachali Rajput surname.
13. Thakur – Warrior title in Himachal.
14. Chauhan – Rajput clan surname in Himachal.
15. Jamwal – Royal Dogra clan of Jammu.

Historical and Royal Indian Last Names

Surnames Linked to Kings and Dynasties

1. Chola – Royal dynasty of Tamil Nadu.
2. Pallava – Ancient South Indian rulers.
3. Maurya – Dynasty of Emperor Ashoka.
4. Gupta – Rulers of the Gupta Empire.
5. Chalukya – Medieval South Indian dynasty.
6. Mughal – Dynasty of Muslim emperors.
7. Rashtrakuta – Ancient Kannada dynasty.
8. Peshwa – Prime ministers of Maratha empire.
9. Holkar – Royal Maratha family.
10. Scindia/Shinde – Royal Maratha clan.
11. Gaekwad – Rulers of Baroda.
12. Bhonsle – Shivaji Maharaj’s dynasty.
13. Rajput – Warrior royal clans of Rajasthan.
14. Dogra – Rulers of Jammu & Kashmir.
15. Ahom – Dynasty of Assam.

Warrior and Noble Family Last Names

1. Rathore – Rajput warrior clan.
2. Chauhan – Brave Rajput dynasty.
3. Solanki – Rajput rulers of Gujarat.
4. Sisodia – Mewar’s royal Rajput clan.
5. Kachwaha – Jaipur’s ruling dynasty.
6. Tomar – Rajput warriors of Delhi.
7. Paramara – Rajput dynasty of Malwa.
8. Yadav – Descendants of Lord Krishna.
9. Kashyap – Ancient sage lineage.
10. Gohil – Rajput clan of Gujarat.
11. Bajwa – Punjabi warrior clan.
12. Singh – Title of warriors/protectors.
13. Thakur – Warrior/ruler title.
14. Nayak – Noble chiefs in South India.
15. Rawat – Rajput noble title.

Modern Usage of Indian Last Names

How Indian Surnames Have Evolved Over Time

Indian surnames have shifted from showing caste, clan, or occupation to becoming symbols of family identity.

Many people today shorten, anglicize, or even drop surnames to make them modern. Some families adopt neutral names to move away from caste identity. In cities, surnames now blend tradition with modern values.

Indian Diaspora and Global Use of Last Names

Indian surnames have traveled worldwide with migration. From Singh in Canada, Patel in the UK, to Naidu in the USA, Indian family names preserve culture abroad.

Diaspora families often keep surnames as a mark of heritage, pride, and ancestry, making them recognized globally.

Conclusion

Indian surnames are more than just names—they are living history. They reflect caste, region, language, and culture. From Brahmin priests to warrior clans, every surname carries a story of ancestry and identity.

With 250+ Indian last names and their meanings (with origins & history), this guide shows how deeply names connect to culture.

Whether it’s top 100 Hindu surnames, South Indian surnames, or Indian royal surnames, each reflects pride, roots, and legacy. Indian surnames may evolve, but their heritage always remains timeless.

FAQs on Indian Last Names

Q1. What is the most common surname in India?

The most common surnames are Patel, Singh, Sharma, and Kumar.

Q2. Do Indian last names always show caste?

Not always. While many do (like Sharma for Brahmins, Patel for farmers), today surnames are also linked to profession, region, or heritage.

Q3. How do Indian surnames differ by region?

North Indians use Sharma, Singh, Yadav, while South Indians use Reddy, Iyer, Naidu. Bengali surnames include Banerjee, Ghosh, and Gujarati surnames include Shah, Mehta.

Q4. Can Indian surnames change over time?

Yes. Families adopt shorter, anglicized, or neutral names. For example, Mukhopadhyay → Mukherjee → Mukherji.