100 Indian Surnames Starting With A to Z

Key Takeaways

• This article lists 100 Indian surnames from A to Z, with 25 names in each section.
• Many Indian surnames come from occupations, titles, places, or ancestral traits.
• Surnames differ across regions, such as Banerjee in Bengal and Iyer in Tamil Nadu.
• The Indian surnames list in alphabetical order makes it easy to find a name quickly.
• Spellings can vary by region, so the same surname may appear in different forms.

India has thousands of surnames, shaped by region, language, caste, profession, and village of origin. A surname often carries a family’s history, from ancient titles to trades passed down through generations. This article shares 100 Indian surnames starting with A to Z, with simple meanings, to help you explore family names for research, writing, or curiosity. Use this A to Z Indian surnames list to discover the roots behind names you hear every day.

Indian Surnames Starting With A to G

Here are 25 Indian surname with A to G, covering a wide range of communities.

1. Agarwal: Traditional trading community name, linked to the legendary king Agrasen.

2. Ahuja: Punjabi family name, linked to a Rajput ancestor called Ahu.

3. Anand: Means joy or bliss, a popular name across North India.

4. Arora: Punjabi trading community name, believed to come from the town Aror.

5. Bajaj: Means trader or seller of cloth, common among Marwari families.

6. Banerjee: Bengali Brahmin surname, derived from the village Bandoghat in old Bengal.

7. Bansal: Gupta community surname, believed to come from the Bansal gotra.

8. Bhatt: Means scholar or learned priest, found among Brahmins across western India.

9. Bose: Bengali Kayastha surname, derived from the ancient name Basu.

10. Chandra: Means moon, symbolising calm, beauty, and light in Sanskrit tradition.

11. Chatterjee: Bengali Brahmin surname, derived from the village Chattopadhyay in Bengal.

12. Chopra: Punjabi Khatri surname, linked to the Sanskrit word for four.

13. Choudhary: Means a leader or head of a community, common across North India.

14. Das: Means servant or devotee, widely used in Bengal, Odisha, and Assam.

15. Desai: Gujarati title for the head of a district or village.

16. Dixit: Means one who is initiated, linked to Vedic ritual learning.

17. Dubey: Brahmin surname meaning one who has studied two Vedas.

18. Gandhi: Gujarati surname meaning perfume seller or dealer in fragrances.

19. Garg: Brahmin and Agarwal surname, named after the ancient sage Garga.

20. Ghosh: Bengali Kayastha surname, originally meaning a cowherd or village head.

21. Gill: Punjabi Jat surname, believed to mean cool, fresh, or lively.

22. Gokhale: Marathi Brahmin surname, derived from a village named Gokhale in Maharashtra.

23. Goswami: Means master of the senses, used by Hindu religious scholars.

24. Gowda: Kannada title meaning village head or landowner in Karnataka.

25. Gupta: Means protected or hidden, linked to the ancient Gupta dynasty.

Indian Surnames Starting With H to N

This section covers 25 Indian surnames starting with H to N. If you are looking for Indian surnames starting with M, you will find several popular ones here.

1. Hegde: Kannada title for a village chief or revenue officer in coastal Karnataka.

2. Hussain: Arabic origin name meaning handsome or good, widely used among Indian Muslims.

3. Iyengar: Tamil Brahmin surname for followers of Ramanuja’s Vaishnava tradition.

4. Iyer: Tamil Brahmin surname meaning a respected teacher or priest.

5. Jain: Follower of Jainism, a religion built on non violence and truth.

6. Jha: Maithili Brahmin surname, derived from the Sanskrit word for teacher.

7. Joshi: Means astrologer or scholar of the stars, common in Maharashtra and Gujarat.

8. Kapoor: Punjabi Khatri surname meaning camphor, linked to purity and sacred rituals.

9. Kaur: Means princess, used by Sikh women as a sign of equality.

10. Khanna: Punjabi Khatri surname, believed to come from a Sanskrit word meaning mine.

11. Kulkarni: Marathi and Kannada title for a village accountant or record keeper.

12. Kumar: Means a young boy or prince, found across all Indian regions.

13. Mahajan: Means great person, traditionally used for bankers and wealthy merchants.

14. Malhotra: Punjabi Khatri surname, linked to an ancestor named Malhotra.

15. Mehta: Gujarati title meaning a learned person or an accountant.

16. Menon: Malayali title for a Nair chief or a respected local administrator.

17. Mishra: Means mixed or blended, used by Brahmins who knew several Vedas.

18. Mondal: Bengali title for a village headman or a local community leader.

19. Mukherjee: Bengali Brahmin surname, derived from the village Mukhuti in old Bengal.

20. Naidu: Telugu title meaning leader or chief, used in Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu.

21. Nair: Malayali warrior community name from Kerala, with a proud martial history.

22. Nambiar: Malayali title for a Brahmin priest or a respected Nair family.

23. Narayan: Means a name of Lord Vishnu, a popular devotional surname.

24. Nayak: Means leader or hero, found in Karnataka, Odisha, and Maharashtra.

25. Negi: Garhwali and Himachali surname for a local officer or village administrator.

Indian Surnames Starting With O to T

Here are 25 Indian surnames starting with O to T. If you want Indian surnames starting with P, this section has many well known options.

1. Oberoi: Punjabi Khatri surname, linked to the village Oberoi in Punjab.

2. Pandey: Brahmin surname meaning a learned scholar or teacher of sacred texts.

3. Pandit: Means a wise scholar, used for learned teachers across many communities.

4. Parekh: Gujarati surname meaning a jeweller or an expert who tests valuables.

5. Patel: Gujarati title for a village head or landowning farmer.

6. Patil: Marathi title for a village head or a respected landowning farmer.

7. Pillai: Tamil and Malayali title meaning child, used as an honorific for nobles.

8. Rai: Means king or chief, used in North India, Bengal, and Karnataka.

9. Rao: Means king or chief, common in Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, and Maharashtra.

10. Rathore: Rajput clan name from Marwar, linked to the Rashtrakuta dynasty.

11. Reddy: Telugu title for a landowning farmer and a respected community leader.

12. Roy: Means king, widely used by Bengali families across many communities.

13. Saxena: Kayastha surname, believed to come from the Sanskrit word for army.

14. Sen: Means army or leader, used by Bengali Vaidya and Kayastha families.

15. Sharma: Means joy or shelter, a popular Brahmin surname across North India.

16. Shetty: Tulu and Kannada title for a trader or a community head.

17. Singh: Means lion, used by Rajputs, Sikhs, and many other communities.

18. Sinha: Means lion, a variant of Singh used in Bihar and Bengal.

19. Srivastava: Kayastha surname, derived from the ancient town of Shravasti.

20. Subramanian: Tamil name of Lord Murugan, meaning dear to the learned.

21. Tagore: Bengali Brahmin surname, a form of Thakur meaning lord or master.

22. Thakur: Means lord or master, used by Rajputs, Brahmins, and others.

23. Tiwari: Brahmin surname meaning one who has studied three Vedas.

24. Tripathi: Brahmin surname meaning one who knows three Vedas in depth.

25. Trivedi: Brahmin surname meaning one who has mastered three Vedas.

Indian Surnames Starting With U to Z

This final section lists 25 Indian surnames starting with U to Z, completing the A to Z Indian surnames list.

1. Upadhyay: Means teacher, used by Brahmins who taught scripture and rituals.

2. Uppal: Punjabi Khatri surname, believed to come from the Sanskrit word for lotus.

3. Urs: Karnataka royal surname, linked to the Wodeyar rulers of Mysore.

4. Vaghela: Gujarati Rajput clan name, linked to the old Vaghela dynasty.

5. Vaidya: Means physician or healer, used by families with Ayurvedic traditions.

6. Varghese: Malayali Christian surname, a form of the name George.

7. Varma: Means armour or protector, a royal and warrior surname.

8. Venkatesh: Name of Lord Venkateswara, popular among South Indian families.

9. Verma: Means protector or shield, used by Kshatriya and Kayastha families.

10. Vora: Gujarati trading community name, meaning one who lends money.

11. Vyas: Means compiler, named after the sage who arranged the Vedas.

12. Wadhwa: Punjabi surname, believed to come from the town of Wadhwan.

13. Wadia: Parsi surname, famous for shipbuilding and business families of Mumbai.

14. Waghmare: Marathi surname meaning tiger killer, given for bravery and strength.

15. Wagle: Marathi Brahmin surname from the Konkan coast of Maharashtra.

16. Walia: Punjabi surname, believed to come from the Persian word for saint.

17. Wani: Kashmiri and Marathi surname for a shopkeeper or a trading family.

18. Warrier: Malayali title for a temple worker who prepares garlands and lamps.

19. Yadav: Means descendant of King Yadu, used by pastoral and farming communities.

20. Yagnik: Gujarati Brahmin surname meaning one who performs sacred fire rituals.

21. Yogi: Means a spiritual practitioner who follows the path of yoga.

22. Zacharia: Malayali Christian surname, derived from the biblical name Zachariah.

23. Zaveri: Gujarati surname meaning jeweller, linked to the Persian word for gems.

24. Zope: Marathi surname, believed to mean a swing or a cradle.

25. Zutshi: Kashmiri Pandit surname, believed to mean an expert in knowledge.

FAQs

1. What are the most common Indian surnames?

Some of the most common Indian surnames are Sharma, Singh, Kumar, Patel, Gupta, Reddy, and Das. They appear across many states and communities.

2. Do Indian surnames change by region?

Yes, surnames vary widely by region and language. For example, Banerjee is Bengali, Iyer is Tamil, Patil is Marathi, and Gowda is Kannada.

3. Can one Indian surname have different spellings?

Yes, many surnames have more than one spelling because of translation from regional scripts. Examples include Choudhary and Chaudhary, or Agarwal and Aggarwal.

Indian surnames reflect the country’s rich mix of languages, traditions, and communities. This Indian surnames list in alphabetical order shows how names can come from titles, trades, places, and ancient sages. Many families carry their surname with pride, since it connects them to their roots. Use this A to Z Indian surnames list as a starting point to explore your own family history or to learn about other communities. Keep in mind that meanings and spellings can differ by region, so local family records always give the most accurate story.

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