South Asian surnames are deeply intertwined with language, religion, caste, profession, and region. Centuries of cultural development and historical intricacy have formed the remarkably unique naming customs found in India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal, Bhutan, The Maldives and Sri Lanka, which have been brought to other parts of the world by the South Asian diaspora, especially to Guyana, Trinidad and Tobago, the United Kingdom, Mauritius, South Africa, Singapore, the United States and Canada.
South Asian surnames naming conventions
Caste (e.g., Sharma, Patel, Chowdhury), geography (Nair in Kerala, Reddy in Andhra Pradesh), or vocation (Mehta, "accountant" and Joshi, "priest") are frequently reflected in Indian surnames. Although naming customs differ greatly by language and religious community, many Indian surnames are associated with patrilineal ancestry. The father's given name has historically been used as a surname by several groups, such as many Tamils, found also both in India and Sri Lanka, as well as Malayalees in the state of Kerala.
Surnames in Bangladesh, The Maldives and Pakistan are heavily influenced by Islamic tradition. Tribal connections, honorific position, or ancestry are shown by surnames like Khan, Syed, or Sheikh. Although regional surnames also reflect ethnic roots—Baloch in Balochistan, Chowdhury in Bengal—Arabic and Persian name features are prevalent.
Surnames like Gurung, Rai, or Thapa are frequently associated with ethnic group, caste, or clan in Nepal. in Sri Lanka, Portuguese (Pereira and Fernando are the most common surnames in the country) as well as Dutch and English surnames were introduced by colonial influences; Sinhala surnames in Sri Lanka like Senanayake and Jayasinghe are a reflection of family, caste, or ancestral villages. In Goa, and due to the centuries-long Portuguese colonization, surnames of this origin are common, followed by Konkani or Marathi surnames rendered with Portuguese (Kamat > Camotim, Parab > Porobo) conventions.
The richness and complexity of South Asian surnames make them an essential key to understanding ancestry, identity, and social structure across the subcontinent.
See also
Explore more about South Asian surnames
- Discover the origin of your last name at MyHeritage
- Asia - Collection Catalog at MyHeritage