Das (translation: "devotee of God") is a common last name in South Asia, among adherents of Hinduism and Sikhism, as well as those who converted to Islam or Christianity. It is a derived from the Sanskrit word Dasa (Sanskrit: दास) meaning servant, devotee, or votary. "Das" may be inferred to be one who has surrendered to God. The surname is often used by those in the Vaishnav community.[1]

Bengal, Bihar and Jharkhand

Das is a common surname among Bengali Kayasthas.[2] In Bengal, the surname is also used by both Scheduled Castes[3] and General Castes.

More broadly, in Bengal, Bihar, and Jharkhand, the surname "Das" is also used by the Dhobi and Patni communities.[4]

Assam

In Assam, the Kaibarta, the Patni, the Koch-Rajbanshi, and other scheduled caste communities also use Das as their surname.[5][6][4]

Odisha

In Odisha, the Das surname is used by the Gopal and Karan castes, while "Dash" is used by the Brahmins.[7]

Punjab

In Punjab, they generally belong to the Brahmin caste.

Karnataka

In Karnataka, the Das surname is used by a section of Vokkaligas who profess Vaishnavism called Das Vokkaligas.[8]

Notable people

See also

References

  1. "Das Family History". Ancestry.com. Retrieved 10 September 2019.
  2. Ronald. B. Inden (January 1976). Marriage and Rank in Bengali Culture : A History of Caste and Clan in Middle Period Bengal. University of California Press. p. 40. ISBN 9780520025691.
  3. Ghosh, Partha S. (23 May 2016). Migrants, Refugees and the Stateless in South Asia. SAGE Publications India. p. 71. ISBN 978-93-5150-855-7.
  4. 1 2 "Scheduled Communities: A social Development profile of SC/ST's (Bihar, Jharkhand & W.B)" (PDF). niti.gov.in. Archived from the original (PDF) on 7 August 2021. Retrieved 22 February 2022.
  5. Census of India (Volume 5, Issue 1 ed.). India: Government of India. 1911. p. 498.
  6. Roy, Dayabati (19 December 2013). Rural Politics in India: Political Stratification and Governance in West Bengal. United Kingdom: Cambridge University Press. p. 67. ISBN 978-1-107-04235-3.
  7. "shodhganga.inflibnet.ac.in" (PDF).
  8. Subha, K. (1997). Karnataka Panchayat Elections 1995: Process, Issues, and Membership Profile. Concept Publishing Company. ISBN 978-81-7022-612-3.
  9. das (2006). Essays And Lectures On The Religions Of The Hindus: Religious Sects of the Hindus V1. p. 353. ISBN 1-4286-1308-0.
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