Naiker
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Naiker also Nayakar, Nayakkar, Naicker is title used by many Andhra Pradesh, Tamil nadu and Karnataka derived people in India and abroad in the Tamil diaspora.
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[edit] Origins
Many believe the word is derived from Sanskrit Nayaka for a leader of a band of soldiers. Titles derived from this root such as Nayaka or variant Naik is used across all over India amongst countless number of Social groups or castes across ethnic boundaries.
[edit] Tamil Nadu usage
The word Naicker is a Sanskrit and Tamil compound word and is specifically used by ethnically Telugu Speaking people in Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Karnatka and abroad along with many other caste titles or surnames. It is also used to denote persons of Telugu or Kannada ancestry in Tamil Nadu whose ancestors are believed to have moved into Tamil lands with the expansion of Vijayanagar and Maratha empires along with general Muslim inroads into their ancestral lands. They were also referred to as Vadugar or northerners. The usage of common titles across caste lines confuses the ethnic landscape further and allows many different caste and ethnic identities to exist at the same time.
Naicker title is used by various castes of telugu speaking origins.The most prominent clan is Kambala (Kambalatu Naicker) in southern districts.Also Kamma,who use the Naidu title in Coimbatore district use Naicker title elsewhere in Tamil Nadu.
[edit] Karnataka Usage
It is also used as a caste title by Kuruba, Dhangar, Tigala and Vanniars as well as many other tribals.
[edit] Usage abroad
Amongst the Tamil citizens of South Africa a variant spelling Naicker is used. It is also used in Malaysia, Singapore, Mauritius and Reunion as common surname amongst Tamil citizens of these countries. In Trinidad and Tobago, Fiji and Guyana variant spellings of this title is part of the general Indian diaspora's surnames. It is also used as a title amongst Indian origin Hill Country Tamils of Sri Lanka.
[edit] Prominent people
- Periyar E. V. Ramaswami Naicker
- D.K.Naiker
- Monty Naicker, a South African politician of Indian origin
- George Naicker of South Africa
- Kerishnie Naicker of South Africa
- Michael Naicker of South Africa
- Thambi Naicker of South Africa
- Isayvani Naicker South Africa
- Velu Naicker Bombay
