Das (surname)
Das translation: devotee[1]) is a common last name in India, 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 of God, "devotee," or "votary". "Das" may be inferred to be one who has surrendered to God. In the Punjab region of India and Pakistan,[2] they generally belong to the Brahmin caste.[3] In Bihar and Bengal regions, they belong primarily to the Maulika Kayastha caste. In Odisha, they belong to the Karana caste, the second upper caste after Brahmins and some belong to Gaudiya caste. The surname Das or Dass may also be found among Bengali Vaidyas and Oriya Brahmins. Bengali Vaidyas may also have surnames such as Das-Gupta/Das-Sharma.
Presently, initiated male devotees of the ISKCON tradition adopt the last name Das or Dasa upon formally entering the ISKCON community, whereas females initiates adopt the surname Dasi. The present day usage of Das, Dasa, and Dasi in Hinduism is highly respectful.
Das is also a last name (with a different meaning and etymology; Das means "badger" in Dutch, from PIE *teks-) found amongst the Dutch of the Netherlands.[4]
Notable people with the surname Das
Punjab region
- Gurcharan Das, Punjabi Hindu columnist for The Times of India
- Darga Mathara Das, a Punjabi Hindu who founded Darga Mandir in Jalalabad c. 1084 AD[5]
- Amar Das, the third of the Ten Gurus of Sikhism
- Bhai Mati Das, Sikh martyr
- Guru Ram Das, the fourth of the Sikh gurus
- Bhai Sati Das, Sikh martyr
- Bhai Dyal Das, Sikh martyr
Sindh
- Rana Bhagwan Das, former Chief Justice of Pakistan
Rajasthan
- Raja Bhagwant Das, Rajasthani ruler of Amber
- Seth Govind Das
Uttar Pradesh and Uttarandkhand
- Vir Das, comedian and actor
- Bhagwan Das
- Krishna Das
- Monica Das
- Veena Das
Bengal
- Shraddha Das is an Indian film actress who has mainly appeared in Telugu films
- Beni Madhab Das
- Bina Das
- Brojen Das
- Chittaranjan Das, a Bengali lawyer and a major figure in the Indian independence movement
- Dinesh Das, a Bengali poet residing in Calcutta
- Durga Mohan Das
- Gardhab Das, fictional character
- Gobindachandra Das
- Jibanananda Das, a Bengali poet
- Ranjan Das
- Satish Ranjan Das
- Shomie Das, schoolmaster
- Sudhi Ranjan Das
- Jatindra Nath Das
- Abhishek Das, Indian football player
Other regions
- Shashidhar Kumar Das(From Bihar, living in Gujarat)
- YesuDas is a singer (From Kerala)
- Namit Das is an Indian film and theatre actor.
- Amil Kumar Das
- Bhagavan Das
- Kamala Das
- Khagen Das
- Sarala Dasa, 14th-century poet of Odisha
- Surya Das
- Vasundhara Das, Indian actress and singer
- Veena Das
- Jagannatha Dash, 15th century Sankrit and Oriya poet
- Madhusudan Das, Oriya Lawyer and Indian nationalist of 19th century.
- Gopabandhu Das, Indian Freedom Fighter,Reformer,Journalist and educationist from Odisha
- Nandita Das, Indian film actress/director from Odisha
- Jatin Das, Indian painter from Odisha
- Jatindra Nath Das, Freedom fighter
- Shiv Sunder Das, Indian Cricketer from Odisa
- Manoj Das, English and Oriya writer
- K. S. R. Das, Indian film director
- Radha Charan Das, Former Vice-Chancellor of Berhampur University
See also
- Dasa
- Dass (disambiguation)
References
- ↑ Essays And Lectures On The Religions Of The Hindus: Religious Sects of the Hindus V1. Kessinger Publishing, LLC. 2006. p. 353. ISBN 1-4286-1308-0.
- ↑ "Sikh surnames". Science groupsrv. Retrieved 2009-04-19.
- ↑ "Bhai Mati Das". Sikh Heritage. Retrieved 2009-04-19.
- ↑ "Dutch Surnames". Sara L. Uckelman. Retrieved 2009-04-19.
- ↑ Singh, Pritpal (1 May 2013). "Mission Afghanistan".
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