Desai

Desai is an administrative title and surname[1] derived from the Sanskrit words deśa 'land' and svamin 'lord.' 'Desai' is a surname attributed to Hindus who were feudal lords and revenue collectors. People with the Desai surname are usually of the CKP, Anavil Brahmin or Vaishnav Vanik sub-caste or Veerashaivas(Lingayats) in Karnatka. They could also belong to the Nagar Brahmin sub-caste; and some Patels, Marathas and Reddys also have the surname 'Desai.The surname is also prevalent in regions of South Bihar and Chhatisgarh as a surname of Kurmis.

Some people were sometimes honored with the title 'Desai' when serving as revenue collectors during the Mughal Empire in the Western Indian regions of Gujarat & also in some regions of Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra, Konkan, Karnataka and Goa. In the Konkan region, the titular Desai surname is attached to another family name or the name of the village, e.g. Sawant Desai (primarily of Sawantwadi), Rane Sardesai, Raut Desai, Gawas Desai, Naik Desai, Vrishin Desai. In the Rayalaseema region of Andhra Pradesh, the titular 'Desai' surname is used even today by the descendants of the ministers of the Palegar (Rajas) and they belong to the Nandavarika Niyogi Brahmin sub-caste.

People

Notable people with the surname Desai:

References

  1. ↑ Also, "Mahr. deśāī; in W. and S. India a native official in charge of a district, often held hereditarily; a petty chief." Henry Yule, Hobson-Jobson: A Glossary of Colloquial Anglo-Indian Words and Phrases, pp. 292, 306.