Das (surname)
Das (translation: servant[1]) 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.[2]
In Bengal and Bihar regions, they belong primarily to the Maulika Kayastha caste. The surname Das is also used by the Mahishya community of Bengal.[3][4] The surname Das or Dass may also be found among Bengali Vaidyas and Brahmins of Odisha. Bengali Vaidyas may also have surnames such as Das-Gupta/Das-Sharma. In the Punjab region of India and Pakistan,[5] they generally belong to the Brahmin caste.[6]
Das is also a Dutch last name. Das (from the proto-Indo-European *teks-) is Dutch for badger; the name is found amongst the Dutch people of the Netherlands.[7]
Geographical distribution
As of 2014, 87.1% of all known bearers of the surname Das were residents of India and 10.7% were residents of Bangladesh. Pakistan had an incidence of 23,887 and Nepal had an incidence of 37,214.[8]
In India, the frequency of the surname was higher than national average in the following states and union territories:[8]
- 1. Tripura (1: 9)
- 2. Assam (1: 16)
- 3. West Bengal (1: 19)
- 4. Andaman and Nicobar Islands (1: 26)
- 5. Odisha (1: 35)
- 6. Jharkhand (1: 103)
- 7. Bihar (1: 104)
- 8. Arunachal Pradesh (1: 112)
Notable people
- Abhishek Das, Indian football player
- Amil Kumar Das
- Atulananda Das, Indian botanist
- Beni Madhab Das
- Bhagavan Das, Indian Theosophist
- Bhagavan Das, an American yogi
- Bhagwan Das
- Bhai Dyal Das, Sikh martyr
- Bhai Mati Das, Sikh martyr
- Bhai Sati Das, Sikh martyr
- Bibhusita Das, Indian marine engineer
- Bina Das
- Brojen Das
- Chittaranjan Das, a Bengali lawyer and a major figure in the Indian independence movement
- Dinesh Das, a Bengali poet
- Durga Mohan Das
- Gardhab Das, fictional character
- Gobindachandra Das
- Gopabandhu Das, Indian Freedom Fighter, Reformer, Journalist and educationist from Odisha
- Gurcharan Das, Punjabi Hindu columnist for The Times of India
- Guru Amar Das, the third of the Ten Gurus of Sikhism
- Guru Ram Das, the fourth of the Sikh gurus
- Hima Das, Assamese sprinter
- Jagannath Prasad Das, researcher in psychometrics and author of the (PASS theory of intelligence)
- Jatin Das, Indian painter from Odisha
- Jatindra Nath Das, Freedom fighter
- Jibanananda Das, a Bengali poet
- K. S. R. Das, Indian film director
- Kamala Das
- Khagen Das
- Krishna das Babaji
- Liton Das, Bangladeshi Cricketer
- Madhusudan Das, Odia Lawyer and Indian nationalist of 19th century.
- Manoj Das, English and Odia writer
- Monica Das
- Namit Das is an Indian film and theatre actor.
- Nandita Das, Indian film actress/director from Odisha
- Parichay Das, path-breaker Bhojpuri- Hindi poet, essayist, critic[1]
- Prosenjit Das, Indian cricketer
- Radha Charan Das, Former Vice-Chancellor of Berhampur University
- Raja Bhagwant Das, Rajasthani ruler of Amber
- Ram Dass
- Ranjan Das
- Rima Das, Assamese Indian filmmaker
- Sarala Dasa, 14th-century poet of Odisha
- Sarat Chandra Das, Indian scholar of Tibetan language
- Satish Ranjan Das
- Seth Govind Das
- Shiv Sunder Das, Indian Cricketer from Odisha
- Shomie Das, schoolmaster
- Shraddha Das, Indian film actress
- Sudhi Ranjan Das
- Surya Das
- Vasundhara Das, Indian actress and singer
- Veena Das
- Vir Das, comedian and actor
See also
- Dasa
- Dass (disambiguation)
- Gopal Das (disambiguation)
References
- das (2006). Essays And Lectures On The Religions Of The Hindus: Religious Sects of the Hindus V1. p. 353. ISBN 1-4286-1308-0.
- "Das Family History". Ancestry.com. Retrieved 10 September 2019.
- Census of India (Volume 5, Issue 1 ed.). India: Government of India. 1911. p. 498.
- 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.
- "Sikh surnames". Science groupsrv. Retrieved 19 April 2009.
- "Bhai Mati Das". Sikh Heritage. Retrieved 19 April 2009.
- "Dutch Surnames". Sara L. Uckelman. Retrieved 19 April 2009.
- Das Surname Distribution