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. In Odisha this is two types (Das and Dash), the 'Das' is mostly used by Karan and Gopal and 'Dash' is used by Brahman caste 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
• Shaktikanta Das, Governer of R.B.I.
• Shiv Sunder Das, Indian Cricketer from Odisha
• Shomie Das, schoolmaster
• Shraddha Das, Indian film actress
• Sudhi Ranjan Das
• Suhasini Das
• Sujita Das, Indian Radio personality
• Surya Das
• Vasundhara Das, Indian actress and singer
• Veena Das
• Vir Das, comedian and actor

See also

• Dasa
• Dass (disambiguation)
• Gopal Das (disambiguation)

References

1. das (2006). Essays And Lectures On The Religions Of The Hindus: Religious Sects of the Hindus V1. p. 353. ISBN 1-4286-1308-0.
2. "Das Family History". Ancestry.com. Retrieved 10 September 2019.
3. Census of India (Volume 5, Issue 1 ed.). India: Government of India. 1911. p. 498.
4. 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.
5. "Sikh surnames". Science groupsrv. Retrieved 19 April 2009.
6. "Bhai Mati Das". Sikh Heritage. Retrieved 19 April 2009.
7. "Dutch Surnames". Sara L. Uckelman. Retrieved 19 April 2009.
8. Das Surname Distribution