Gupta

Gupta
Pronunciation/ˈɡuːptə/
LanguageSanskrit
Origin
MeaningGuardian or protector
Region of originIndia, Bangladesh
Other names
Variant formsSengupta, Dasgupta

Gupta (/ˈɡuːptə/) is a common surname of Indian origin, meaning "guardian" or "protector".

Origins and distribution

The name is based on the Sanskrit word गोप्तृ goptṛ, which means "guardian" or "protector".

According to historian R. C. Majumdar, the surname Gupta was adopted by several different communities in northern and eastern India at different times.

The Rāmpāl plate of the Chandra dynasty ruler Srichandra mentions a line of Brahmins who had Gupta as their surname. In Bengal region, the surname is found among Baidyas (mainly) as well as Kayasthas.

According to Tej Ram Sharma, the name Sri Gupta, "Sri" serves as an honorific title, similar to its usage for other Gupta emperors mentioned in inscriptions. If the first ruler's name had indeed been Sri Gupta, it would likely have been recorded as Sri Sri Gupta, as seen in the Deo-Barnark inscription of Jivitagupta II, where the name Srimati appears in a similar format. Therefore, if Gupta is accepted as the personal name of the dynasty's founder, it would indicate that the Gupta suffix did not function as a surname during that period.

The Gupta surname is also used by Banias and Jains in the northern part of India.

Notable people with the surname

In academia

In armed forces

In business and management

In entertainment

In journalism

In law

In literature

In politics

In sports

In art

Fictional characters

References

  1. ↑ GUPTA - Surname Meaning | Origin for the Surname Gupta Genealogy Archived 14 October 2013 at the Wayback Machine. Genealogy.about.com (14 July 2013). Retrieved on 18 July 2013.
  2. ↑ Majumdar, Ramesh Chandra; Anant Sadashiv Altekar (1986). Vakataka Gupta Age: circa 200–550 A.D. Motilal Banarsidass Publ. p. 126. ISBN 81-208-0026-5.
  3. ↑ Sarkar, Girindra Mohan (1984). Early History of Bengal. p. 47. The Rampāl plate of Sri Chandra reveals a line of Brāhmanas whose surnames end in Gupta (Sarman). No such Brāhmanas are met within the modern Bengal. Where have they gone? Have they too, like the Sena-Karnatakshatriyas, merged into the present Vaidya caste of Bengal?
  4. ↑ Sahay, Keshari N. (2001). Ambastha Kayastha: The Evolution of a Family and Its Socio-cultural Dimensions. Commonwealth Publishers. p. 11. ISBN 978-81-7169-660-4.
  5. ↑ "বাঙালির পদবি, উদয় চট্টোপাধ্যায়, পরবাস-৭৬". www.parabaas.com. ISSN 1563-8685. Retrieved 15 June 2021.
  6. ↑ Ronald. B. Inden (January 1976). Marriage and Rank in Bengali Culture : A History of Caste and Clan in Middle Period Bengal. University of California Press. p. 40. ISBN 9780520025691.
  7. ↑ Sharma, Tej Ram (1978). Personal and geographical names in the Gupta inscriptions. Robarts - University of Toronto. Delhi : Concept. p. 14.
  8. ↑ Hanks, Patrick (8 May 2003). Dictionary of American Family Names: 3-Volume Set. Oxford University Press, USA. p. 103. ISBN 978-0-19-508137-4.