Das (surname)

Das (translation: "devotee of God") 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. The surname is often used by those in the Vaishnav community.[1]

Das is a common surname among Bengali Kayastha[2] apart from other Bengali communities.

More broadly, in Bengal, Bihar, and Jharkhand, the surname "Das" is also used by the Mahishya, Dhobi, and Patni communities.[3]

In Assam, the Kaibarta, the Patni, the Koch-Rajbanshi, and other scheduled caste communities also use Das as their surname.[4][5][3]

In Odisha, the Das surname is used by the Gopal and Karan castes, while 'Dash' is used by the Brahmins.[6]

In the Punjab, they generally belong to the Brahmin caste.[7]

In Karnataka, the Das surname is used by a section of Vokkaligas who profess Vaishnavism called Das Vokkaligas.[8]