Gowda (surname)

According to historian Suryanath U. Kamath, the word Gowda derives from Gavunda.^[10] The German Indologist Gustav Oppert opined that the root of ‘Gowda’ is a Dravidian word meaning "mountain".^[11] The term Gowda and its archaic forms in Old Kannada such as Gamunda, Gavunda, Gavuda, Gonda, appear frequently in the inscriptions of Karnataka. The Epigraphia Carnatica is replete with references to land grants, donations to temples, hero-stones (Veeragallu), stone edicts and copper plates dating back to the age of the Western Ganga Dynasty (est. 350 CE) and earlier.^[12] The Gavundas were landlords that collected taxes and rendered military service to the Kings.^[13] Noboru Karashima says the Gavundas had functions corresponding to that of the Chola Vellala Nattars.^[14] While the majority of the gavundas were derived from the Vokkaligas and Kurubas; by the 10th century, the term gavunda also came to denote chiefship of a community or group and was adopted by the heads of other communities assimilated into the early medieval state.^[9]

Thumb — Kempegowda I, founder of the Bengaluru city

Notable people with the surname Gowda:

Agriculture

M. H. Marigowda, Indian horticulturist

Film

Akshara Gowda (born 1991), Indian actress from Karnataka
Ambareesh (born 1952 as Huche Gowda Amarnath) Indian politician and actor from Karnataka
Bhavya Gowda (born 1983), Indian model from Karnataka
Ere Gowda, Indian Kannada film director from Karnataka
Jaggesh (born 1963 as Eshwar Gowda), Indian Kannada actor from Karnataka
K. C. N. Gowda (c. 1928–2012), Indian Kannada film producer and film distributor
Pallavi Gowda (born 1993), Indian actress from Karnataka
Ravishankar Gowda, Indian actor from Karnataka
Sheela Gowda (born 1957), Indian artist from Karnataka
Yash Gowda (born Naveen Kumar Gowda), Indian actor from Karnataka

Historical Figures and Rulers

Junje Gowda, Founder of Male Mahadeshwara Temple
Kempe Gowda I (1510–1569), Founder of Bengaluru & feudatory ruler of the Vijayanagara Empire.

Law

Venkate Gopala Gowda (born 1951), Indian Supreme court judge

Literature

Javare Gowda (1915–2016), Indian Kannada author
H. L. Nage Gowda (1915–2005), Indian Kannada folklorist and author
Shilpi Somaya Gowda (born 1970), Canadian novelist

Politics

H. D. Deve Gowda (born 1933), former Prime Minister of India
Siddaramaiah (born 1947), Born as Siddaramegowda, Hon’ble Chief Minister Of Karnataka.
H. D. Kumaraswamy (born 1959), former chief minister of Karnataka
D. K. Shivakumar (born 1962), Deputy Chief Minister of Karnataka
D. B. Chandre Gowda (born 1936), Indian politician from Karnataka
D. V. Sadananda Gowda (born 1953), Indian politician from Karnataka
K. Venkatagiri Gowda (born 1923), Indian Economist & politician from Karnataka
Krishna Byre Gowda (born 1973), Indian politician from Karnataka
M. J. Appaji Gowda (died 2020), Indian politician
Maritibbe Gowda, Karnataka politician
N. H. Gouda, (1938–1992), Indian politician from Karnataka
Narayana Gowda, Indian politician from Karnataka
Rajeev Gowda, Indian politician and academic from Karnataka
Ramachandra Gowda, Indian politician from Karnataka
Sadananda Gowda, Indian politician from Karnataka
Shantaveri Gopala Gowda (1923–1972), Indian politician from Karnataka
Tejashwini Gowda (born 1966), Indian politician from Karnataka
C. N. Manjunath (born Manjunath Gowda) cardiologist turned politician. MP of Bangalore Rural Lok Sabha constituency.

Sports

Girisha Nagarajegowda (born 1988), Indian Paralympic athlete known as Girish N. Gowda
Vikas Gowda (born 1983), Indian athlete

Others

K. Chidananda Gowda, Indian computer scientist
Tulsi Gowda, Indian environmentalist

Etymology

Notable people with surname Gowda