Persaud

Persaud is a Hindu surname originating in the Kayastha Ambashtha[1] community, primarily found in Guyana, Suriname, South Asia, Fiji, South Africa, Mauritius, Trinidad and Tobago, and other parts of the Caribbean. It is derived from the Hindi surname साद which is predominantly transliterated as Prasad in India. Other variant forms include Persad, Persard, Pershard, Prasada, Prashad, Presad, and Presaud.

The surname primarily originated in the Hindi Belt of India, especially in the present-day states of Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Jharkhand, and Madhya Pradesh, and it also originates in the neighboring Terai-Madhesh region of Nepal.[2] Persaud is the most prevalent surname in Guyana with 21,855 [3] Guyanese persons documented to hold the name. It is the 22nd most prevalent name in Suriname.[4] Persad is also the sixteenth most prevalent surname in Trinidad and Tobago and the other variant, Persaud, is the 431st most prevalent surname.[5][6] Persaud is also the number one most popular Hindu surname in the United States, based on data from the 2010 U.S. census.[7]

The term Ambashtha refers to a sub-caste of Kayasthas, now found mainly in South-Bihar, who may be connected with the old Ambashtha caste, who were involved in the practice of medicine and surgery.[8] Their origin may have been Western Punjab; the tribe was mentioned in the Mahabharata.[9]

Etymology and history

The name Persaud means "Gracious gift"[10][11] originally deriving from Hindi "Prasad". The name has connection to multiple Dharmic religions including Hinduism, Jainism and Sikhism.[12] where "Prasada" is a food that is used in religious offering.

Geographical distribution

Persaud is most popular surname in Guyana [13] where 1 in 35 persons hold the surname,[14] but it is also a growing common name in Canada ranking 862nd and the UK where 1 in 52,000 hold the surname. This is due to a large amount of Indo-Caribbean immigration to North America and Europe (mainly the United Kingdom and the Netherlands).[15]

Notable people named Persaud
See also: Prasad (name)

Persaud

Persad
  • Kamla Persad-Bissessar (b. 1952), first woman to be Prime Minister of Trinidad and Tobago
  • Ria Persad (also known as Ria Persad Carlo) (born 1974), a Trinidad and Tobago mathematician, classical musician and model

References
  1. "Ambastha". Blogspot. Retrieved 2020-05-03.
  2. "Persaud Family History". Ancestry. Retrieved 14 April 2014.
  3. "Guyana Genealogy Resources & Vital Records". forebears.io. Retrieved 2019-05-08.
  4. https://forebears.io/suriname/surnames
  5. https://forebears.io/guyana
  6. https://forebears.io/trinidad-and-tobago
  7. https://www.names.org/lists/by-origin/hindu/
  8. Russell, R.V. The Tribes and Castes of the Central Provinces of India, Volume III of IV. Library of Alexandria. ISBN 978-1-46558-303-1.
  9. Gupta, Chitrarekha (1996). The Kāyasthas: a study in the formation and early history of a caste. K.P. Bagchi & Co. p. 60. ISBN 9788170741565. But Bihar was not the original homeland of the Ambashthas. The Ambashthas were a famous tribe from Western Punjab and have been mentioned in the Mahabharata.
  10. "Prasad Name Meaning & Prasad Family History". Ancestry.co.uk. Retrieved 2019-05-08.
  11. "Fatawa - Is it permissible for Muslims to eat Prasad shared by temple custodians in India?". Dar al-Ifta al Misriyyah. Retrieved 2019-05-08.
  12. "Prasada | Hinduism". Encyclopedia Britannica. Retrieved 2019-05-08.
  13. "The most popular last name in every country in the world, and what they mean". https://Matador network. Retrieved 2020-05-03.
  14. "Persaud Surname Meaning, Origins & Distribution". forebears.io. Retrieved 2019-05-08.
  15. "Guyanese Immigrants to Canada | Statistics | Immigration to Canada". Retrieved 2019-05-08.
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