Desai () is an Indian administrative, princely or honorary title and

surname In many societies, a surname, family name, or last name is the mostly hereditary portion of one's personal name that indicates one's family. It is typically combined with a given name to form the full name of a person, although several give ...

Etymology

The word is derived from the Sanskrit ''deśa'' (country) and ''svāmī'' (lord).

Desai as a title

Desai was a title given to

feudal Feudalism, also known as the feudal system, was a combination of legal, economic, military, cultural, and political customs that flourished in Middle Ages, medieval Europe from the 9th to 15th centuries. Broadly defined, it was a way of struc ...

lord Lord is an appellation for a person or deity who has authority, control, or power (social and political), power over others, acting as a master, chief, or ruler. The appellation can also denote certain persons who hold a title of the Peerage o ...

s, and others who were granted a village or group of villages in

Maharashtra Maharashtra () is a state in the western peninsular region of India occupying a substantial portion of the Deccan Plateau. It is bordered by the Arabian Sea to the west, the Indian states of Karnataka and Goa to the south, Telangana to th ...

, and

North Karnataka North Karnataka (kannada: ಉತ್ತರ ಕರ್ನಾಟಕ ''Transliteration: Uttara Karnataka'') is a geographical region in Deccan plateau from elevation that constitutes the region of the Karnataka state in India and the region consi ...

. The title Desai should not be associated with a particular religion or caste, though a Desai would use the title of Rao or Rai or Raje as a suffix to his name denoting he is a king of those villages, The "Desai" title was given by

Maratha emperors Chhatrapati is a royal title from Sanskrit used to denote a king. The word "Chhatrapati" is a Sanskrit language compound word of '' chhatra'' (''parasol'' or ''umbrella'') and '' pati'' (''master/lord/ruler''). This title was used by the Hou ...

Mughal emperors The emperors of the Mughal Empire, who were all members of the Timurid dynasty ( House of Babur), ruled the empire from its inception on 21 April 1526 to its dissolution on 21 September 1857. They were supreme monarchs of the Mughal Empire i ...

and by the

Deccan sultanates The Deccan sultanates is a historiographical term referring to five late medieval to early modern Persianate Indian Muslim kingdoms on the Deccan Plateau between the Krishna River and the Vindhya Range. They were created from the disintegrati ...

. * In Maharashtra, the title ''Desai'' is conferred to feudal lords and village council members. Most of them are either

Gaud Saraswat Brahmin Gaud Saraswat Brahmins (GSB) (also Goud or Gawd), also known as Shenvis are a Hindu community of contested caste status and identity. They primarily speak Konkani and its various dialects as their mother tongue. They claim to be Saraswat Bra ...

Deshastha Brahmin Deshastha Brahmin is a Hinduism, Hindu Brahmin caste, subcaste mainly from the Indian state of Maharashtra and North Karnataka. Other than these states, according to authors K. S. Singh, Gregory Naik and Pran Nath Chopra, Deshastha Brahmins a ...

Karhade Brahmin Karhaḍe Brahmins (also spelled as Karada Brahmins or Karad Brahmins) are a Hindu Brahmin sub-caste mainly from the Indian state of Maharashtra, but are also distributed in states of Goa, Karnataka and Madhya Pradesh. Based on Veda and Ved ...

s, Prabhus ( CKP- Davane Prabhus and Pathare Prabhus), Lingayats, Patidars and

Maratha The Marathi people (; Marathi: , ''Marāṭhī lōk'') or Marathis (Marathi: मराठी, ''Marāṭhī'') are an Indo-Aryan ethnolinguistic group who are native to Maharashtra in western India. They natively speak Marathi, an Indo-A ...

s. * Desais were the rulers of

Kudal Kudal is a census town in Sindhudurg district, Maharashtra, India. It is situated on River Karli in southwest Maharashtara. Kudal is the fourth largest town in Sindhudurg after Sawantwadi, Malvan and Kankavli. As of 2011, the population is 16, ...

(

Sindhudurg Sindhudurg Fort (Marathi pronunciation: in̪d̪ʱud̪uɾɡ is a historical sea fort located in Arabian Sea near the Konkan region of Maharashtra in Western India. The fort, commissioned by Chhatrapati Shivaji, was constructed between 1664 ...

) in

. * Desai, or a loftier compound, was a rare title for rulers of a few princely states, notably - Raja Sar Desai in the Maratha Savantvadi State from 1627 until the adoption of "Raja Bahadur" in 1763. *Desai Shri in Patdi (the former Viramgam State), in Eastern Kathiawar, where Desai was also the name of the ruling family, which belongs to the Desai clan of Kadwa Patidar. *In Gujarat, ''Desai'' is honoured to Anavil Brahmin, Khedaval Brahimins, Vaishnav Vanik and Rabari and Patidars caste people. The title was also given to feudal lords and revenue collectors

Desai as a surname

Desai as a surname is used by

Chandraseniya Kayastha Prabhu Chandraseniya Kayastha Prabhu (CKP) or historically and commonly known as Chandraseniya Prabhu or just Prabhu is a caste mainly found in Gujarat and Maharashtra. Historically, they made equally good warriors, statesmen as well as writers. Th ...

, Pathare Prabhu,

Panchkalshi Panchkalshi is a Hindu community. They are one of the original native communities of Bombay (Mumbai) metropolitan area in the Konkan division of India. Since the 19th century the community has called itself Somvanshi Kshatriya Pathare (SKP). Cul ...

Anavil Brahmin Anavil Brahmins are a community who despite not being numerically superior, are particularly dominant in the Surat and Bulsar districts of south Gujarat, India, where they have been significant land-owners and have an influential role in politics ...

, Khedaval Brahmin,

Rabari The Rabari people (also known as Rebari, Raika, Desai and Dewasi people) are a caste group from Rajasthan, Kutch district, Kutch region of Gujarat, Maharashtra, Haryana, Punjab of India and the Sindh province of Pakistan. They were traditionall ...

Leva Patel Leva Patel (Leuva Patidar) is a sub-caste of Patidars in India, situated mainly in Charotar region of Gujarat. Compared to other Patidar subcastes such as the Kadavas, they had greater wealth and control of positions in commerce, education, a ...

Patidar Patidar (Gujarati language, Gujarati: ), formerly known as Kunbi, Kanbi (Gujarati language, Gujarati: ), is an Indian land-owning and peasant Caste system in India, caste and community native to Gujarat. The community comprises at multiple sub ...

, and Lingayat communities of

Gujarat Gujarat () is a States of India, state along the Western India, western coast of India. Its coastline of about is the longest in the country, most of which lies on the Kathiawar peninsula. Gujarat is the List of states and union territories ...

and

Karnataka Karnataka ( ) is a States and union territories of India, state in the southwestern region of India. It was Unification of Karnataka, formed as Mysore State on 1 November 1956, with the passage of the States Reorganisation Act, 1956, States Re ...

Individual people

Notable individuals with the surname Desai include: ; Public officers *

Gopaldas Ambaidas Desai Gopaldas Ambaidas Desai (1887–1951) also called Darbar Gopaldas Desai was a prince who ascended the throne of the State of Dhasa currently known as Gopalgram in Saurashtra and a noted Gandhian political and social activist. He is remembered ...

– politician; former Prince of

Dhasa Dhasa is a small city and railway junction in Botad District of Gujarat. Geographycally there are two small towns, which are Dhasagam and Dhasa junction. It is situated at distance of 75 km from Bhavnagar, 45 km from Amreli and 100&nbs ...

* Babubhai Desai - Ex MLA of

kankrej The Kankrej (Hindi: कंकरेज) is an Indian breed of zebuine cattle. It originates from the arid region of the Rann of Kutch in the state of Gujarat, and in neighbouring Rajasthan. Under the name Kankaraj, it is also present in Tharpa ...

Kantilal Thakoredas Desai Kantilal Thakoredas Desai (1 May 1903 - 29 January 1977) was the second Chief Justice at the High Court of Gujarat whose term in office was from January 1961 till May 1963. Career Desai studied at Bombay. He enrolled as an Advocate at the H ...

– second Chief Justice of

* Kevit Desai - Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Education state department for Vocational and Technical Training,

Kenya Kenya, officially the Republic of Kenya, is a country located in East Africa. With an estimated population of more than 52.4 million as of mid-2024, Kenya is the 27th-most-populous country in the world and the 7th most populous in Africa. ...

Krishna Desai Krishna Desai (13 October 1877 - 5 June 1970) was a member of the Communist Party of India (CPI) from the state of Maharashtra. Life He was a Member of Legislative Assembly of Maharashtra, who represented the working-class Mumbai constituency ...

– CPI politician *

Morarji Desai Morarji Ranchhodji Desai (29 February 1896 – 10 April 1995) was an Indian politician and Indian independence activist, independence activist who served as the Prime Minister of India, prime minister of India between 1977 and 1979 leading th ...

– Prime Minister of India (1977–79) *

Mahadev Desai Mahadev Haribhai Desai (1 January 1892 – 15 August 1942) was an Indian independence activist, scholar and writer best remembered as Mahatma Gandhi's personal secretary. He has variously been described as "Gandhi's Boswell, a Plato to G ...

– Secretary to

Mahatma Gandhi Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi (2October 186930January 1948) was an Indian lawyer, anti-colonial nationalism, anti-colonial nationalist, and political ethics, political ethicist who employed nonviolent resistance to lead the successful Indian ...

* S. T. Desai – first Chief Justice of Gujarat * Haridas Viharidas Desai - Diwan of Junagadh state (1883–95) * Bhimsen Venkatrao Desai - Politician; Member of the 7th and 8th Lok Sabha representing the Raichur constituency of Karnataka List of members of the 7th Lok Sabha#Karnataka * Shamburaj Shivajirao Desai- State Minister Of Home Affairs, Maharashtra, Currently Serving His 4th Term As MLA in Maharashtra Assembly *

Prakash K. Desai Air Marshal P. K. Desai PVSM AVSM VSM (born November 12, 1944) is a retired officer of the Indian Air Force (IAF). He served in the IAF from 1966 to 2004. Desai was Air Officer Commanding of Air Force Station Chakeri in Kanpur, and additional ...

– Air Marshal of Indian Air Force ;Arts, sciences and business *

Anita Desai Anita Desai (born Anita Mazumdar, 24 June 1937) is an Indian novelist and Emerita John E. Burchard Professor of Humanities at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. She has been shortlisted for the Booker Prize three times. She received t ...

– Author; mother of author

Kiran Desai Kiran Desai (born 3 September 1971) is an Indian author. Her novel '' The Inheritance of Loss'' won the 2006 Man Booker Prize and the National Book Critics Circle Fiction Award. In January 2015, ''The Economic Times'' listed her as one of 20 " ...

Bhairavi Desai Bhairavi Desai (pronounced BY-ra-vee They-SIGH) is a founding member of the New York Taxi Workers Alliance, a union representing approximately 15,000 taxi drivers in New York City. She is known as a progressive social activist, including her eff ...

– American

labor union A trade union (British English) or labor union (American English), often simply referred to as a union, is an organization of workers whose purpose is to maintain or improve the conditions of their employment, such as attaining better wages ...

leader * Bindu Desai – Actress * C. D. Desai – Banker and

philatelist Philately (; ) is the study of postage stamps and postal history. It also refers to the collection and appreciation of stamps and other philatelic products. While closely associated with stamp collecting and the study of postage, it is possible ...

Ebrahim Desai Ebrahim Desai (16 January 1963 – 15 July 2021) was a South African Muslim scholar and jurist who established the Darul Iftaa Mahmudiyyah, the Askimam fatawa portal and served as the senior professor of hadith at Madrasah In'aamiyyah. He was ...

– Islamic scholar *

– Author; 2006

Man Booker Prize The Booker Prize, formerly the Booker Prize for Fiction (1969–2001) and the Man Booker Prize (2002–2019), is a prestigious literary award conferred each year for the best single work of sustained fiction written in the English language, wh ...

winner * Kishwar Desai – Author *

Manmohan Desai Manmohan Desai (26 February 1937 – 1 March 1994) was an Indian film producer and director. He was one of the most successful filmmakers of the 70s and 80s. Desai was an influential and sought-after film director of Bollywood and a pioneer of ...

– Director * Mavjibhai Desai – Vice Chairman of

Banas Dairy Banas Dairy () (Banaskantha District Cooperative Milk Federation, Palanpur) is a Division (business), division of Gujarat Cooperative Milk Marketing Federation which is registered under the Gujarat State Co-op Act 1961 and ownership lies with the ...

Meghnad Desai, Baron Desai Meghnad Jagdishchandra Desai, Baron Desai (born 10 July 1940) is an Indian-born naturalised British economist and former Labour politician. He stood unsuccessfully for the position of Lord Speaker in the House of Lords in 2011. He has bee ...

–

economist An economist is a professional and practitioner in the social sciences, social science discipline of economics. The individual may also study, develop, and apply theories and concepts from economics and write about economic policy. Within this ...

Mihir A. Desai Mihir A. Desai is an Indian-American economist currently the Mizuho Financial Group Professor of Finance at Harvard Business School and Professor at Harvard Law School. He graduated from Brown University with a bachelor's degree of history an ...

- American economist and professor at

Harvard Business School Harvard Business School (HBS) is the graduate school, graduate business school of Harvard University, a Private university, private Ivy League research university. Located in Allston, Massachusetts, HBS owns Harvard Business Publishing, which p ...

and

Harvard Law School Harvard Law School (HLS) is the law school of Harvard University, a Private university, private research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Founded in 1817, Harvard Law School is the oldest law school in continuous operation in the United ...

Nitin Chandrakant Desai Nitin Chandrakant Desai (6 August 1965 – 2 August 2023) was an Indian art director, production designer, and film and television producer. He was most known for his work in Marathi and Hindi Films, World Cultural Festival 2016 at Delhi and fi ...

– Art director *

Padma Desai Padma Desai (October 12, 1931 – April 29, 2023) was an Indian-American development economist who was the Gladys and Roland Harriman Professor of comparative economic systems and director of the Center for Transition Economies at Columbia Uni ...

– American economist and professor at

Columbia University Columbia University in the City of New York, commonly referred to as Columbia University, is a Private university, private Ivy League research university in New York City. Established in 1754 as King's College on the grounds of Trinity Churc ...

* Ramanlal Desai - Gujarati writer *

Ranjit Desai Ranjit Ramchandra Desai (8 April 1928 – 6 March 1992) was an Indian Marathi-language writer from Maharashtra, India. He is best known for his historical novels ''Swami'' and ''Shriman Yogi''. He was awarded the Sahitya Akademi Award in 1964 an ...

–

Marathi Marathi may refer to: *Marathi people, an Indo-Aryan ethnolinguistic group of Maharashtra, India **Marathi people (Uttar Pradesh), the Marathi people in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh *Marathi language, the Indo-Aryan language spoken by the Mar ...

writer * Salil Desai – Author * Sapan Desai – American physician; publisher and discredited researcher *

Umedram Lalbhai Desai (Rao Sahib) Umedram Lalbhai Desai (1869–1930) was a medical doctor in India during the time of the British Raj. His medical qualifications included LRCP and LRCS (Edinburgh), LM and LFPS (Glasgow) 1894, MD (Brussels) 1895, MB Chb (University C ...

– Physician * Jhinabhai Desai – Gujarati poet and author better known by his pen name Snehrashmi, educator, political leader and Indian independence activist *

Usha Desai Usha Desai is an Indian doctor of medicine and a tree expert. Education and medical career Desai holds a Membership of the Royal College of Physicians of the United Kingdom (M.R.C.P.). She worked as a doctor at the Mahatma Gandhi Memorial Hospit ...

- Medical doctor and environmentalist * Prasannavadan Bhagwanji Desai – Demographer, economist and Indian independence activist *

K. B. Desai K. B. Desai (3 September 1897 – 5 November 1979) was an Indian medical doctor, a local leader of Congress from Navsari during the Indian independence movement, and a social reformer. He was a Gandhian. Freedom struggle Vallabhbhai Patel was ...

– Medical doctor, Indian independence activist and political leader * Roopali Desai – American federal judge ; Culture & Sports * Anoop Desai – American singer * Gunwant Desai – Indian cricketer * K. R. Desai - Cricketer; philanthropist; educator *

Prachi Desai Prachi Desai (born 12 September 1988), is an Indian actress who primarily works in Hindi films and television. Desai is a recipient of several accolades including an IIFA Award and four Indian Telly Awards, as well as two Filmfare Awards nomin ...

– Actress *

Ramakant Desai Ramakant Bhikaji Desai (20 June 1939 in Bombay – 27 April 1998 in Mumbai) was an Indian cricketer who represented India in Test cricket as a fast bowler from 1959 to 1968. Ramakant Desai was an Indian fast bowler, who stood 5 feet 4 inches ta ...

– Cricketer; India's first fast bowler *

Rashami Desai Shivani Desai (born 13 February 1986), professionally known as Rashami Desai, is an Indian television and film actress. She is the recipient of several accolades including two Indian Television Academy Awards and Gold Awards. She has establishe ...

– Actress *

Ravish Desai Ravish Desai (born 22 November 1986) is an Indian actor and model who works in Bollywood movies, Hindi-language TV serials and web series. He is mostly known for his work in TV commercials. Early and personal life Ravish Desai was born on 2 ...

– Actor *

Renu Desai Renu Desai is an Indian actress, stylist, director, producer and former model known for her works in Telugu cinema. Personal life Renu Desai was born in Pune to a Gujarati father and a Marwari mother, and speaks Marathi at home. She has a son, ...

– Actress * Satyaki "Sattu" Desai – Environmental officer *

Sean Desai Sean Desai (born April 21, 1983) is an American football coach who is a senior defensive assistant for the Cincinnati Bengals of the National Football League (NFL). He is the first NFL coordinator of Indian descent. He previously served as the ...

- American football coach; Defensive Coordinator for the

Chicago Bears The Chicago Bears are a professional American football team based in Chicago. The Bears compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC North, North division. They are one of two remaining ...

* Subhash Desai –

Shiv Sena Shiv Sena (1966–2022) (; ; SS) was a right-wing Marathi regionalist Hindutva-based political party in India founded in 1966 by Bal Thackeray, who was later succeeded by Uddhav Thackeray. The party is split into two parties: the Uddha ...

leader *

Tina Desai Tina Desai is an Indian actress and model who works in both Indian and international projects. She debuted with the 2011 thriller '' Yeh Faasley'', before making her foreign debut in 2012 in the comedy-drama ''The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel''. S ...

– Actress *

Rajdeep Sardesai Rajdeep Sardesai (born 24 May 1965) is an Indian news anchor, reporter, journalist and author. He is a consulting editor and anchor of India Today Television. He was the Editor-in-Chief of Global Broadcast News, that included CNN-IBN, IBN7 and ...

- News Anchor

References

{{Reflist Indian feudalism Surnames of Indian origin Surnames of Hindu origin Gujarati-language surnames

Etymology

Desai as a title

Desai as a surname

Individual people

See also

References