List of Gotra and Thari

Gotra is the clan system. Generally its the group of people of several generations who are the descendants  of a unbroken male line from a common male ancestor. 

At the birth, children get gotra from their father. But a girl gets transfer to her husband's gotra after her marriage. We can also see some rare examples of people changing their gotra doing some rituals. It is said that the great king of Nepal Prithibhi Narayan Shah(1723-75) went to Banaras, India and changed his Gotra from 'Bharadwaj' to 'Kasyap' to remain free from the sin of ‘Gotra Hatya’(killing of own clan) during the unification of Nepal.

It is said that there are main 8 gotras evolved from the Rishis (sages) who were mind-born sons of Bramha, one of the Hindu Trinity. They are Saptarishis (सप्तऋषि, the famous 7 sages) - Kashyapa, Atri, Vashista, Vishwamitra, Gautama, Jamadagni, Bharadvaja and the 8th is Agastya [1][2]. There are 49 established Hindu gotras today[3] all of which are itself or evolved from those earlier eight gotras. Some sources say that there are 284 khas surnames today.

Sagotri (सगोत्री) are the people having same gotra. Like other Hindu communities, in Nepal too, marriage with sagotri is socially unacceptable. But, as education, awareness and desire to reform the system increases, today we can also see many cases of marrying with sagotri fighting with the society. But there is always a debate whether marrying with sagotri is good or bad not only on traditional basis but also on scientific basis.

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List of Some popular gotras and Nepali surnames belonging to it:-

Agasti (अगस्ती) : Dhungel

Angira (अंगिरा) : Joshi, Sedai, Saunak, Shahi

Atri (अत्रि) : Adhikari, Arjel/Arjyal, Bam (Raakse Thakuri), Bhatta (Pashupat), Chapagai, Gotame, Khatiwoda, Mishra, Ojha, Wosti


Aatreya (आत्रेय) : Aryal, Bhatta (Duwadi), Devkota, Dawadi, Dulal, Kalikote (Khadka), Paudel, Pokharel (Pani), Rosyara, Sharma, Sigdel, Thapa (Bagale)

Bharadwaaj (भरद्वाज) : Adhikari, Bhatta (Palyal), Chaulagai, Devkota, Jamarkattel, Lohani, Niraula, Panthi, Pandey (Kuleta), Panta, Pokharel (Dudh), Rawat, Shahi, Siwakoti / Shiwakoti, Subedi, Thami (Adhikari), Thapaliya, Upadhaya, Wagle, [Bhandari (Niraula, Suntakhane)]

Dhananjaya (धनञ्जय) : Basel/ Batsayal, Basnet, Bhusal, Budhathoki (Khulal), Dhamala, Gauripitri/ Gairipippli, Guragai, Humagai, Karki (Khulal), Khadka (Khulal), Kukurkote, Kunwar, Pangeni, Rijal, Thapa, [Bhandari (Bhusal)]

Garg (गर्ग) : Bastola, Bhatta (Lamichhane), Bhetuwal, Bhurtel, Chudal, Gajurel, Khetan, Thapa (Lamichhane), Rokaha, Rishal, Shah (Kaskeli Khand)

Gautam (गौतम) : Chanda, Bam (Thakuri), Dangal, Mahat, Pandey (Paleu), Tripathi, Tiwari

Ghrita Kaushik (घृत कौशिक)  : Baral, Karki (Sutar), Khanal, Nepal, Pandit

Kapil (कपिल) : Khati, Daani, Bohora

Kashyap (कश्यप) : Adhikari (Bhadare, Khilchine and Kaubali), Badaal, Bhatta (Kalauni, Mushyal), Bogati, Budhathoki (Sodari), Darji, Gadtaula, Gartaula, Ghimire, Hada, Kathayat, Kumal, Kumbhairana, Pade, Pandey (Badkhora, Badaal, Bhumihar, Simaaldiya), Rayamajhi, Shah (Thakuri), Sahi, Thapa (Godar), Tiwari

Kaudinya (कौण्डिन्य) : Achraya, Baskota, Bhandari (Kaala), Gaagle, Joshi, Khadka, Kharel, Marashini, Neupane, Pakurel, Paneru, Pathak, Parajuli, Sapkota, Satyal, Thapa (Bagale and Gamle), Trital

Kausalya (कौसल्य) : Pathak, Thami (Chhettri)

Kausik (कौशिक) : Bam (Chhatyal Thakuri), Baniya, Bastakoti, Bhandari (Aachhami), Bidari, Dhital, Dhungana, Gaudel, Khadka, Khapatari (Khadka, Bistha, Budhathoki and Basnet), Lamichhane, Luitel, Majhi, Pathak, Phuyal, Pudasaini, Raghubansi, Regmi, Rimal, Sanjel, Shahi (Sijapati), Tiwari, Thami

Kundin (कुण्डिन) : Trital, Banjad/ Banjade

Mandabya (माण्डव्य) : Bajagai, Bajhai, Gyawali, Katuwal, Maskey, Panthi [Bhandari (Bajgain)]

Maudagalya (मौद्गल्य) : Belkadhi, Karki (Mudula), Koirala, Kuinkel, Rume, Simkhada, Timsina/ Timilsina, Upreti

Parasar (परासर) : Dhimal (khas), Karki (Lama) , Kattel, Marhattha

Ravi (रवि) : Shah (Kalyaal Thakuri)

Sankhyayan (सङ्ख्यायन) : Pandey (Desh)

Shandilya (शाण्डिल्य) : Kafle/ Kaphle, Mahat, Pathak, Prasai, Tiwari

Upamanyu (उपमन्यु) : Bartaula, Bhatta (Duwal), Dhakal, Mainali, Pathak

Vishwamitra (विश्वमित्र) : Bhatta (Alina, Dumadi, Nirbansi, Rai and Rayal)


Vatsa (वत्स) : Bhatta (Naagar), Dahal, Dayal, Kuwar, Kharaal, Lamsal, Rana, Rupakheti

Vashishta (वशिष्ठ) : Bhandari (Thansinghe),  Bhatta (Tapleli),Bhattarai, Chalise, Dawadi, Gaire, Gamnage, Kharel, Mudabhari, Pathak, Raut, Suyal (Garthi), Suyal (Thapa), Thangsine

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Gotra of Dashnami Sanyasi:-

Bhaveswa : Puri, Saraswati, Bharati
Adhigata : Tirtha, Ashram
Kashyap : Ban, Aranya
Bhrigu : Giri Parvat. Sagar

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See Also:-

• Bahun, Chhettri, Sanyasi
• Newar, Janjati, Dalit
• List of Indian Gotra

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Note:-

- To search any surname : press Ctrl+ F (⌘+ F in Mac) and type the surname

- If u don't find any surname or gotra in the list please ask in comment.
  We will update as soon as possible.

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Vedic References:-

1. (Bhagawatpuran: 08/13/0051,53)
कश्यपोSत्रिवार्सिष्ठश्च विश्वामित्रोSथ गौतम:
जमदग्निर्भरद्वाज इति सप्तर्षय: स्मृता: ।।

2. प्रवरमञ्जरीकार बोधायन |

विश्वामित्रो जमदग्निर्भरद्वाजोSथ गौतम:

अत्रिवार्सिष्ठ: कश्यप इत्येते सप्तर्षय: ।।
सप्तानामृषीणा मगस्त्याष्टमानं यदपत्यं तद्गोत्रम् |

3. गोत्र प्रवर काण्ड, गण
*भृगु : वत्स, विद, आर्ष्टिषेण, यस्क, मित्रयु, वैन्य, शुनक
*अङ्गिरा :
गौतम- आयास्य, शरद्वान, कौमण्ड, दीर्घतमा, औशनस, करेणुपाल, वामदेव
भरद्वाज - भारद्वाज, रौक्ष, गर्ग, कपि
अङ्गिरस - हरित, कण्व, रथीतर, मुद्गल, विष्णुबृध्द
*अत्रि: आत्रेय, वाद्भुतक, गविष्ठिर, मुद्गल
*विश्वमित्र: कुशिक, रोहित, रौक्ष, कामकायन, अज, अघमर्षण, पूरन, इन्द्रकौशिक, धनञ्जय, कत
*कश्यप: कश्यप, निध्रुव, रेभ, शाण्डिल
*वसिस्ठ : वसिस्ठ, कुण्डिन, उपमन्यु, परासर
*अगस्त्य: इध्मवाह, साम्भवाह, सोमवाह, यज्ञवाह
(नेपाली थर-गोत्र-प्रवर कोश : श्रीहरी रुपाखेती)

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Exceptions in the Gotra System

1. What gotra does westerners belong ?

Gotra system is popular in Hindu community. Over 85% of worlds population do not believe in Hinduism. According to Hindu belief the world is created by Bramha and all people of earth belong to the clan of any one of the mind born sons of Bramha leading the gotra. Then what gotra does other people belong ?

There are some factual solutions for this. Vishnu is all-pervading spirit of the Universe and rests in the heart of all beings. Vishnu belongs to all Gotras. So we can refer anybody who don't know gotra can be refered to "Vishnu gotra".

There is another view too. Maharishi Kashyap is considered the father of the Devs, Asurs, Nags, and all of human beings. So, since he’s the father of all people, if somebody don't know their gotra they can use "Kashyap gotra" as well.

2. When a girl get divorced, what gotra she belong ?

When a girl born she belong to father's gotra. When she gets married she is ritually transferred to husband's gotra. But when the girl gets divorced they usually divorce on social or legal term. There is no any hindu ritual special for divorce. So which gotra the girl belong after divorce, husband's gotra or father's gotra.

The solution is, though divorce is not done on ritual term, after the divorce the girl has no any right and obligation to husband. She even don't wear Sindoor or Pote or Mangalsutra which is the sign of having husband in Hindu culture. She don't use the surname of husband. So the girl goes back to her father's gotra after divorce.

3. Is it ok to merry the person from same gotra?

This is one of the prime debate in Hindu community. Almost all communities and religions its unacceptable to merry your own family members or somebody your related by blood. Same gotra technically means people having same ancestors. So the answer absolutely depends on how you define gotra and family.

On legal term in Nepal its ok to merry any body who does not belong to your family up to 7 generations AND who is at least 18 years old. So if anybody qualifies on these two basic requirements you can merry them even if you belong to same gotra.

One the other hand, on social perception it will still be considered unethical.

As per scientific perception, if the gotra is perfectly identified and people belong to the exact same gotra what they claim for, the babies born from the pair of different gotra has more chance to be healthier than that of same gotra.

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Tags:-

Kuldevi, rishis, pravaras, last names, nepali gotravali, gotras, nepalese caste, jati, lineage, know your gotra, Nepali thar gotravali, gotrabali, gotrawali, gotra and thar, casteism, nepal gotra, Graha, Aupamanyava (upamanyu), gandharvas