- Parsis adopted surnames in the 1800s when British census required them
- Many Parsi surnames derive from professions or places of residence
- Irani surname was adopted by Parsis who migrated from Iran in the 19th century
The Indian Parsi community has some of the most distinctive surnames. Some call them fascinating, while others often describe them as 'quirky'. For most people, a last name is usually a family name. It is not only an identifier but, in many cases, carries a family legacy. In some communities, such as Hindus, it may also reveal a person's caste and gotra.
Interestingly, Parsis did not have a culture of surnames until the British government made it mandatory to have one during the census in the 1800s. Hence, the Parsi people 'invented' surnames. The most popular included Batliwala, Sodawala and Daruwalla (or Daruwala), among others.
History Of Parsi Surnames In India
In the 7th Century, Persia (modern-day Iran) was attacked and conquered by Arab-Islamic rulers. To escape religious persecution, several Zoroastrians, including members of the Parsi community, fled and eventually landed in Gujarat.
In the 1800s, Parsi families invented surnames. Photo: AFP
According to Qissa-e-Sanjan - 16th Century Persian verse narrative written by the priest Bahman Kaikobad - the Parsi refugees sought asylum from the local Hindu ruler, Jadi Rana, promising that their community would blend with the local population like sugar dissolves in milk. They adapted to the local culture, language, food and even clothing while continuing to follow their faith.
For more than a millennium, the Parsi community flourished in India, and many families even migrated to southern India. Through all these years, people were identified only by their first names. Then came the British. In the 1800s, the colonisers were conducting a census in India and made it mandatory for all Indians to provide surnames.
Thus, based on their professions or places of residence, Parsi families invented surnames. People who sold liquor called themselves 'Daruwalla', while those who lived in Pune became 'Poonawalla'.
Fascinating Stories Behind Parsi Surnames
The story did not end with a consensus-driven system. While most Parsi surnames were derived from professions and locations, there are also fascinating tales behind several last names. Dr Kurush F Dalal, archaeologist, historian and culinary anthropologist, told NDTV, "There were certain professions available to Parsis in the big cities, and that's why they had surnames like that."
Most Parsi surnames were derived from professions and locations. Photo: AFP
For example, a Parsi family in a village would not have Doctor or Engineer as a surname, he explained. While agreeing that the community has some of the most quirky and fascinating last names, he clarified that there was no family name called Sodabottleopenerwala. "It's a nonsense thing. That was fiction," he added, referring to the popular restaurant-bar chain.
Sharing the tale of a bizarre surname, Dr Dalal spoke about a man who supplied goods to the British Army in what is now Pakistan. "And because he was trying to curry favour with them all the time, they used to call him Bumsucker. There is actually a surname called Bumsuckerwala," he noted.
The name did not last long and he doesn't remember anyone using that surname anymore, he recalled.
Another fascinating story lies behind the surname Workingboxwala. "A Workingboxwala was someone who worked as a projectionist," he explained.
Dr Dalal said that when the first movie projectors arrived in India, many Parsis took up travelling movie shows that screened films in different places. The projectors were made by a company called Working Box. As a result, people who operated these machines came to be known as Workingboxwalas.
Many people who came from Iran to India in the mid and late 19th century adopted the surname 'Irani'. Photo: AFP
"A lot of these surnames are dependent on what you do, and many of them were basically what people called you," he told NDTV.
He further explained that many people who came from Iran to India in the mid and late 19th century adopted the surname 'Irani'. Case in point, sisters screenwriter Honey Irani and actor Daisy Irani.
Since they had a limited pool of first names, identifying individuals became difficult. "So many of them started taking the name of the first ancestor who came to India."
Dr Dalal shared that a friend's family name is Farhadi because their ancestor, Mr Farhad, was the first to arrive in India. He also cited the example of a man whose name was Cowasji Jehangir. Since he was always willing to lend money, he came to be known as 'Readymoney' by the British, and the nickname eventually evolved into a family surname.
The historian added that there are also some honorific Parsi surnames. For example, he knows a 'Parsi Deshmukh'. While most people associate Deshmukh with a Maharashtrian surname, it was originally a title given to a person who managed land revenues.
Parsi surnames often tell tales of occupations, migration and everyday life. Photo: AFP
"These were a matter of convenience to a large extent and a matter of identity that came from what you did or where you lived. There were exceptions in families where they adopted the name of an elder as their family name," he added.
The archaeologist also shared examples of surnames that are no longer in use. For instance, Gorkhodu was once a Parsi surname. The phrase means a 'grave digger'. He also had clients, two women surnamed Kamode, named after a village that disappeared underwater after a dam was built in Gujarat.
"Sometimes, you cannot find the origin of many surnames," he added.
Speaking about surnames whose origins cannot be traced, Shireen Jamooji, Content Lead at Slurrp, said she long speculated that her surname had a connection with Jammu. However, her father, Rohinton Jamooji, a retired Merchant Navy captain, told NDTV that no one knows exactly what it means or where it came from.
He once met a Japanese woman in London who told him that Jamooji is a Japanese name. "It meant 'traders'. Obviously, some ancestors of mine were trading with Japan, and because in those days Parsis only had first names and nothing else, they came to be called Jamoojis," he said.
Rohinton Jamooji further noted that the word 'Jamooji' is derived from a Japanese term. "It has nothing to do with India or Jammu and Kashmir," he said, adding, "The surname Jamooji predates British colonisation."
Most Parsi surnames can be identified by the suffixes 'wala' (or 'walla') or 'ji', but this is not a rule. Photo: AFP
Most Parsi surnames can be identified by the suffixes 'wala' (or 'walla') or 'ji', but this is not a rule.
"Because it's a religion without a caste system, surnames tend not to hold much information beyond a fun fact about what a person's ancestors probably did for a living," Shireen Jamooji said. She added, "The Irani community may have more evidently Persian surnames because they arrived in India later than the Parsi contingents, such as Yazdani, Tehrani and others."
Parsi surnames often tell tales of occupations, migration and everyday life. Whether inspired by professions, places, ancestors, or even unusual nicknames, these names preserve stories that continue to spark curiosity generations later.
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