FOR ALL CONCERENED, I HAVE CREATED 3 FREE WEBSITES, USEFUL TO THE COMMUNITY.

for PARSI IRANI NAMES AND SURNAMES :- Click Link Below
http://parsiiranisurnames.tripod.com
for PARSI CHILD NAMES RASHI WISE:- Click Link Below
https://parsichildnames.wixsite.com/namesrashiwise

Burjor M Daboo

For The Proud Parents To-Be!……

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After my stint at Parsi Irani Surnames; Also Group wise & Their Origins, Available at:-

http://parsiiranisurnames.tripod.com/

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​I have Compiled an Extant List of PARSI CHILD NAMES – RASHI WISE Available at:-

https://parsichildnames.wixsite.com/namesrashiwise

Regards

​   ​

 Burjor Daboo

It is no exaggeration to say that Parsis, the Zoroastrians of India, take their food seriously – very seriously.

Love of good food and drink plays a central, oftentimes quirky, role in nearly every aspect of our culture.

When our babies sit upright for the first time, we celebrate by making them sit on top of laddoos (Indian sweet). At Parsi weddings, the clarion call of jamva chaloji (let’s eat!) has a hypnotic appeal.

Weddings are judged almost entirely on the quality of the pulao dal (rice and lentils) and the freshness of the patrani macchi (fish steamed in chutney).

For any other occasion or milestone, we scrupulously avoid fasting, proscribed in our religion as a sin.

Food is etched into our identity, and in many cases it is quite literally written into our names. Indeed, Parsi surnames provide a veritable smorgasbord of edible associations.

One family, with its roots in the western Indian city of Surat, evidently failed spectacularly in the art of cooking and, therefore, earned the surname Vasikusi, which means stinky food.

Other Parsi last names include Boomla, the Gujarati term for the Bombay duck, a slimy fish which has a dedicated fan following in the community, and Gotla, which is a fruit seed.

One particularly unusual variant of surnames ends with the suffix khao, suggesting a desire to eat or greediness.

A Papadkhao, therefore, could be a devoted consumer or hoarder of crispy fried papadums.

The existence of Bhajikhaos (vegetable-eater) demonstrates that not all Parsis were raging carnivores.

Curiously, a number of surnames revolve around cucumbers (kakdi): aside from Kakdikhaos, we also find Kakdichors (cucumber thief).

By Parinaz Madan and Dinyar PatelMumbai

Click Here for the full story

I Have Made an Extant list of PARSI IRANI SURNAMES, about 2482 & Counting, ALPHABETICAL as Well as GROUPWISE, To make it more interesting, now  I have
made it along with some Comments on their ORIGIN.

Surnames ending in ‘WALA’ (mainly – OF) could be either of Place or  Of that Trade. The same way, ‘GAR’/’GARA’ too could be ‘A MAKER’, or it could show ‘OF A PLACE’ {Actually it is GAR / GARA – To Make} & {GHAR / GHARA – Stayer} It shows that the Parsis were everywhere,From Zaiwala to Madraswala to Adenwala To Mombassawala, adopted from the place they lived. They Were Masters at the Trade done, from Roowala, to Workingboxwala to Wadiwala , to Ghaaswala etc. Some surnames were dropped & only father’s name adopted. Dadabhai Naoroji (DORDI) & Jamshedji Jeejjeebhoy (BATLIWALA) are famous instances.

Certain TITLES have adorned the Parsis like Desai, From Navsari. A Changa Asha of Navsari was first made ‘Desai’ (District Officer In Charge); Similarly Talati (Village Accountant), Munshi (Secreatary), Daftari (RecordKeeper), Etc. Certain Traits also became surnames Like Mari NI Goon, Bhoot, Waugh, Rupala Etc.

First printed in PARSIANA of March-1997 & in 1998, 2000, 2001, 2003 & 2005 Online Published On 23rd February 2008 @ Zoroastrians.net, in category ~ NAMES SURNAMES & MORE ~ Copy the Link Given to View the Surnames.

http://zoroastrians.net/2008/02/23/parsi-irani-surnames/

~ OR To The Alternate Site
Below: ~

http://parsiiranisurnames.tripod.com/

Parsees have Generally adopted Surnames From:~
1) TRADE / PROFFESSION ~ Vakil, Doctor, Wadia, Ghaaswala, Pithawala,  Engineer, Major, Subedar etc
2) PLACES Or GEOGRAPHICAL ~ SANJAN-Sanjana, SURAT-Surti, KHAMBHAT-Khambata, etc.
3) POSITION & TITLES ~ Desai, Munshi, Munsaf, Khansaheb, Davar, Patel, etc.
4) CHARACTERISTICS / DISCRIPTIVE NAMES ~ Bhoot, Waghmar, GhooKhaoo, Batki, Motigaanwala etc.
5) RELIGIOUS TERMS ~ (Many No longer used) Daadaar, Yatha-Ahu-Vairyo, Dregubyo, Khodayji. etc.
6) GENEOLOGY: (Name+Father’s Name as surname) ~ Dadabhai-NAOROJI, Sam-MANEKSHAH, Homi -DINSHAJI, etc. {Some Double Barrled}:- Meherji+Rana,
Dada+Chanji, Jamasp+Asa, Dady+Seth, etc.
7) EUROPEAN NAMES ~ Devitre, Boyce, Grant, Noble, Forbes, Polson, Nicholson, Morris, Wykes, etc.
8) IRANI ~ Mondegari, Yegatabadi, Yazadi, Felfeli, Khobiyaar, Khodavandi, Yaganegi Most common being, Irani itself.

SOME INTERSTING ORIGINS : –

CHICHGAR :- Maker of Special Wooden Toys. CHICH =Wooden Toy. GAR = To make.
PAAJNIGARA :- One Who Makes a Very Fine Silk Cloth. PAAJ = Very Fine Silk Cloth, GARA = maker.
RAO :- A TITLE. Meant for an Honourable person, A local king type, specially in Maharashtra
TATA :- Inherited By Jamshedji , whose ancestor was Very Hot Tempered, Like a Tartar. A more appropriate Coinage – could be from Gujarati RAATA -TAATA, Originally RAATAD = Red faced (with Anger like a Tartar).
DOKAWALA :- Originally Taken From DOKA-WADI-WALA Shortened to DOKAWALA. Named from a Maidan near the GOTI ADRAN In Surat,- originally Known as DOKA-WADI, as There was a fierce Battle between the Marathas & the Moghuls & as many Heads had rolled there, – so it was Known as DOKA = HEADS. WADI = Place, Area. The Palia Family who owned the land Adopted the Surname DOKA WADI WALA..
PANDEY / PANDAY:- One who is a Learned Man. From Sanskrit PANDITYA=Learned Man. Bhikhaji Behramji (Of Bhikha Behram Well) -while coming to Mumbai from Bharuch, was arrested on suspicion of being a spy. He was kept in a ‘PANDERGADH’ Fort Near ‘Valsad.- Popularly known as ‘PANDAY’ Fort. Thus This Surname stuck as PANDAY.

Your Comments and Criticism is welcome.
Burjor M. Daboo
Ahmedabad
burkhurdar@gmail.com