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Pabitra Mukhopadhyay

TEDCRED 30+

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Does your surname has a story, a history or a character in it?

Take mine. It is a conjoint Sanskrit word having two parts. Mukh stands for Chief, Principal or Head and Upadhyay stands for a teacher.
Historically it corroborates. Mukhopadhyay were Brahmins brought by Kings of Sen Dynasty in medieval Bengal for enlightenment of his subjects.
Of course, in course of time Mukhopadhyays are teachers exclusively, in fact there are illiterate Mukhopadhyays too.
I wonder what does your surname stand for and if any insight can be gleaned from it.

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    elizabeth muncey 10+

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    Feb 21 2013: A relative of mine has the family name Ajayi (from the Yoruba culture of Nigeria) - it means a baby born face down or 'shy'. I found it really interesting that Yoruba names reflect events around the time of the birth of a child, particularly in relation to other family members as well. I also like the tradition about the naming of twins always Taiwo and Kende, and the belief that the twin born second is actually the stronger twin, having 'sent' the first twin out to find out what the world is like before being born themselves. Just a thought or two. Anyway know my own family name is an 'evolution' of a French name Monceaux apparently. Family names are very important in the culture I originate in and there is actually a society of genealogists who will trace your lineage for you (for a fee) if you really want to know.
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      Kate Blake 50+

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      Feb 21 2013: I think there are people in every culture keen to make money from tracing names or ancestors. In Scotland, many years ago, at one tartan mill they seemed to be able to relate any bodies surname to a Scottish ancestory and then advise you which tartan to buy ... It's all about business!
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        elizabeth muncey 10+

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        Feb 21 2013: It is my understanding that it has a lot to do with Queen Victoria. After the death of her husband Prince Albert she went to Scotland. A fictionalised account is portrayed in the movie 'Mrs Brown'. The politicians of the day including Prime Minister Disraeli had to work very hard to encourage Queen Victoria to become a public figurehead again. Meanwhile the newly affluent middle classes took to tartan as a fashionable statement. So yes..,.,..business is always ready to step in to supply but somehow it is also about identity and community too. In my family there is a story that we are also descendants of Clan Macrae and Bonny Prince Charlie. Makes me feel a bit better on a grey and gloomy day. :D.
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    Kate Blake 50+

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    Feb 20 2013: My surname was strongly associated with mischief, so guess that would be a good description of me. Definitely from the British Isles where my ancestors came from. So no startling story, history or character but one I'm proud of because my father and the line he descended from were good people!
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      Pabitra Mukhopadhyay 30+

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      Feb 20 2013: This is off topic but I can't resist my association with the surname Blake. In my school days there used to be a very popular book in Bengali having a title like "Mr. Blake of Class VII" which was about a school boy who emulated a very popular detective character named Mr. Blake. :)
      I do not mind a little mischief honestly. Anyway, you share your surname with someone who is considered a seminal figure in history.
      http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Blake
      Cheers!
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        Kate Blake 50+

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        Feb 20 2013: Interesting story, I find criminology fascinating and I write a lot of poems ... But am not related to Mr Blake but there is a theme there.

  • Don Anderson 20+

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    Feb 19 2013: I have been researching my ancestry, but because there were so many William Andersons in the 1850s I have been stuck.
    But I have followed my “Traill” grandmother’s surname on a long path. Arrived in American in 1732 from Scotland, but want there is more. The history of the name is that they were Vikings that settle in France. And then around the 11th century left France for Scotland. This page http://www.electricscotland.com/webclans/stoz/traills2.htm has a lot more interesting info.

    I will say looking at you family crest can give you a lot of information, because every bar, symbol and color has meaning.
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    Haley Goranson

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    Feb 19 2013: I never before took the time to research what my surname Goranson stood for. I just looked it up now.

    Goranson is Swedish and means "Son of Goran" .

    Goran is a medieval Swedish name for "George"

    That was all I was able to dig up! Pretty neat still!
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      Pabitra Mukhopadhyay 30+

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      Feb 19 2013: I wonder what the George of medieval Sweden used to do, how he lived and died. Thanks anyway. We are all repositories of history and story. :)
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