Dutta


Dutta, also spelled Datta, Dutt and Datt, is a Hindu family name found primarily among Bengali Kayasthas and Punjabi Mohyals in India. The name is also found among certain North Indian Brahmin communities.
Datta means "given" or "granted" in Sanskrit and is also an alternative name for the Hindu deity Dattatreya.

Bengal

According to Indian historian Tej Ram Sharma, in Bengal the surname Dutta/Datta is used by Maulika Kayastha caste. The office of Kayastha was instituted before the Gupta period. Originally, Kayastha was composed of people from different Varnas, including Brahmins and Kshatriyas. After the Gupta reign, the Kayasthas in Bengal developed into a caste, and gained a higher status, incorporating the Pala, Sena and Varman Kings and their descendants. In the middle period of the history of Bengal, between 1500 and 1850 CE, the Kayasthas were regarded as one of the highest of Hindu castes in the region.
Some members of the Baidya caste use Dutta/Datta as a surname, although they more often use compounded variations such as Duttagupta or Duttasharma instead.

Punjab

Punjabi Duttas belong to the Mohyal community. According to the gotra system, Mohyal Duttas are the descendants of Rishi Bharadwaj. Some consider Gaj Bhavan, the grandson of Rishi Bharadwaj to be the real founder of their clan.

Other Regions

"Dutt" is also used as a titular surname or middle name in other North Indian states particularly by Brahmins. For instance, Indian wrestler Yogeshwar Dutt is a Brahmin from Haryana and former politician, Narayan Dutt Tiwari was a Kumaoni Brahmin from Uttarakhand.

Notable people

In 2012, a Bengali film Dutta vs Dutta was released, directed by Anjan Dutt, the film captured family drama of three generations of a Bengali Dutta family.