Kakkar or Kakar is an Indian surname originating with the founder of a Bahri clan. It is associated with the Khatri caste of Hindus, Sikhs and Muslims. Whilst the Dictionary of American Family Names states that the etymology derives from the Sanskrit word karalagni, used in reference to the Sun and translating as "one who holds fire in its hands", [1] the historians R. C. Dogra and Baij Nath Puri, believe it is derived from the word Karkar, meaning strong or powerful. [2] [3]
Notable people bearing the name Kakkar, who may or may not be associated with the Khatri caste, include:
Khatri is a caste of the Indian subcontinent originating from the Punjab region that is predominantly found in India, but also in Pakistan and Afghanistan. In the subcontinent, they were mostly engaged in mercantilistic professions such as banking and trade. They were the dominant commercial and financial administration class of Late-Medieval India, some in Punjab often belonged to hereditary agriculturalist land-holding lineages, while others were engaged in artisanal occupations such as silk production and weaving and some were scribes learned in Sanskrit or Persian.
Bhatia is a group of people and a caste found in Punjab, Sindh and Gujarat. Traditionally, they have been a trading and merchant community. The Bhatias primarily live in Northwestern India and Pakistan. The Bhatias, Lohanas and Khatris were similar communities and were known to intermarry. The Bhatias recruit Saraswat Brahmins as priests.
Kohli is a Khatri clan from Punjab.
Puri is an Indian surname from the Dashnam Goswami Brahmin or Gosavi Caste. Puri is among the 10 surname of goswami community Bharti, Giri, Puri, Saraswati, Aashram, Parvat, Sagar, Van, Aranya, Nath.
Duggal is a Punjabi Khatri surname.
Dhawan is a surname associated with the Khatri and Jat communities, found in Northern India.
Sethi is a surname that is found among the Punjabi Khatris of India. They are a part of Khukhrain sub-caste among the Khatris which also includes the clans of Anand, Bhasin Chadha, Kohli, Ghai, Sahni, Sethi, (Sawhney) and Suri. The surname is also found among Arora which is another sub-caste of Khatris. Historian Kamal Shankar Srivastava writes that all Khukrains including Sethis were originally found near the banks of Indus and Jhelum river especially in the towns of Pind Dadan Khan, Peshawar and Nowshera.
The Khukhrain or Khokhrain is a clan composed of eight septs of the Khatri caste that originally hailed from the areas of the Salt Range.
Prof. Baij Nath Puri was a historian from India. He completed M. Lit. and D.Phil. from Oxford University. He was vice-president and member of the International Board of Editors for the history of Civilizations in Central Asia at UNESCO, and remained President of the Indian History Congress. He was also Professor and Head of the Department of Ancient Indian History and Culture at Lucknow University and later a professor emeritus.
Chopra is a Ror and Punjabi Khatri clan and surname. They belonged to the Barah-Ghar / Bahri family-group of the Khatris, which also includes the clans of Dhawan, Kakkar, Kapoor, Khanna, Mehra, Malhotra, Sehgal, Seth, Tandon, Talwar, and Vohra.
The Dhai Ghar Khatris originally consisted of three family groups of North India – Kapoor, Khanna and Malhotra.
Kochhar or Kochar is a surname that is found among the Khatri and Charan communities of India.
Nayar or Nayyar is a surname that is found among Khatri community which are majorly Hindus with a minority of Sikhs and Muslims. The belong to the "Sareen" division among the Khatris. They were mostly concentrated in the Majha region especially in the districts of Gujrat, Lahore, Okara, Nankana Sahib and Sialkot before 1947. Nayyar families were known to have been qanungos (governors) in the town of Kunjah in Gujrat district, Punjab.
Chandok is a surname found among the Khukrains, which is a sub-caste of Khatri community. They were concentrated in Peshawar and Kabul.
Dheer is a surname found among the Brahmins and Khatris of Punjab. The Dhirs of Kapurthala are descended from Baba Mahya, who was the Guru (teacher) of Guru Amardās of the Sikhs, and is still revered at Dhir weddings. The word "Dhir" translates to brave. Khulasat-ut-Tawarikh, a persian language book about history of India and Mughal Empire was written by Sujan Rai, a Dhir Khatri of Batala in Gurdaspur. Dhirs of Batala moved there before the end of Akbar's reign as soldiers. Bhai Bula, a Dhir Khatri was a dedicated Sikh of the time of Guru Arjan Sahib. His son, Dayal Das Dhir was martyred during a battle against the Mughals in Amritsar.
Uppal is an Indian surname. The Khatris have a clan and the Jats have a tribe called Uppal. According to BN Puri, Uppal is derived from the Sanskrit term "utpalarana" which means "one who leaps upon their enemies". Puri further mentions it to be a part of the Bunjahi and Sareen subcaste of Khatris. However, as per R.C. Dogra, Uppal means "stone". Uppals have origins in the districts of Montgomery, Amritsar and Ludhiana.
Sobti is a Punjabi Khatri surname.
Trehan is a Punjabi Khatri surname.
Wahi is a Punjabi Khatri surname. According to Shyam Singh Shashi, they're related to the ancient clan of Bālhikas. They were found in Pindigheb, Rawalpindi in West Punjab.