Mehta

Last updated August 14, 2024

Mehta is an Indian surname, derived from the Sanskrit word mahita meaning 'great' or 'praised'. It is found among several Indian religious groups, including Hindus, Jains, Parsis, and Sikhs. Among Hindus, it is used by a wide range of castes and social groups, including Khatris, Rajputs, Brahmins and Banias.^[1] Mehta is also a common surname found among the Koeri caste of Bihar, who are commonly known as Kushwaha.^[2]

Distribution in India

People with this surname are native to North and Western regions of India, including Punjab, Himachal Pradesh, Haryana, Delhi, Uttarakhand, Bihar, Rajasthan, Gujarat, and Maharashtra (Mumbai).^[1]

As surname used by Rajputs

Mehta is also a Rajput clan name in the Kumaon and Garhwal region of Uttarakhand, hilly terrains of Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, and western areas of Nepal. They served as nobles, ministers and bureaucrats under the Katyuri Kings and Chand Kings of Uttarakhand. People having this surname are native to Almora, Bageshwar, and Nainital districts of Uttarakhand, eastern parts of Himachal, Jammu and Kashmir, and western Nepal. In Nepal, they come under the Chhetri varna and are considered chieftains of villages.^[3]

In Rajasthan, Mehta was originally used as a term of respect applied to administrative office holders and bureaucrats of Rajputana kings. Among Rajputs, it is used as both title and surname by Dewans (ministers and nobles) of Bikaner State and many other states of Rajputana and are considered direct descendants of the Solar dynasty (Suryavanshi) and Chauhan Dynasty. The dewans and chief ministers of the Bikaner State were:

1460–1465 Bachhraj Bothra (Mantri-Dewan / Jodhpur) / Rao Jodha
1465–1505 Bachhraj Bothra (Founding Dewan / Bikaner) / Rao Bika
1505–1526 Karam Singh Bothra Bachhawat (Descendants of Bachhraj were known as Bachhawats) / Rao Nar Singh and Rao Lunkaran
1571–1591 Mehta Karam Chand Bachhawat (Title of Mehta granted by Emperor Akbar) / Rao Kalyan Mal and Raja Rai Singh
1619–1620 Mehta Bhag Chand Bothra Bachhawat / Raja Sur Singh
1619–1620 Mehta Lakshmi Chand Bothra Bachhawat / Raja Sur Singh
1735 – February 1751: Mehta Bakhtawar Singh (1st time) (b. 1707 – d. 1779)
1752–1756: Mehta Bakhtawar Singh (2nd time) (s.a.)
1756 – December 1757: Mehta Prithvi Singh
1757–1762: Mehta Bakhtawar Singh (3rd time) (s.a.)
September 1765 – 1779: Mehta Bakhtawar Singh (4th time) (s.a.)
1779–178.: Mehta Swaroop Singh
178.–1787: Mehta Thakursi
1787–1791: Mehta Madho Rao
1794–1805: Mehta Rao Sahib Singh Gun Roop
April 1815 – February 1816: Mehta Bhomji
February 1816 – 1828: Abhai Singh Mehta
1853–1853: Leeladhar Mehta
1868: Sheo Lal Mehta

As surname used by Banias

Among Oswal and Porwal Banias, Mehta is a clan name.^[1]

As surname used by Khatris

Among Khatris, Mehta is a clan name.^[1]

Notable individuals

Notable individuals with this surname include:

Aditya Mehta (born 1985), snooker player
Ajay Mehta, Indian actor
Alok Mehta (born 1952), Indian journalist
Alok Kumar Mehta, former General Secretary of Rashtriya Janata Dal, served as minister in Government of Bihar.
Amit Mehta (born 1971), United States district judge
Anil Mehta, film director, cinematographer
Apoorva Mehta (born 1986), founder of Instacart
Ashok Mehta (1947–2012), Indian cinematographer
Atul Mehta (born 1949), Indian cricketer
Balwantrai Mehta (1900–1965), Gujarat's second Chief Minister
Pratap Bhanu Mehta (born 1967), Indian academic and think tank.
Bejun Mehta (born 1968), American countertenor
Deepa Mehta (born 1950), Canadian film director and screenwriter
Devaanshi Mehta (1996–2012), British-Indian student who started the Asian Donor Campaign
Dilip Mehta
Gita Mehta (née Patnaik; 1943–2023), Indian writer
Gulshan Kumar Mehta (1937–2009), Indian lyricist and actor
Hansa Jivraj Mehta (1897–1995), Indian reformist, social activist, educator, independence activist, and writer
Harshad Mehta (1954–2001), Indian stockbroker who was convicted of market manipulation and died of a heart attack at age 47.
Hemant Mehta (born 1983), American-born Indian author
Homi Maneck Mehta (1871–1948), Indian industrialist and philanthropist
Jagat Singh Mehta (1922–2014), Foreign Secretary of India
Jamshed Nusserwanjee Mehta (1886–1952), Mayor of Karachi
Jarava Lal Mehta (1912–1988), Indian philosopher
Jay Mehta (born 1961), businessman and owner of the Mehta Group
Jehangir Mehta (born 1971), chef and owner of New York City restaurants
Jivraj Narayan Mehta (1887–1978), Gujarat's first Chief Minister
Kalu Mehta (1440–1522), father of Sikhism's founder Guru Nanak
Madan Lal Mehta (1932–2006), theoretical physicist in the field of random matrix theory
Mahendra Mehta (born 1955), former CEO of Vedanta Resources; also known as Mahendar Singh
Mehli Mehta, (1908–2002): musician; founder of the Bombay Philharmonic and Bombay String Orchestras
Nakuul Mehta (born 1983), actor and model
Nariman Mehta (1920–2014), organic chemist and inventor of bupropion (Wellbutrin)
Narsinh Mehta, Gujarati spiritual poet
Nicky Mehta, singer, songwriter, member of Canadian folk trio The Wailin' Jennys
Phiroz Mehta (1902–1994), writer on religious topics, and philosopher
Pherozeshah Mehta (1845–1915), Indian political leader, activist, and lawyer
Raj Mehta
Russell Mehta, Indian businessman
Sahil Mehta (born 1988), Indian actor
Samir Mehta
Sargun Mehta (born 1988), Indian model, comedian, dancer, presenter and actress
Shailendra Raj Mehta (born 1959), Indian economist, president and director, MICA
Shekhar Mehta (1945–2006), Ugandan-born Kenyan rally driver
Sonny Mehta (born Ajai Singh Mehta; 1942–2019), Indian book editor
Suketu Mehta (born 1963), India-born American writer
Tarak Mehta (Born Tarak Janubhai Mehta; 1929-2017), Indian writer, humorist, and playwright
Tushar Mehta
Tyeb Mehta (1925–2009), Indian painter
Tulsidas Mehta, multiple times Member of Bihar Legislative Assembly, a former minister in Government of Bihar.
Uday Singh Mehta, American political scientist
Veer Singh Mehta (born 1949), Indian neurosurgeon
Veronica Mehta, British Punjabi singer
Vikram Bhagvandas Mehta (1946–2014), Indian mathematician
Zarin Mehta (born 1938), executive director of the New York Philharmonic Orchestra; brother of Zubin
Zubeida Begum (1926-1952), Indian actress born to Faiza Bai and Shri Qasembhai Mehta; she was married to Maharaja of Jodhpur, Hanwant Singh
Zubin Mehta (born 1936), Indian conductor of Western classical music

This page lists people with the surname Mehta.
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References

1 2 3 4 Dictionary of American Family Names. Oxford University Press. ISBN 0-19-508137-4.
↑ Bulletin of the Cultural Research Institute. India: Cultural Research Institute West Bengal (India). 2004. p. 26. Recently, they have adopted surnames like Verma, Mehta and Kushwaha. Their subgroups are mostly endogamous. There are five major social divisions or endogamous subgroups among the Koiri of West Bengal.
↑ "Mehta Surname".

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[Oxford-1] 1 2 3 4 Dictionary of American Family Names. Oxford University Press. ISBN 0-19-508137-4.

[2] Bulletin of the Cultural Research Institute. India: Cultural Research Institute West Bengal (India). 2004. p. 26. Recently, they have adopted surnames like Verma, Mehta and Kushwaha. Their subgroups are mostly endogamous. There are five major social divisions or endogamous subgroups among the Koiri of West Bengal.

[3] "Mehta Surname".

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