Mehta
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Mehta is an Indian Hindu (Kushwaha, Vania, Brahman, Arora), Jain, Parsi, and Sikh surname (last name) meaning 'praised' or 'great' from Sanskrit mahita, which comes from mah- 'to praise or magnify', commonly found in the Punjab, Rajasthan, and Gujarat and in Bihar (known as Kushwaha or Koeri). In Gujarati it has also come to mean ‘teacher’ and ‘accountant’, probably because teachers and accountants were respectfully so addressed in Gujarat. Many Jains have also adopted "Mehta," like "Jain," as their last names. In Pakistan, Punjab, and Rajasthan, mehta was a title that stood for 'head of the village' or 'landlord'. Mehtas in Kumaon of Uttarakhand are Kumauni Rajputs (princes).
In Arorvanshi Punjabis, Mehta is a surname used before the first name by landowner families (different from the mehtas found in Gujarati Lohanas, as in Gujarat, mehtas are accountants). Mehta in Punjabi aroras is dominantly found in people with last names like Batra, Charaipotra, Chugh, Jhandai, and some more ucchade ('undressed') clans.
Notable individuals with this surname include:
- Narsinh Mehta, (1414? – 1481?) well-known poet-saint of Gujarat, India.
- Pherozeshah Mehta, (1845 - 1915) Indian political leader, activist, and leading lawyer.
- Mehli Mehta, (1908 – 2002) Indian musician and founder of the Bombay Symphony Orchestra and father of Zarin and Zubin Mehta.
- Tyeb Mehta, (*1925) Most successful Indian artist when it comes to painting auction values
- Zarin Mehta, (*1938) executive director of the New York Philharmonic Orchestra, and Zubin Mehta's brother.
- Zubin Mehta, (*1936) Indian conductor of Western classical music and Zarin Mehta's brother.
- Deepa Mehta, (*1950) Indian-born Canadian film director and screenwriter.
- Harshad Mehta, Indian Stockbroker.
- Gulshan Kumar Mehta, Indian lyricist.
- Dr. Michael D. Mehta, Canadian academic, environmental scientist, and author. Son of Dr. Dinshaw Mehta and cousin of Zubin Mehta.
- Bejun Mehta, (*1968) American countertenor
[edit] References
- Dictionary of American Family Names, Oxford University Press, ISBN 0-19-508137-4
- Mehta Name Meaning and Origin - Ancestry.com
[edit] See also
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