Baral (surname)

Baral is a surname found in people from Nepal, Bhutan, India, and individuals of Persian ancestry.

There are over 100,000 Nepalese Barals who mainly Khas people constitute of the over 80% Brahmin 15% Chhetri castes in Nepal.

The surname Baral is found predominantly in India in individuals from Orissa and Bengal. Many Barals are also found in Israel, Europe, USA and in Latin America. The vast majority of non-South Asian Barals are of Persian ancestry.

There is no tangible historical evidence as to the place of origin of the Indian and Persian Barals, or how such diverse groups of people came to share the same surname. It has been speculated that the Indian and Persian Barals may share a common ancestry somewhere along the line, although it is not clear whether the Indians are Persian descendants or vice versa, thereby making any assumption intangible.

There is also a separate group of Jewish Barals with a name potentially derived from the Israeli Bar-el. Barals tend to represent Ashkenazi Jews and were predominantly from Eastern Europe and the Former Soviet Union.

Nepal

Baral of Nepal - Barals in Nepal are mainly Bahuns and some Chetris. Claims of lineage to some ancient sage is pure assumption. Magar Barals are much fewer in number but can trace direct lineage to the indigenous kings who ruled some areas of Midwestern Nepal before the unification of Nepal by Prithivi Narayan Shah.

Notable people

Nepal

• Krishnahari Baral is a Nepali lyricist, songwriter, poet, literary critic, and professor
• Mohan Baral, actor from pokhara,kaski.
• Binita Baral, actress, model, and writer.

India

• Raichand Boral, Indian composer, considered by music conoisseurs to be the father of Bollywood film music
• Babul Supriya Baral, Indian singer and politician

Bangladesh

• Akshay Kumar Baral - aka Akkhoykumar Boral, Bengali poet and writer

United States

• Jim Baral - renowned dermatologist and co-discovered of Reye's Syndrome