List of Nepali Gotras and Surnames

A Gotra is a lineage division within the Hindu caste system that traces ancestry back to one of the seven original Rishis. It is used in Nepal to determine marriage compatibility. People of the same gotra (sagotri) cannot marry.

No. In Nepali Hindu tradition, marriage between people sharing the same gotra is not socially acceptable, as they are considered to share the same mythical ancestor.

There are 20 commonly recognised Gotras used among Nepali Brahmin and Chhetri communities. These are derived from the original seven Saptarishi Gotras, which later branched into 49 Gotras recognised across Hindu tradition globally.

Sagotri literally means "of the same Gotra." Two people are called Sagotri if they share the same Gotra lineage. Marriage between Sagotri individuals is traditionally forbidden in Nepali Hindu society.

In a Nepali Hindu wedding, the Gotra of both the bride and groom must be stated during the rituals. The priest recites the Gotra to invoke the ancestral lineage and to confirm the two families are not Sagotri, which is a requirement for the marriage to proceed.

The seven original Rishis from whom all Gotras are derived are Gautama, Bharadvaja, Vishvamitra, Jamadagni, Vashista, Kashyapa, and Atri. Agastya is sometimes included as an eighth Rishi in expanded lists.

No. Gotra and caste (jaat) are different concepts. A Gotra is a patrilineal lineage traced back to an ancient Rishi, while caste is a broader social classification. Multiple surnames can share the same Gotra, and people with the same surname may belong to different Gotras depending on their sub-clan.

Yes. Traditionally in Nepal, a woman adopts her husband's Gotra after marriage. Before marriage, she carries her father's Gotra. After the wedding rituals, she is considered part of her husband's Gotra lineage.

Some Nepali surnames, such as Karki, Thapa, Adhikari, and Khadka, have multiple sub-clans (thars) that descend from different ancestral lineages. Each sub-clan traces back to a different Rishi, resulting in different Gotras for the same surname.

Pravara is a list of the most distinguished Rishis in a lineage, recited during Hindu rituals. While Gotra identifies your primary lineage, Pravara further specifies the key ancestors within that Gotra. Each Gotra has an associated Pravara of one to five Rishis.

You can find your Gotra by looking up your surname (thar) in the table above. For example, Sharma belongs to Atrya Gotra, Bhattarai to Vashista, Khanal to Ghrita Kaushik, Karki to multiple Gotras depending on sub-clan, and Koirala to Maudagalya. If your surname has multiple Gotras, consult your family elders or priest for your specific lineage.

The 20 commonly used Gotras among Nepali Brahmin and Chhetri communities are: Agasti, Angira, Atri, Atrya, Bharadwaaj, Dhananjaya, Garg, Gautam, Ghrita Kaushik, Kashyap, Kaudinya, Kausik, Mandabya, Maudagalya, Parasar, Shandilya, Upamanyu, Vascha, Vashista, and Viswamitra. Additional Gotras like Kapil, Kausalya, Kundin, Ravi, and Sankhyayan are also recognised in certain lineages.

Surnames belonging to Kashyap Gotra include Sahi/Shah, Ghimire, Rayamajhi, Kathayat, Bogati, Badaal, Gadtaula/Gartaula, Pade, Darji, Hada, Kumal, Kumbhairana, Rawal, Yogi, and some branches of Adhikari, Budhathoki, Pandey, Thapa, and Tiwari.

The Marasini (also spelled Maraseni or Marashini) surname belongs to the Kaudinya Gotra. Kaudinya is one of the 20 commonly recognised Gotras in Nepal. Other surnames that share the Kaudinya Gotra include Achraya, Baskota, Neupane, Parajuli, Sapkota, Satyal, Paneru, Pakurel, Kharel, Joshi, and Thapa (Bagale, Gamle).

The Sharma surname belongs to the Atrya Gotra. Other surnames that share Atrya Gotra include Aryal, Paudel, Devkota, Sigdel, Dawadi, Dulal, Rosyara, and some branches of Pokharel, Khadka, and Thapa (Bagale).

The Bhattarai surname belongs to the Vashista Gotra. Other surnames under Vashista include Bhandari, Chalise, Gaire, Kharel, Mudabhari, Raut, Suyal, Thangsine, Gamnage, and Dawadi.

The Khanal surname belongs to the Ghrita Kaushik Gotra. Other surnames under Ghrita Kaushik include Baral, Karki (Sutar), Nepal, and Pandit.

The Karki surname has multiple Gotras depending on the sub-clan: Dhananjaya (Khulal), Ghrita Kaushik (Sutar), Maudagalya (Mudula), and Parasar (Lama). Consult your family elders to confirm your specific lineage.

The Thapa surname has multiple Gotras depending on the sub-clan: Atrya (Bagale), Dhananjaya, Garg (Lamichhane), Kashyap (Godar), and Kaudinya (Bagale, Gamle). The specific Gotra varies by family lineage.

The Adhikari surname belongs to multiple Gotras: Atri, Bharadwaaj, and Kashyap, depending on the family lineage. Some branches include Bhadare, Khilchine, and Kaubali under Kashyap Gotra.

The Paudel (also spelled Poudel) surname belongs to the Atrya Gotra. Other surnames under Atrya include Sharma, Aryal, Devkota, Sigdel, Dawadi, Dulal, and Rosyara.

The Koirala surname belongs to the Maudagalya Gotra. Other surnames under Maudagalya include Belkadhi, Karki (Mudula), Kuinkel, Rume, Simkhada, Timsina, and Upreti.

The Ghimire surname belongs to the Kashyap Gotra. Other surnames under Kashyap include Sahi, Shah, Rayamajhi, Kathayat, Bogati, Badaal, Rawal, Yogi, Darji, Hada, and Kumal.

The Subedi surname belongs to the Bharadwaaj Gotra. Other surnames under Bharadwaaj include Upadhaya, Wagle, Lohani, Niraula, Siwakoti, Thapaliya, Panta, Jamarkattel, Chaulagai, Jha, Puri, Rawat, and Sitaula.

The Pandey surname belongs to multiple Gotras: Bharadwaaj, Gautam, Kashyap, Sankhyayan, and Upamanyu, depending on the family lineage.

The Dahal surname belongs to the Vascha Gotra. Other surnames under Vascha include Kuwar, Lamsal, Rana, Rupakheti, Bam, Dayal, and Kharaal.

The Neupane surname belongs to the Kaudinya Gotra. Other surnames under Kaudinya include Marasini, Achraya, Baskota, Parajuli, Sapkota, Satyal, Paneru, Pakurel, Joshi, and Kharel.

The Regmi surname belongs to the Kausik Gotra. Other surnames under Kausik include Lamichhane, Dhungana, Luitel, Rimal, Tiwari, Phuyal, Baniya, Bidari, Sanjel, and Raghubansi.

The Dhakal surname belongs to the Upamanyu Gotra. Other surnames under Upamanyu include Mainali, Bartaula, Bhatta (Duwal), Pandey, and Pathak.

Surnames under Bharadwaaj Gotra include Subedi, Upadhaya, Wagle, Lohani, Niraula, Siwakoti, Thapaliya, Panta, Jamarkattel, Chaulagai, Jha, Puri, Rawat, Sitaula, and some branches of Adhikari, Bhandari, Devkota, Pandey, Panthi, Pokharel, and Shahi.