Nepali Last Name Generator

500 surnames of Nepal in their usual Latin spellings, from Adhikari, Thapa and Shrestha to Gurung, Moktan, Chemjong and Yadav.

About Nepali last names

A Nepali surname, or thar, usually says something about where a family comes from, and often about its community. It stands last, after the given name and any middle element. Words such as Bahadur, Kumar, Prasad, Kumari, Devi and Maya are middle elements, so you will not find them here. Every entry is one surname in its usual Latin spelling.

The list draws on the whole country. Bahun and Chhetri families of the hills carry names such as Adhikari, Bhattarai, Koirala, Thapa, Karki and Basnet, and KC is short for Khatri Chhetri. Newar families of the Kathmandu Valley have names like Shrestha, Maharjan and Shakya, and several record a traditional craft: Tamrakar goes with copper work and Chitrakar with painting. Among Gurung, Magar, Tamang, Rai, Limbu and Sherpa families the name of the people often serves as the surname, and clan names such as Pun, Ghale, Moktan, Chamling and Chemjong are used too. Yadav, Jha, Mahato and Chaudhary come from the Madhesi and Tharu communities of the Terai.

One spelling can cover several families. Thapa, Rana and Lama are each used in more than one community, so a surname alone does not prove caste, ancestry or faith. Spelling varies as well: Poudel, Paudel and Paudyal are one name, as are Pokharel and Pokhrel.

How to choose Nepali last names

• Choose the region first. A family from the Kathmandu Valley might be Shrestha or Maharjan, one from the eastern hills Rai or Limbu with a clan name like Bantawa or Nembang, and one from the Terai Yadav or Jha.
• Add a middle element for a full name. Many Nepali names have three parts, such as Man Bahadur Budhathoki or Sita Kumari Dahal, and the middle part is not a family name.
• Pick the clan name or the group name and stay with it. Some families write Pun, others Magar and some Pun Magar, but relatives normally share one form.
• Keep one spelling per family. Poudel and Paudel are the same name, yet the members of one household usually have the same spelling on their documents.
• Do not read rank into a surname. Names are shared across communities, and the list gives them in no order of standing.

Frequently asked questions

What are some well-known Nepali last names?

Surnames you will meet all over Nepal include Shrestha, Thapa, Tamang, Gurung, Magar, Rai, Adhikari and Yadav. The list does not rank them by frequency, because we have no reliable count for each name. It also holds many less widespread names, such as Bijukchhe, Khapangi and Tumbahangphe.

What does KC mean as a Nepali surname?

KC is the usual short form of Khatri Chhetri, and many families write only the two letters. GC works the same way for Gharti Chhetri. Both are in the list in that short form.

Why do so many people have Gurung, Tamang or Rai as a last name?

In several hill communities the name of the people is used as the family name, so unrelated families share it. Inside the community a clan name tells families apart, and some people use it as their surname instead, such as Ghale, Moktan, Bantawa or Sherchan.

Are Nepali and Indian last names the same?

Some are shared, mostly in the Terai and among hill Brahmin families: Jha, Mishra, Pandey and Sharma are used on both sides of the border. Most of this list is rare in India outside Nepali-speaking communities. That covers the Newar names, the Limbu, Rai, Tamang and Magar clan names and hill names such as Koirala and Ghimire.

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