Dutt
| Regions with significant populations | |
|---|---|
| India | |
| Languages | |
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Bengali Punjabi Assamese Hindi Maithili English |
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| Religion | |
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Hinduism Christianity |
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| Related ethnic groups | |
| Tibeto-Burman peoples |
Dutta, also spelled Datta, Dutt and Datt, is an Indian family name and surname that is found primarily among Bengali Kayastha and Punjabi Brahmin, also present among Assamese, and Haryanvi Hindus. Datta means "given" or "granted" in Sanskrit. It is also an alternative name for the Hindu deity Dattatreya.
In Assam, Kalita Duttas belong to upper caste and are more inclined towards Eksaran Naam Dharma and thus may not religiously follow idol worship unlike most of the traditional Hindus. The Koch Rajbongshi Duttas on the other hand are considered as Other Backward Class and speak Tibeto-Burmese Koch language. Duttas of Assam have made significant contribution to the society of Assam.
Punjabi and Haryanvi Datts or Duttas belong to the Mohyal Brahmins community. According to the gotra system, Mohyal Duttas are the descendants of Rishi Bharadwaj. Some consider Gaj Bhavan, the grandson of Rishi Bharadwaj to be the real founder of their clan.
According to Indian historian Tej Ram Sharma, in Bengal the surname Dutta/Datta is used by Maulika Kayastha caste. The office of Kayastha (scribe) was instituted before the Gupta period (c.320 to 550 CE). Originally, Kayastha was composed of people from different Varnas, including Brahmins and Kshatriyas. After the Gupta reign, the Kayasthas in Bengal developed into a caste, and gained a higher status, incorporating the Pala, Sena and Varman Kings and their descendants. In the middle period of the history of Bengal, between 1500 and 1850 CE, the Kayasthas were regarded as one of the highest of Hindu castes in the region. Some members of the Baidya caste use Dutta/Datta as a surname, although they more often use compounded variations such as Duttagupta or Duttasharma instead.
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