Shah (surname)

Shah is an Indian surname. It is often confused with the Persian "Shah" meaning "King". It is derived from Sanskrit Sadhu (meaning gentleman).

The surname like various other Indian surnames was also adopted by various other people. The Shah surname is adopted by the trade communities (The Banias/Vanias) in Rajasthan and Gujarat states. Banias include the Jains and the Vaishnavas. It was widely used by the Jains even outside of Gujarat and Rajasthan, for example in Delhi/Haryana (see Nattal Sahu), Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh (see Sahu Jain) and Maharashtra, India.

The Hindi word 'Shahukara', meaning banker, is derived from Sahu (Sanskrit "Sadhu") and kar (Sanskrit for doer).

Shah, a different last name, derived from the Persian word "Shah", is a surname found among the Iranian peoples of Central Asia, Afghanistan and parts of Pakistan.

The word 'Shah' is derived from Sanskrit Sadhu (meaning saint) and Prakrit Sahu, while the actual spelling "Shah" in Western culture was popularized by the title of the former Persian King. As a result, especially in Western culture, use of the spelling "Shah" has become far more pronounced than the other variants. The word Sadhu/Sahu is also separately used to indicate a Jain monk. See Namokar Mantra.

In the Gujarat and Rajasthan region, the surname Shah derives from the vernacular sah (from Sanskrit Sadhu, "merchant"). The surname appears to have been altered under the influence of the Persian word for "king" (Shah) or its variants.

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