Persaud is a Hindu surname primarily found in the Caribbean, especially Guyana and Trinidad and Tobago. It is derived from the Hindi surname प्रसाद which is predominantly transliterated as Prasad in India. Other variant forms include Persad, Prashad, Persard, Pershad, Prasada, Prashad, Presad, and Presaud.

The surname primarily originated in the Hindi Belt of India, especially in the present-day states of Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Jharkhand, and Madhya Pradesh; it also originated in the neighboring Terai-Madhesh region of Nepal.[1] Persaud is the most prevalent surname in Guyana with 21,855 [2] Guyanese persons documented to hold the name. It is the 22nd most prevalent name in Suriname.[3] Persad is also the sixteenth most prevalent surname in Trinidad and Tobago and the other variant, Persaud, is the 431st most prevalent surname.[4][5] Persaud is also the number one most popular Hindu surname in the United States, based on data from the 2010 U.S. census.[6]

Etymology and history

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The name Persaud means "Gracious gift"[7][8] originally deriving from Hindi "Prasad". The name has connection to multiple Dharmic religions including Hinduism, Jainism and Sikhism[9] where "Prasada" is a food that is used in religious offering.

Geographical distribution

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Persaud is the most common surname in Guyana,[10] where 1 in 35 persons hold the surname;[11] it is also an increasingly common name in Canada, ranking 862nd, and the UK where 1 in 52,000 hold the surname. This is due to a large amount of Indo-Caribbean immigration to North America and Europe (mainly the United Kingdom and the Netherlands).[12]

Notable people named Persaud

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Persaud

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Persad

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  • Kamla Persad-Bissessar (b. 1952), first woman to be Prime Minister of Trinidad and Tobago
  • Ria Persad (also known as Ria Persad Carlo) (born 1974), a Trinidad and Tobago mathematician, classical musician and model

Prashad

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References

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  1. ^ "Persaud Family History". Ancestry. Retrieved 14 April 2014.
  2. ^ "Guyana Genealogy Resources & Vital Records". forebears.io. Retrieved 2019-05-08.
  3. ^ "Most Common Surinamese Surnames & Meanings".
  4. ^ "Guyana Genealogy Resources & Vital Records".
  5. ^ "Trinidad and Tobago Genealogy Resources & Vital Records".
  6. ^ "Most Popular Hindu Baby Names".
  7. ^ "Prasad Name Meaning & Prasad Family History". Ancestry.co.uk. Retrieved 2019-05-08.
  8. ^ "Fatawa - Is it permissible for Muslims to eat Prasad shared by temple custodians in India?". Dar al-Ifta al Misriyyah. Retrieved 2019-05-08.
  9. ^ "Prasada | Hinduism". Encyclopedia Britannica. Retrieved 2019-05-08.
  10. ^ "The most popular last name in every country in the world, and what they mean". https://Matador network. Retrieved 2020-05-03.
  11. ^ "Persaud Surname Meaning, Origins & Distribution". forebears.io. Retrieved 2019-05-08.
  12. ^ "Guyanese Immigrants to Canada | Statistics | Immigration to Canada". Retrieved 2019-05-08.