Explore the Family Name Chauhan

The meaning of Chauhan

Indian (northern states): Rajput and Sikh name of great and ancient prestige but unexplained origin. According to legend, the ancestor of the Rajput clan bearing this name emerged from a sacrificial fire with four arms, and so the name was associated with the Sanskrit word chatur- meaning ‘four’, but this is no more than folk etymology. A clan of the Porwal Banias have also adopted this name and it has been adopted in many other communities as well. History: Chauhan kings ruled in Rajasthan and in neighboring states, and conquered Delhi in the 12th century. The Chauhans, along with the Solankis, the Paramaras, and the Pariharas, call themselves Agnikulas ‘Fire Tribes’. According to the Agnikula legend, after the original Kshatriyas had been exterminated by Parashurama (see Arora), the Brahmins found themselves in need of protection from demons that were harassing them, so they prayed to the god Shiva for assistance. Then, through divine intercession, there emerged from the sacrificial fire the ancestors of the four Rajput Fire Tribes, and they vanquished the demons. Historians believe that these tribes were in reality foreign tribes that entered India and defeated the original Kshatriyas. As they became staunch defenders of Hindu ideals, they were admitted into the prestigious Kshatriya ranks. Some characteristic forenames: Indian Vijay, Rajesh, Rohit, Sandip, Vinod, Amul, Arun, Bharat, Chitra, Dipak, Hemraj, Lakhbir.

Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.