Sunday, September 16, 2012

A survey of Gothras among iyers (Tamil Speaking Brahmins)


A survey of Gothras   among iyers  (Tamil Speaking Brahmins)
Complied   by
P.R.Ramachander   
 Gothras    among Brahmins is supposed   to be patrilineal groups among them.  They are believed to have  originated   from the Gothra rishi.  I wanted to know how the gothras are spread among  Tamil speaking iyers  and undertook this survey. As a part of arm chair research I went through several issues of  Sruthivani and Mukthipriya magazines which give matrimonial advertisements of Iyers. From them   using  the data of 3507  advertisements, I could find that  , they belong to  51 Gothras(  There may be many more Gothras, which has not come in my survey.
Agasthya
4
Athreya
227
6.40%
Badarayana
12
Bharadwaja
685
19.50%
Bharghava
8
Chandilya
2
Devaradam
1
Garga
99
2.82%
Gauthama
86
2.42%
Gowri Veetham
6
Gowshteera
1
Gowsteera
2
Guthsava
1
Haritha
235
6.70%
Kalpangeerasa
2
Kanva
12
Kapi
8
Kashyapa
198
5.64%
Koundinya
379
10.80%
Koushika
477
13.60%
Kutsava
2
Lohitha
7
Manava
1
Mandavya
3
Medhara
2
Moudgalya
45
1.28%
Naidrupa Kahyapa
121
3.45%
Oupumanya
55
1.56%
Parasara
12
Pourugusthya
16
Radheethara
1
Ratheethra
1
Rebha Kashyapa
1
Salangayana
1
sankarshana
1
Sankrithi
103
2.93%
Saunaka
5
Shadamarshana
48
1.36%
Shandilya
18
Sikitha
1
Sri Vatsa
390
11.12%
Tharakayana
9
Udhitha
3
Uditya
5
Uditya Goutama
11
Vadhoolam
160
4.56%
Vasishta
6
Veethakavya
9
Vishnu Vardhangeerasa
3
Vishnudangeerasa
1
Viswamithra
21
Total
3507