Gotra (family name)

Gotra, means segment (family name) and it was peculiar to the names of Brahmanas. Likewise in the case of Non-Brahmana names this segment was made up of two components: village + Udaiyan, Kilavan/Kilan whereas the second component means possessor. Y. Subbarayalu has viewed that this person was the possessor of the village. Brahmins followed gotras from the time of Pallavas. But during the time of Cholas a certain group of non-Brahmins followed gotras. It was confirmed by the inscriptions of the Cholas.^[1]

The study of the inscription of the Chola period revealed a peculiar thing i.e., Miladudaiyan Akalankan Malaiyar-Adittan alias Sembiyan-Miladudaiyan of Bharggava-gotra. ‘Miladu’ is a place + ‘Udiyan’ is a possessor and again it referred to the inner segment of Bharggava-gotra.^[2]