Rampersad

" Rampersad also spelt as Ramprasad or Rampersaud is a surname common in Trinidad and Tobago, Guyana, Suriname, the Caribbean, Fiji, South Africa, and Mauritius.^[1] It is of Indian and Hindu origin, derived from the Sanskrit words Rama Prasada, and is not affiliated with any certain caste.^[2] In India it is used as a first name, but the descendants of the indentured laborers in the European Colonies used their fathers' first name as their surname. The name is common among the Caribbean Hindu community, but as a result of ethnic mixing it is common in Christian, and non-Indian communities as well. Many people of this surname have migrated to the United States and Canada as well. Sundar Popo wrote a song called "Rampersad".^[3] Ramprasad is a common name among Bhojpuri (a Hindi dialect) speaking areas of Bihar and UP states of eastern India. From 1834 to 1917 indentured plantation workers from this region went far and wide including Caribbean, Surinam, Fiji and Mauritius. Dr. Rajendra Prasad the first President of independent India was from the same region (eastern part of Bihar). Prasad in Sanskrit means gift from god (generally food). There has been a long practice of having a second name, in general, in northern India. For instance Bihari, Kumar, Chandra and Prasad. These are not family names, it's just that the name is in two parts. A person called Ras Bihari may name his son Gokul Prasad etc. Many a times the two words are written as one for example Ramchandra or Krishnakant. Although Sanskrit word is pronounced as Prasad, in Bhojpuri the pronunciation changes to Parsad or Persad. ^[4]

People of this surname

Arnold Rampersad, an American biographer and literary critic.
Capil Rampersad, a West Indies cricketer.
Kris Rampersad, a writer, researcher, lecturer, journalist, publisher, activist and advocate from Trinidad and Tobago.

References

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