Gaekwad

Gaekwad (also spelt Gaikwar and Gaikwad; Gāyǎkǎvāḍǎ) is a surname native to the Indian state of Maharashtra. The surname is found among the Marathas, Kolis and in Scheduled castes. It is also a common surname among Bharadis, Dhor, and Mahar communities of Maharashtra.

Etymology
The Marathi historian D.S. Parasnis and his co-author, the British Raj High Court judge, C.A. Kincaid of colonial-era India, wrote in 1908 that the origin of the name Gaekwad is a combination of two Marathi words. In gai means cow and kavad means small door. Therefore, gaekwad (or gaikwad) denotes cow door.

Notable people
Notable people with the surname include:
 * Gaekwads of Baroda - Maharajas of Baroda State
 * Keerti Gaekwad Kelkar (born 1974), an Indian television actress and model
 * Anshuman Gaekwad, a former Indian cricketer and two-time Indian national cricket coach
 * Shivaji Rao Gaekwad, known by his stage name Rajinikanth, an Indian actor and politician
 * Sunil Gaikwad Member of Parliament 16th, Maharashtra
 * Ravindra Gaikwad, a member of the 16th Lok Sabha of India
 * Hiralal Gaekwad, an Indian cricketer who played in one Test in 1952
 * Rajeshwari Gayakwad, Indian women cricketer
 * Ruturaj Gaikwad, Maharashtra domestic and Chennai Super Kings Cricketer
 * Raju Gaikwad, professional footballer