Pal (surname)

Pal, alternative form "Paul", is a common surname found in India and Bangladesh. It is traditionally believed that 'Pal' originated from the Sanskrit pala meaning protector or keeper. It is also occasionally found in other countries.

History
The surname Pal (or Paul) is found in Bengal among Bengali Kayasthas. Historian Tej Ram Sharma mentions that the surname is "now confined to Kayasthas of Bengal" while referring to the names of Brahmins ending in such Kayastha surnames in the early inscriptions dating back to the Gupta period.

Pal is also used as a surname by the Bengali Hindu potters (Kumbhakars), and other castes like Teli, Subarnabanik and Sadgop.

The Pardhi, a hunter community of Maharashtra, is also known as Pal.

The saint Gwalipa told Suraj Sen, the ruler of Gwalior, to adopt the surname Pal, which remains prevalent up to eighty-three descendants of Suraj Sen.

The Ahirs in Central India use Pal as a surname.

In imitation of Pal dynasty of Assam, the Chutia (pronounced as Sutia) also took the surname of Pal.

Pal was also a popular surname among the Parmar Rajput rulers of the Garhwal.

Pal is a surname of the Thakuri people of Nepal.

In Punjab and other states, Pal is often used as a middle name followed by Singh.

Pal is also used as a surname by the Punjabi Khatri community.

The rulers of Kullu held the surname Pal up to about the 15th century A.D., which they later changed to Singh.

Bengalis
During the Gupta period, the Kayasthas had not developed into a distinct caste in Bengal, although the office of the Kayasthas (scribes) had been instituted before the beginning of the period, as evidenced from the contemporary smritis. "The names of brahmanas occurring in our inscriptions sometimes end in a non-brahmanic cognomen such as Bhatta, Datta and Kunda, etc., which are available in the inscriptions of Bengal. Surnames like Datta, Dama, Palita, Pala, Kunda (Kundu), Dasa, Naga and Nandin are now confined to Kayasthas of Bengal but not to brahmanas. Noticing brahmanic names with a large number of modern Bengali Kayastha cognomens in several early epigraphs discovered in Bengal, some scholars have suggested that there is a considerable brahmana element in the present day Kayastha community of Bengal. Originally the professions of Kayastha (scribe) and Vaidya (physician) were not restricted and could be followed by people of different varnas including the brahmanas. So there is every probability that a number of brahmana families were mixed up with members of other varnas in forming the present Kayastha and Vaidya communities of Bengal."

"Abu al-Fazl, describes these kings (the Pal Kings) as Kayastha. Bengal, in effect, became the land of the Kayasthas, having been ruled by the Kayasthas for about 2000 years. Sanskrit sources such as Rajtarangini however do not yet regard Kayastha as a caste in any sense but as a category of 'officials' or 'scribes'. Between the fifth or sixth centuries (when we first hear of them) and the eleventh-twelfth centuries, its component elements were putative Kshatriyas and, for the larger majority Brahmins, who either retained their caste identity or became Buddhists while laying down the sacred thread. The Kayasthas obtained aspect of a caste perhaps under the Senas."

According to Radhey Shyam Chourasia, an Indian historian, the Palas do not trace their origin to any ancient hero. The dynasty is so called because the names of all kings had the termination - Pala. The family has no illustrious ancestry.

Historian Guptajit Pathak believes that the Palas of Kamarupa, who had the same surname as the Palas of Bengal and Bihar (Gaura and Magadha), "were perhaps of non-Aryan origin".

Several kings of the Pala dynasty were Buddhists.

According to the Khalimpur Plate of Dharmapala, Gopala I, the founder of the dynasty, "was the son of a warrior Vapyata and the grandson of a highly educated Dayitavishnu". Unlike other contemporary dynasties, the Palas "do not claim descent from any mythological figure or epic hero". The Kamauly Copper Plate inscription suggests that Palas call themselves Kshatriyas belonging to Solar dynasty. "According to Manjusree Mulakalpa, Gopala I was a sudra and according to Abul Fazl, the Palas were Kayasthas." In Ramacharita, the Pala King Rampala is called Kshatriya but later in the same book Dharmapala is described as Samudrakula-dipa. Bagchi suggests that "the non-mention of caste may be a reason that the Palas were Buddhists and they were not supposed to mention their caste like the Brahmanical ruling dynasties", though they performed the duties and functions of Kshatriyas for about four centuries.

Art

 * Gogi Saroj Pal, Artist

Business

 * Bipradas Pal Chowdhury, Bengali Industrialist
 * Karan Paul, Chairman of Apeejay Surrendra Group
 * Murugan Pal, Entrepreneur
 * Priya Paul, Indian Businesswoman (Sister of Karan Paul), Padmashree Awardee
 * Supriya Paul, Indian Entrepreneur, The co-founder and CEO of Josh Talks

Entertainment

 * Aditi Paul, Indian Playback Singer
 * Amala Paul (born 1991), Indian Film Actress in Tamil and Malayalam Cinema
 * Amar Pal, Indian Bengali Folk Singer and Author
 * Amit Paul, Indian Playback Singer
 * Amit Sebastian Paul, Indian-Swedish Singer and Businessman
 * Anindita Paul, Indian Singer
 * Anuradha Pal, Musical Composer, known as the Lady Zakir Hussain
 * Arpita Pal, Bengali Actress and Entrepreneur
 * Beena Paul (born 1961), Indian film editor in Malayalam
 * Colin Pal (1923-2005), Actor and Director (Grandson of Bipin Chandra Pal)
 * Imran Pal(Imran Khan), Bollywood Actor
 * Jai Paul, Indian-British Recording Artist
 * Manish Paul, Indian Actor, Comedian and TV Host
 * Niranjan Pal (1889-1959), Screenwriter and Director (Son of Bipin Chandra Pal)
 * Patralekha Paul, Indian Actress
 * Rajeev Paul, Indian Actor
 * Satya Paul, Indian Fashion Designer
 * Sohini Paul, Bengali Actress (Daughter of Tapas Paul)
 * Sunil Pal, Indian Actor and Comedian
 * Tapas Paul, Indian Bengali Actor and Politician

Judiciary

 * Debi Prasad Pal (born 1927), Indian Lawyer, Judge and Cabinet Minister
 * Radhabinod Pal (1886-1967), Judge, Freedom Fighter, Padma Vibhushan Awardee
 * Ruma Pal (born 1941), Indian Supreme Court Judge

Politics

 * Bipin Chandra Pal (1858–1932), Indian Freedom Fighter, Journalist, Writer
 * Ila Pal Choudhury, Indian Politician, Social Activist
 * Jagdambika Pal (born 1960), Former Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh
 * Jitendra Chandra Paul, Indian Freedom Fighter, Journalist, Author
 * Kristo Das Pal (1839–1884), Politician, Journalist, Orator and the editor of Hindoo Patriot
 * Rupchand Pal (born 1936), Politician
 * Saju Paul (born 1966), Indian Politician

Science

 * Aloke Paul, Materials Scientist
 * Anadish Pal (born 1963), Inventor and Poet
 * Palash Baran Pal, Indian Physicist, Author
 * Mahendra Pal, Indian scientist
 * Sankar K. Pal, Scientist and Researcher, Director of the ISI-Calcutta, Padmashree Awardee
 * Sourav Pal, Scientist and Researcher, Director of National Chemical Laboratory, Pune, Pioneering figure of Quantum Chemistry in India
 * Vinod Kumar Paul, Indian Pediatrician and Physician Scientist

Sports

 * Bachendri Pal, First Indian Woman to climb Mount Everest
 * Gostha Pal (1896–1976), Renowned Football Player, (The Great Wall of China)
 * Rajinder Pal, Cricketer
 * Shib Paul, Indian Cricketer
 * Subrata Pal, Football Player

Others

 * Haridas Pal, Fictional Character and Successful Businessman
 * Krishna Pal (1762–1822), Early Indian convert to Christianity