Pant (surname)

Pant (Sanskrit: पंत) or Panta (पन्त) is a last name, commonly found in Nepal and in the Indian states of Uttarakhand and Maharashtra. It is a traditional surname used by Brahmins, a priestly community. Foremostly involved in the activities of the state, they were generally found involved in activities such as academics, religion, management, politics and warfare.

In India
Pant was used as a last name, suffix or title commonly by priests, as well as the officers, commanders, ministers and leaders of high influence in the affairs of the state. In Uttarakhand, many Brahmin communities use this as surname. In Maharashtra, Brahmin groups who have used the term as part of their names usually belong to either of the 3 Brahminical groups such as Deshastha, Chitpavan and Karhade.

In Nepal
Pant people are also found in good numbers in Nepal. They are ethnically same as the Pant people of Uttarakhand. Usually being amongst the chief-office bearers in the kings courts along with the majority Pande rank holders, they were foremostly involved in affairs that concerned with education (also medicine), administration and warfare.

Notable people

 * Aditi Pant First Indian Lady to visit Antarctica
 * Aditya Bhushan Pant, Indian toxicologist, neurobiologist and a scientist
 * Anju Panta, Nepalese Pop and Folk Singer
 * Apa Pant, Indian diplomat and freedom fighter
 * Bahiroji Pingale (1708–1711) – the fourth Peshwa of the Maratha Empire and the younger son of Moropant Trimbak Pingle
 * Dasopant (1551–1615) – Marathi poet-saint and prolific writer of Varkari sect.; also known as Daso Digambar
 * Diksha Panth, Indian actress
 * Garima Panta, Nepalese Actress
 * Govind Ballabh Pant, the first Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh
 * Govind Ballal Kher (Govind Pant Bundela) (1710–1760), general and trustee of Peshwa Bajirao I 's territories in Bundelkhand
 * Hargovind Pant Indian Freedom Fighter
 * Hari Pant General of the Maratha Empire
 * Hemad Pant, Prime Minister of Seuna (Yadava) dynasty
 * Ila Pant, Indian politician
 * Jayatirtha (Dhondopant Raghunath Deshpande) (1345–1388) – a Hindu philosopher, dialectician, and polemicist
 * K. C. Pant, former Indian Member of Parliament
 * Kamla Pant, Women Activist, part of Uttarakhand Mahila Manch, played a prominent role in the creation of Uttarakhand state
 * Maheshwar Panta (18th century), Army General of Gorkha Kingdom and Guru of King Prithvi Narayan Shah
 * Manoj Pant Director, Indian Institute of Foreign Trade
 * M. C. Pant, Indian radiation oncologist and Padma Shri recipient
 * Meghna Pant, fiction author and financial journalist
 * Moropant Ramachandra Paradkar (1729–1794), Marathi poet who was the last among those classified by Marathi literary scholars as pandit poets.
 * Moropant Trimbak Pingle (1657–1683) – the first Peshwa in Shivaji Maharaj's Asthapradhan Mandal
 * Muktesh Pant, Indian–born businessman
 * Naya Raj Pant (1913–2002), Nepalese historian, astronomer, poet
 * Nilakanth Moreshvar Pingale (1683–1689) – the second Peshwa of the Maratha Empire and elder son of Moropant Trimbak Pingle
 * Parshuram Pant Pratinidhi and his descendants were the hereditary Pratinidhi's of the Maratha Empire and also the rulers of Aundh and Vishalgad
 * Pitambar Pant, Indian independence activist, civil service officer and writer
 * Prafulla Chandra Pant, former judge Supreme Court of India.
 * Prakash Pant, Uttarakhand Politician
 * Pushpesh Pant, academic, food critic and historian
 * Raghuji Pant, CPN-UML politician
 * Ram Raj Pant, Linguist of the Nepali language, literary writer and promoter of legal education in Nepal
 * Ramchandra Pant Amatya (1689–1708) – Amatya, Peshwa and Hukumat Panah of the Maratha Empire during the reign of Shivaji and Rajaram I
 * Ranjan Pant, CEO Advisor and Global Strategy Management Consultant
 * Rishabh Pant, Indian cricketer
 * Samarth Ramdas (Narayan Suryajipant Thosar) (1608–1681) – Hindu Vaishnava saint from Maharashtra
 * Santosh Panta, Nepalese actor, comedian, screenwriter, and director
 * Sheila Irene Pant, 10th Governor of Sindh, wife of the first Prime Minister of Pakistan, Liaquat Ali Khan.
 * Shivani, Gaura Pant, story writer for women's magazines
 * Sorabh Pant Indian standup comic and writer
 * Sumitranandan Pant, poet and philosopher
 * Sunil Babu Pant, LGBT social activist In Nepal
 * Surakshya Panta, Nepalese actress
 * Yadav Pant, Nepalese economist, politician and former Governor (Fifth) of Nepal Rastra Bank