Mitra (surname)

Mitra is an Indian family name and surname found mostly amongst Bengali Hindus. The surname may have been derived either from the word mitra meaning friend or ally^[1] or from the name of an important deity in the Vedas.

Mitras belong to Kayastha caste in Bengal. The Bengali Kayasthas evolved as a caste from a category of officials or scribes, between the 5th/6th century CE and 11th/12th century CE, its component elements being putative Kshatriyas and mostly Brahmins.^[2] Mitras are considered as Kulin Kayasthas, along with Boses, Ghoshes and Guhas.^[3]

Notables

• Amit Mitra (অমিত মিত্র), politician and current Finance Minister of West Bengal
• Antara Mitra (অন্তরা মিত্র), vocalist and Bollywood playback singer
• Arun Mitra (অরুণ মিত্র) (1909–2000), a Bengali poet
• Bimal Mitra (1912–1991), a Bengali author
• Braja Sundar Mitra (1227–1282 Bengali Era), social reformer, founder of Dhaka Brahmo Samaj
• Chandan Mitra, an Indian journalist, editor/managing director of The Pioneer newspaper
• Chittaranjan Mitra, Indian scientist and second director of BITS Pilani
• Debasis Mitra, mathematician
• Digambar Mitra (1817–1879) was one of the leading Derozians and first Bengali Sheriff of Kolkata
• Dinabandhu Mitra (দীনবন্ধু মিত্র) (1830–1873), a Bengali dramatist (given name: Gandharva Narayan)
• Hiran Mitra, Bengali actor
• Koena Mitra (born 1981), an Indian actress and former model
• Lopamudra Mitra, Kolkata-based modern Bengali singer-songwriter.
• Nabagopal Mitra (1840–1894), Indian playwright, poet, essayist, patriot
• Narendranath Mitra (নরেন্দ্রনাথ মিত্র) (1916–1975), was a renowned Bengali writer, poet.
• Panchanan Mitra (1892–1936), first professor of anthropology in India
• Premendra Mitra (প্রেমেন্দ্র মিত্র) (1904–1988), a renowned Bengali poet and author
• Rajendralal Mitra (1823/24-1891), the first modern Indologist of Indian origin
• Rhona Mitra (born 1976), an English actress of Indian descent
• Shyamal Mitra, Bengali singer
• Sisir Kumar Mitra (শিশির কুমার মিত্র) (also known as Shishirkumar Mitra) (1890–1963), an Indian physicist.
• Sombhu Mitra (1915–1997), an Indian film and stage actor, director, playwright
• Sreelekha Mitra (শ্রীলেখা মিত্র) (born 1975), an Indian actress of TV and films
• Subrata Mitra (সুব্রত মিত্র) (1930–2001), an Indian cinematographer
• Suchitra Mitra (1924-2011), an Indian singer-composer
• Amitabh Mitra, Poet / Artist, South Africa

Fictional characters

• Pradosh Chandra Mitra (Feluda), a fictional private investigator created by Satyajit Ray
• Tapesh Ranjan Mitra (Topse), cousin of Feluda, created by Satyajit Ray

See also

• Bose
• Ghosh
• Guha
• Dutta

References

1. "Mitra". http://genealogy.familyeducation.com. Retrieved 5 March 2012. External link in |publisher= (help)
2. Andre Wink (1991). Al-Hind, the Making of the Indo-Islamic World, Volume 1. Brill Academic Publishers. p. 269. ISBN 978-90-04-09509-0. Retrieved 3 September 2011.
3. Hopkins, Thomas J. (1989). "The Social and Religious Background for Transmission of Gaudiya Vaisnavism to the West". In Bromley, David G.; Shinn, Larry D. Krishna consciousness in the West. Bucknell University Press. pp. 35–36. ISBN 978-0-8387-5144-2. Retrieved 2011-10-31.