Desai ([d̪eːsaːiː]) is an administrative, princely or honorary title and surname
The word is derived from the Sanskrit words deśa- 'land' and pati meaning 'lord'.
Desai, or rather a loftier compound, was a rare title for rulers a few princely states, notably :
Desai Shri in Patdi (the former Viramgam State), in Eastern Kathiawar, where Desai was also the name of the Rajput ruling family, which belongs to the Desai clan of Kadwa Patidar.
Raja Sar Desai in the Maratha Savantvadi State from 1627 until the adoption of Raja Bahadur in 1763
Just Desai is also an honorary title conferred to Reddy caste of Telangana by the Nizam of Hyderabad for holding large amounts of land and also as a mark of their ruling of samsthanas.
Most people with Desai last name belong to Deshastha Brahmin and Anavil Brahmin community of south Gujarat.
Notable individuals with the surname Desai :
Public offices
Gopaldas Ambaidas Desai – Politician and former Prince of Dhasa
Krishna Desai – CPI politician
Morarji Desai – Prime Minister of India (1977–79)
Mahadev Desai – Secretary to Mahatma Gandhi
S. T. Desai – Chief Justice of Gujarat
Culture and Science
Anoop Desai – American singer
Ebrahim Desai – Islamic scholar
Kiran Desai – Author
Kishwar Desai - Author
Manmohan Desai – Director
Meghnad Desai, Baron Desai – Economist
Nitin Chandrakant Desai – Art director
Padma Desai – Economist
Ranjit Desai – Popular Marathi writer
Ravish Desai – Actor
Salil Desai - Author
Anita Desai – Author, mother of author Kiran Desai
Bindu Desai – Actress
Krutika Desai – Actress
Prachi Desai – Actress
Rashami Desai - Actress
Renu Desai – Actress
Tina Desai – Actress
Other
C. D. Desai – Banker and philatelist
Bhairavi Desai – American labor union leader
Digvijay Desai – Shell Flowline Engineer and Dilbert aficionado
Mavjibhai Desai – Vice chairman of Banas Dairy
Ramakant Desai - Cricket player, India's first fast bowler
Subhash Desai – Shivsena leader
Umedram Lalbhai Desai – Physician
