Region of origin India | Language(s) of origin Sanskrit | |
Meaning toponymic; literally "cultivator, cultivation, cultivated land" | ||
Kāmat (also spelt as Kāmath) is a surname from coastal Maharashtra and Karnataka, and Goa in India. It is found among Hindus of the Saraswat and Goud Saraswat Brahmin and Rajapur Saraswat Brahmin community.
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Variations
Kāmat is a common surname of Konkani Saraswat Brahmins and of a few Konkani Roman Catholics of Goa, Maharashtra and Canara. "Kāmat" is mostly used in the Konkan area which includes Goa, Maharashtra and around the Uttara Kannada district in Karnataka. Kāmath is used by Brahmins around Dakshina Kannada and Udupi districts of Karnataka. The word has origin in the sanskrit word of "Kāmati" (i.e. Kaam + Maati) meaning "people who work in soil" or do farming or cultivate land. "Camotim" was used in the erstwhile Portuguese territory of Goa but has given way to "Kāmat" today. "Camat" word is still in use in Indonesia which was a Portuguese colony at some point of time in the history. In Indonesia "Camat" means administrative and political head of the sub-district or taluk. Taluk may be said as kecamatan (spelled as ke-chamatan). The name is also in use among some Konkani Catholics who trace their ancestry to the Goud Saraswat Brahmins of Goa.
There are many GSB and RSB families, original "Kāmats" from Goa who migrated to Karnataka and Maharashtra in the 16th Century during the Portuguese rule and they adopted the place name from Goa where they originally belonged to.
Notable people
The following is a list of notable people with last name Kāmath/Kāmat.