Gaekwad
{{About|the Indian surname from Maharashtra|the former ruling dynasty of Baroda|Gaekwad dynasty|the 1992 video game, Geekwad|Tsunami Games}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=May 2022}}
{{Use Indian English|date=May 2022}}
Gaekwad (also spelt Gaikwar and Gaikwad; {{langx|mr|Gāyǎkǎvāḍǎ}}) is a surname native to the Indian state of Maharashtra.{{cite book|title=Communalism and Indian Princely States: Travancore, Baroda, and Hyderabad in the 1930s|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=heNtAAAAMAAJ|author=Dick Kooiman|publisher=Manohar|quote=Gaekwad is actually a surname and not a title or designation.|year=2002|isbn = 9788173044212}} The surname is found among the Maratha, Kunbi, Koli, Mali & Mahar Jatis/ Tribes.{{cite book|title=Maharashtra in maps|author1=Kamal Ramprit Dikshit|author2=Charulata Patil|publisher=Maharashtra State Board for Literature and Culture|year=1986|page=106|quote=Maratha surnames like More, Kadam and Gaikwad are found even among the scheduled caste people}}{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=BsBEgVa804IC&q=Mahadeo&pg=PA1091|title=People of India: Maharashtra|last=Bhanu|first=B. V.|date=2004|publisher=Popular Prakashan|isbn=9788179911013|language=en}}{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=TmDRNTYw49EC&q=Dhor+Koli&pg=PA74|title=Encyclopaedic Profile of Indian Tribes|last=Prasad|first=R. R.|date=1996|publisher=Discovery Publishing House|isbn=9788171412983|language=en}}{{cite book|title=Untouchability and Its Origin|author=Tulasīdāsa Viṭhūjī Geḍāma|publisher=Yugantar Education Society|year=1999|page=158|quote=In Maharashtra we find surnames of Jadhav, Chavan, Pawar, Gaekwad, Thorat etc. among the Maratha caste as well as Mahar caste}}{{cite book|title=Dr Ambedkar and Untouchability: Analysing and Fighting Caste|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=zEWTSAe-KkQC&pg=PA152|author=Christophe Jaffrelot|publisher=Orient Blackswan|year=2006|page=152|isbn = 9788178241562|quote=Gaekwad was typical of the Mahar old guard who had joined Ambedkar in the early days. It was a group largely rural in background}}
Etymology
The Marathi historian D.S. Parasnis and his co-author, the British Raj High Court judge, C.A. Kincaid of colonial-era India, wrote in 1908 that the origin of the name Gaekwad is a combination of two Marathi words. In {{langx|mr|gai|italic=yes}} means cow and {{lang|mr|kavad}} means small door. Therefore, gaekwad (or gaikwad) denotes cow door.{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=neo1gK3kR7gC&pg=PA52|title=Tale of the Tulsi Plant and Other Studies|last1=Kincaid|first1=C.A.|last2=Parasnis|first2=Dattatray Balwant |publisher=Asian Educational Services |date=1994 |orig-date=First published 1908 |page=52 |isbn=9788120603448}}
Notable people
Notable people with the surname include:
- Gaekwads of Baroda - Maharajas of Baroda State
- Keerti Gaekwad Kelkar (born 1974), an Indian television actress and model
- Anshuman Gaekwad, a former Indian cricketer and two-time Indian national cricket coach
- Shivaji Rao Gaekwad, known by his stage name Rajinikanth, an Indian actor and politician
- Sunil Gaikwad Member of Parliament 16th, Maharashtra
- Ravindra Gaikwad, a member of the 16th Lok Sabha of India
- Hiralal Gaekwad, an Indian cricketer who played in one Test in 1952
- Rajeshwari Gayakwad, Indian women cricketer
- Ruturaj Gaikwad, Maharashtra domestic and Chennai Super Kings Cricketer
- Raju Gaikwad, professional footballer