Bhat (also spelled as Bhatt) is a surname in the Indian subcontinent. Bhat and Bhatt are shortened rendition of Bhatta.

Jeffrey G. Snodgrass notes that the Bhatts are Brahmins. A large number of Muslims retained the surname after their conversion to Islam from Hinduism. Butt, which is the "most common" surname in the Kashmir Valley, is the contorted form of Bhatt.

Etymology

The word "Bhat" means "teacher" in Sanskrit. While the original shortened rendition of "Bhatta" was "Bhat" or "Bhatt," many of the migrants to the Punjab region started spelling their surname as "But" or "Butt" which is the spelling of the clan used in the Pahari language.

Geographic distribution

Goa

The surname is in use among some Konkani Christians who trace their ancestry to the Goud Saraswat Brahmins of Goa.

Gujarat

Hindu Bhatts who speak the Gujarati language reside in the Indian state.

Karnataka

This is a common surname among the Tuluva Brahmins, Goud Saraswat Brahmins and Havyaka Brahmins of Karnataka.

Kashmir

Bhat, also spelled as Butt, is a Kashmiri surname, found among individuals native to the Kashmir Valley, as well as Kashmiri émigrés who migrated to Punjab, a region divided between India and neighbouring Pakistan. Many such Muslim Kashmiris migrated to Punjab in the late 19th century due to Dogra oppression. The surname is shared by both Kashmiri Hindus and Muslims. During Sikandar Shah Miri's rule from 1389 to 1413 CE, his prime minister Suha Bhatt embraced Islam along with his family by Mir Muhammad Hamadani and took the name of Saif-ud-Din, along with earning the title of Malik.

Bengal

Hindu Bhattas who reside in the Bengal region and speak the Bengali are mostly found in the Noakhali, Shrihatta and Rajshahi regions of Bangladesh as well as in parts of the Indian states of West Bengal, Assam and Tripura.

Nepal

Hindu Bhattas who reside in Nepal and speak Nepali language and Doteli language are mostly found in the Mahakali zone of Sudurpashchim Pradesh, Nepal. Some Nepali Bhattas are also found from the Gorkha district of Nepal. However, due to migration of people for opportunities nowadays, Bhattas can be found in different parts of Nepal.

Punjab

Some Muslim Bhats/Butts found in the Punjab migrated from Kashmir and Jammu during the 1878 famine, and are Brahmin Hindu converts to Islam. Many such Muslim Kashmiris migrated to the Punjab in the late 19th century due to natural disasters.

Uttarakhand

Bhatt residing in Uttarakhand are mostly Hindu Brahmins. They speak Hindi, Kumauni or Garhwali language and are priests in the local temples.

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