Article · Wikipedia archive · Last revised Jun 17, 2026

Shetty

Shetty is a surname originating from coastal Karnataka state of India. It is a found among Hindu and Jain Bunts of the coastal Karnataka.

Last revised
Jun 17, 2026
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≈ 4 min
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Shetty (Tulu and Kannada [ʃeʈːi]) is a surname originating from coastal Karnataka state of India. It is a found among Hindu and Jain Bunts of the coastal Karnataka.1

Etymology

Shetty is derived from the Sanskrit word Śreṣṭha (Devanagari: श्रेष्ठ) or Śreṣṭhin (Devanagari: श्रेष्ठीन्) meaning superior, Prakritised as Seṭhī (Devanagari: सेठी), and then Śeṭ (Devanagari: शेट) or Śeṭī (Devanagari: शेटी).2

Notable people with the surname

Notable people with the surname Shetty, include:

References

References

  1. Dictionary of American Family Names (2nd ed.). Oxford University Press. 2022 – via familyeducation.com. Indian (Karnataka) : Hindu and Jain name found among the people of the Bunt or Nadava community in coastal Karnataka; it derives from Sanskrit šrẹṣthī, which refers to the head of a mercantile or other guild. Unlike bearers of the cognate names Seth and Setty, however, the Bunts are not a mercantile community; they are a land-owning and farming class in South Kanara, a coastal district of Karnataka. This name is also found among the Jains of this region.
  2. Gomantak Prakruti ani Sanskruti, Part-1, Page-221 by B.D. Satoskar, Shubhada Publication