Kamath
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Kamath is a common surname of Gowd Saraswat Brahmins in Konkani speaking communities. As is typical of Konkani surnames, it is believed to be derived from the name of the occupation. "Kaamthi" means landholder, cultivator or agriculturalist. "Kaamthi" is a contraction of "kaama" (work) + "maaththi" (soil). In modern times, the surname is no longer suggestive of the profession. The surname is also believed to be derived from "kaali maTTaachi" which means people from Kali Math. The intelligence of the Kamaths is attributed to their ancestors, who spent time in the Math learning from the goddess Kali. In portuguese influenced Goa the word Kamat/h is spelt as Camotim.
The surname Kamat is considered by some to be significantly different from Kamath, though this is a commonly used spelling by Saraswats from Goa and North Canara .
[edit] Other Typical Konkani Surnames
These Include Baliga, Bhandary, Bhat, Hegde, Kamat, Kudva, Nayak, Kini, Prabhu, Pai, Shanbhag, and Shenoy.
