Nepal
Bahun is a colloquial Nepali term for a member of the Pahari or "hill" Brahmin (ब्राह्मण) caste, who are traditionally educators, scholars and priests of Hinduism. They are also known as Barmu in Newari. Brahmins are the second largest caste group in Nepal (31% of the population), with the Chhetri (Kshatriya) being the first (42%). Brahmins were inhabitants of Nepal in prehistoric times. The Brahmin community is the major part of the indigenous Khas community of Nepal. They moved eastward along Xinjiang province of China, Western Tibet, the Himalayan foothills from Kashmir and Kumao/Garwal. They settled first in the Karnali River basin, then the Gandaki and finally the Kosi basin and into Sikkim and Bhutan.
Some Jaiswal Brahmins are Chaurasi Brahmins from Nepal or North India. There are references about Brahmins of Nepal in bansawali and purans. By tradition—and by civil law until 1962—they represented the highest of the four Hindu varna or castes. Bahuns from the "hills" have been represented disproportionately in Nepal's education system, political parties and civil service since the country was unified by Prithvi Narayan Shah and his heirs in the 18th century. The top leaders of the all the major parties are also Bahuns: the Maoist opposition (Pushpa Kamal Dahal and Baburam Bhattarai), the Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist-Leninist) Jhalanath Khanal, Madhav Kumar (Nepal), and the Nepali Congress (Sushil Koirla).
Very often, Khas Bahuns can be identified by their middle names being Dev (देव), Nath (नाथ), Mani (मणि), Raj (राज), Prasad (प्रसाद), Devi (देवी) or Kumari (कुमारी). They never use bahadur (बहादुर) in their names because it is associated mainly with Chhetris (Kshatriya) and "martial tribes".
The Brahman caste in Nepal includes numerous family names such as:
- A अ – Acharya (आचार्य), Adhikari (अधिकारी), Arjel (अर्जेल)/Arjyal (अर्ज्याल)/Aryal (अर्याल), Awasthi (अवस्थी)
- Ā आ – Atreya (आत्रेय),
- B ब – Badal (बडाल), Banskota (बास्कोटा), Baral (बराल), Bastakoti (बस्ताकोटी), Bastola (बास्तोला), Basyal/Bashyal/Basel (बस्याल/ बश्याल/ बसेल)
- Bh भ – Bhandari (भन्डारी), Bhatta (भट्ट), Bhattarai (भट्टराई), Bhetuwal (भेटुवाल), Bhurtel (भुर्तेल), Bhusal (भुसाल / भुषाल)
- Ch च – Chalise (चालिसे), Chapagain (चापगाईँ), Chataut (चटौत), Chaulagain (चौलागाई)/चाम्लागांइ, Chiluwal (चिलुवाल)
- D द – Dahal (दहाल), Devkota (देवकोटा)
- D ड – Dallakoti (डल्लाकोटी), Dumre (डुम्रे)
- Dh ढ – Dhakal (ढकाल), Dhungel (ढुंगेल), Dhital (धिताल)
- G ग – Gajurel (गजुरेल), Gaudel (गौडेल), Gautam (गौतम), Gotame (गोतामे), Guragain/Gurangain (गुरागाईँ), Gyanwali (ज्ञवाली), Gaire (गैरे), Gauli (गौली)
- Gh घ – Ghimire (घिमिरे)
- H ह – Humagain (हुमगाईँ)
- J ज – Jaisi(जैसी), Joshi (जोशी)
- K क – Kafle (कफ्ले/काफ्ले), Kalakheti (कलाखेती), Kandel (कंडेल)/Kadel (कडेल), Koirala (कोइराला)
- Kh ख – Khanal (खनाल), Kharel (खरेल), Khatiwada (खतिवडा)
- L – Lamsal(लम्साल), Lekhak (लेखक), Lohani (लोहनी), Lamichhane
- M म – Mainali (मैनाली), Maratha (मराठा), Mishra (मिश्र)
- N – Nepal (नेपाल), Neupane (नेउपाने/न्यौपाने), Niroula (निरौला), Nyaupane (न्यौपाने)
- O ओ – Ojha (ओझा), Oli (ऑळी)
- P प – Prasai(n) (प्रसाईं), Parajuli(पराजुली), Pageni (पंगेनी), Pandey (पाँडे/पाण्डे), Pandit (पण्डित), Pant (पन्त), Pathak (पाठक), Pokhrel/Pokharel (पोखरेल), Paudyal (पौड्याल)/Poudyal/Paudel (पौडेल), Pudasiani (पुडासैनी), Pyakurel (प्याकुरेल), Panthi (पन्थि)
- Ph फ – Phuyal (फुयाल)
- R र – Regmi (रेग्मी), Rijal (रिजाल), Rimal (रिमाल), Rishal (रिशाल)
- Sh श – Sharma (शर्मा), Shivakoti (शिवाकोटी)
- S स – Sangraula (संग्रौला), Sapkota (सापकोटा), Satyal (सत्याल), Sedhain (सेढाई), Sigdel (सिग्देल), Simkhada (सिम्खडा),Subedi (सुवेदी),
- T त – Timilsina (तिमल्सेना/तिमील्सिना), Tiwari (तिवारी), Tripathi (त्रिपाठी)
- Th थ – Thapaliya (थपलिया)
- W व – Wagle (वाग्ले)
- U उ – Upadhyaya (उपाध्याय), Upreti/Uprety (उप्रेती)
The Audichya Brahmin community is connected with Parashurama (Bhargava-Gotra), and are said to have earned a good deal of confidence and respect among kings.
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