Prasad is an Indian subcontinental name, used as a personal name, middle name, or surname. It is derived from the Sanskrit term prasāda, meaning “grace,” “blessing,” or “divine gift.” In Hinduism, prasāda also refers to an offering that has been blessed by a deity and received as a sacred gift. When used with a personal name, Prasad conveys the meaning of a divine blessing or gift bestowed upon the family. Examples include:
Devi Prasad – "the gift of a Devi"
Hari Prasad – "the gift of Hari"
Lakshmi Prasad – "the gift of Lakshmi"
Shiva Prasad – "the gift of Shiva"
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Geographical distribution
As of 2014, 95.9% of all known bearers of the surname Prasad were residents of India, 0.8% were residents of Nepal, and 0.7% were residents of Fiji. In India, the frequency of the surname was higher than national average in the following states and union territories:
1. Bihar (1: 71)
2. Uttarakhand (1: 103)
3. Sikkim (1: 147)
4. Uttar Pradesh (1: 162)
5. Delhi (1: 196)
Notable people with the last name Prasad
Scientists
Ananda Prasad, Indian biochemist specialising in Zinc metabolism
Ganesh Prasad, Indian mathematician
Kavirayani Ramakrishna Prasad, Indian chemist, recipient of Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Prize (2014)
Malur R. Narasimha Prasad, Indian endocrinologist at the World Health Organisation
Vinay Prasad, American hematologist-oncologist
Politicians
Badri Nath Prasad, Indian politician member of Rajya Sabha (1964–1966)
Biman Prasad, Indo-Fijian politician
Brij Behari Prasad, Indian politician, murdered minister in the government of Bihar
H. S. Mahadeva Prasad, Indian politician
Jitin Prasada, Indian politician from the Bhartiya Janata Party
Jitendra Prasada, Indian politician and a former Vice-President of the Indian National Congress
Mahaveer Prasad, Indian politician, Governor of Himachal Pradesh (1995, 1996–1997), member of Lok Sabha (from 2004)
Rajen Prasad, Indo-Fijian politician in New Zealand
Rajendra Prasad, first President of India
Ravi Shankar Prasad, Indian lawyer, politician, Minister of Law and Justice, Minister of Electronics and Information Technology, and Minister of Communications
Srinivasa Prasad, Indian politician
Yarlagadda Lakshmi Prasad, Indian writer and politician, Chairman of the A.P. Hindi Academy, member of Rajya Sabha (1996–2002)
Performers
L. V. Prasad, Indian film actor, producer and director
Narendra Prasad, Indian actor, playwright, director, teacher and literary critic
Nutan Prasad, Indian film actor
Rajendra Prasad, Telugu Indian film actor
Shweta Basu Prasad, Indian actress
Film production
Ramesh Prasad, Indian businessman and chairman of Prasad Studios
Sreekar Prasad, Indian film editor
Devi Sri Prasad, Indian music composer, lyricist, singer, and director
V. Vijayendra Prasad, Indian film screenwriter and director
Sportspeople
M. S. K. Prasad, Indian cricketer, chief selector of the Indian National Cricket Team
Venkatesh Prasad, Indian cricketer
Historians
Ishwari Prasad, Indian historian
Vijay Prashad, Indian historian and journalist
Others
Brajkishore Prasad, lawyer, Indian independence activist
Eswar Prasad, American economist
H. Y. Sharada Prasad, Indian civil servant, journalist and writer, media adviser to Indira Gandhi
Jaishankar Prasad, Indian litterateur and writer
R. Prasad, Indian cartoonist
Shalini Prasad, Indian bioengineer
Notable people with the middle name Prasad
Amod Prasad Upadhyay, Nepali politician
Ananta Prasad Paudel, Nepali politician
Bidur Prasad Sapkota, Nepali politician
Bishnu Prasad Shrestha, Nepali Gorkha soldier of the Indian Army
Bishweshwar Prasad Koirala, former Prime Minister of Nepal
Dilendra Prasad Badu, Nepali politician
Dip Prasad Pun, Nepali Gurkha soldier of the British Army
Durga Prasad Bhattarai, Nepali representative
Girija Prasad Joshi, Nepali poet
Girija Prasad Koirala, former Prime Minister of Nepal
Gopal Prasad Rimal, Nepali poet
Govind Prasad Lohani, Nepali politician
Guru Prasad Mainali, Nepali storywriter
Hora Prasad Joshi, Nepali Justice
Kali Prasad Baskota, Nepali singer
Keshab Prasad Badal, Nepali politician
Keshav Prasad Mainali, Nepali politician
Khadga Prasad Oli, former Prime Minister of Nepal
Krishna Prasad Bhattarai, former Prime Minister of Nepal
Notable people with the given name Prasad
Ahuti Prasad, Indian character actor
Dhammika Prasad, Sri Lankan cricketer
Devendra Prasad Gupta, Indian academician and a former vice chancellor of Ranchi University
Prasad Babu, South Indian film actor
Prasad Barve, Indian television actor
Prasad Bidapa, fashion designer specialised in training models for the Miss India beauty pageants
Prasad Dias, Sri Lankan cricketer
Prasad Murella, Indian film cinematographer
Prasad Shrikant Purohit, Indian army officer
Samta Prasad, Indian classical musician and tabla player