Parekh

Parekh (also spelled Parikh) is a widely used surname amongst Gujarati Hindu people. However, it can also be seen in the Jain and Swaminarayan religions, which were also founded in India.

The meaning of the surname is "assayer" in Gujarati or "examiner" in Sanskrit and commonly belongs to the merchant class of Bania (Hindi) or Vanika (Sanskrit). The Oswal and Porwal Bania have clans called Parekh. Parekh's generally belong to the Vaishya Hindu caste.

Narhari Parikh was an Indian freedom fighter and social reformer, who was a close associate of Mahatma Gandhi and the chief architect of the Indian Independence Movement in Gujarat.

Some notable people with this surname include:

• Asha Parekh, Indian actress in the 1960 and 1970s
• Bhikhu Chotalal Parekh, Baron Parekh, a British-Indian political theorist and professor
• Deepak Parekh (* 1944), an Indian businessman
• Ketan Parekh, a businessman
• Sanjay Parekh, an entrepreneur

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