Dessai

Dessai is a surname found in the Konkan region of India, especially in Goa. It is a regional variant of the Desai surname, historically used to denote a village headman, landholder, or local administrator in various Indian communities.

The form Dessai emerged through regional spelling and transliteration practices among Konkani-speaking populations in Goa and neighboring districts in Maharashtra and Karnataka. Traditionally, families bearing this name were associated with landholding or administrative duties within feudal or semi-feudal systems under local rulers and colonial authorities.

In terms of linguistic and cultural context, Dessai is part of Konkani naming patterns and is most commonly associated with Hindu Goan communities, though it also appears among other Konkani-speaking populations in western India. Variants and related surnames, such as Desai, reflect historical linguistic influences from Marathi, Kannada, and Portuguese rule in Goa.

See also: Desai, a cognate surname.