Sikdar

Sikdar is a surname found among Bengali-speaking communities in the Bengal region of South Asia, particularly in West Bengal, India, and Bangladesh. Variants include Shikdar, Shikder, and Sikdar. The name has spread with the Bengali diaspora to other countries, including the United States, the United Kingdom, and the Middle East.

The origin of the surname lies in the title shikdar, a Persianate term used in the Bengal area during the Mughal and colonial periods for a revenue inspector or local administrator responsible for land records and tax collection. The office could be hereditary or passed within families, and over time the title became a family name for descendants of those officials.

In contemporary usage, Sikdar is simply a common family name; while it may indicate historical association with revenue administration, it does not denote a specific caste or community. The name is found among both Muslim and Hindu Bengalis, as well as among other Bengali-speaking groups.

Notable people with the surname include individuals across various professions, reflecting the broad distribution of the name rather than a single lineage.

See also: Shikdar (title).