Vaid

Vaid is a surname and given name of Indian origin. It is often an anglicized form of the Sanskrit word vaidya, which denotes a physician or someone who practices Ayurveda. The root term vaidyā is associated with traditional medical knowledge and healing in the Ayurvedic system, and the shortened form vaid has over time become a family name in various Indian communities.

Origin and usage: The connection to Ayurveda makes the word vaidya a historical title for practitioners of traditional medicine. In some regions, families linked to Ayurvedic practice adopted Vaid as a surname, and the spelling can vary. Today, Vaid appears among Indian diaspora communities around the world and may be found alongside variants such as Vaidya, Vaidhya, or Vaidh.

Geographic and cultural context: Vaid is not limited to a single region or caste, though it commonly appears in families with historical ties to Ayurveda. The name has spread through migration and remains in use in India and in countries with Indian immigrant populations, often without assumption of a specific occupational role in contemporary times.

See also: Vaidya, Vaidhya, Vaidh, Ayurveda. The terms Vaidya and Vaidhya refer to the physician or practitioner class in Ayurvedic tradition, while Ayurveda denotes the traditional system of medicine from which the term derives.