Nepali Name Spelling in Documents in Darjeeling and Kalimpong: One Name, Many Spellings
Your school certificate says Ram Bahadur Chettri, your Aadhaar says Ram Bahadur Chhetri, and your bank passbook says R. B. Chhetry. Your name is written in Devanagari at home, sometimes in Bengali on state records, and in English on the papers offices compare. You never changed it. This page shows how to choose one English spelling, which record to fix first, and why most people in the hills do not need a gazette.
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Nepali Name Spelling in Documents (Quick Answer)
In the Darjeeling and Kalimpong hills, a Nepali name is written in Devanagari, sometimes in Bengali, and in English, and each office spells the English its own way. So Chhetri, Chettri and Chhetry, or Gurung and Gurang, can all be one person. Offices compare the English spelling. In most cases a one and the same person affidavit on Rs 10 or Rs 50 stamp paper explains the difference. If a record keeps causing trouble, choose one English spelling, fix Aadhaar and PAN first, then the rest. A gazette is needed only for a real change of name, such as moving from Subba to Limbu as a surname, or when an office asks for it in writing.
| Common spelling | Other spellings you may see |
|---|---|
| Chhetri | Chettri, Chetri, Chhetry, Kshetri |
| Gurung | Gurang, Gurong |
| Tamang | Tamaang, Tamong |
| Pradhan | Pradhaan, Pradan |
| Sharma | Sarma, Sharmah |
| Thapa | Thappa, Thapa Magar |
| Bahadur (middle name) | Bdr, B., missing |
| Kumari / Maya (middle name) | Missing on some records |
On This Page
- Why Nepali names get spelt many ways
- Devanagari, Bengali and English versions
- Choosing one English spelling
- Bahadur, Bdr and initials
- The one and the same person affidavit
- Two different surnames: Subba or Limbu, Lama or Tamang
- Aadhaar in Nepali
- Caste certificates and father's records
- Which record to fix first
- When a gazette is needed
- FAQ
Why Nepali Names Are Spelt Differently in Darjeeling and Kalimpong Documents
Nepali is the main language of the hills of Darjeeling and Kalimpong, and it is widely spoken in the Siliguri plains and the Dooars around Jalpaiguri and Alipurduar. It is written in Devanagari, the same script as Hindi, and it is one of India's scheduled languages.
The sounds of Nepali do not fit English letters neatly. "छेत्री" can be written Chhetri, Chettri or Chhetry. Long and short vowels get mixed up, so Gurung becomes Gurang. Each clerk, teacher and Aadhaar operator writes what they hear.
There is a second layer. Many state records in West Bengal are kept in Bengali, and a name that passes from Devanagari to Bengali to English can change at each step. Older papers also show Darjeeling district for people who now live in Kalimpong district, created in 2017. That is an address difference, not a name problem, but it adds to the confusion.
None of this is your mistake. But when a bank, a recruitment board, a university or an army or police record office asks why the spellings differ, you have to explain. Most of the time it is simple and cheap to clear.
Devanagari, Bengali and English Versions of a Nepali Name
Think of your name as one sound with three written forms. In Devanagari it is the form your family uses and the form many hill schools and local bodies use. In Bengali it may appear on some state records. In English letters it appears on Aadhaar, PAN, bank records, board certificates and the passport.
Offices compare the English form. The Devanagari form tells you how the name really sounds, which helps you pick the right English spelling. If your Aadhaar shows your name in Bengali and it reads wrongly, our page on Aadhaar Bengali and English name mismatch explains the fix, and the section on Aadhaar in Nepali below shows another option.
Choose One English Spelling of Your Nepali Name Before Correcting Anything
Before you go to any office, decide one English spelling of your full name that you will use for life. Write it letter by letter, with spaces. Every correction after that moves towards this one spelling.
- Start from your Class 10 paper. Your Madhyamik certificate is the strongest name proof and the hardest to change. If it says Chettri, think twice before choosing Chhetri.
- Match your father where you can. Caste certificates and many family records are checked against your father's surname.
- Prefer the common spelling. Chhetri, Gurung, Tamang, Pradhan and Sharma are the spellings most offices expect.
- Decide on Bahadur. Will you write Bahadur in full, or not at all? Do not keep Bdr or B. as a short form.
- Ask the family. Brothers and sisters with the same surname should ideally use the same spelling.
If the spelling you choose is only a different way of writing the same name, you usually need no gazette. If you choose a new name or a different surname, that is a real change of name.
Bahadur, Bdr and Initials in Nepali Names
Many men in the hills carry Bahadur as a middle name, and many women carry Kumari or Maya. Offices often shorten or drop these. One paper says Ram Bahadur Gurung, another Ram Bdr Gurung, a third R. B. Gurung, and Aadhaar says just Ram Gurung.
This is a short form or a missing middle name, not a different name. The same affidavit usually explains it. For a passport, the instruction booklet asks for initials to be expanded, so write Bahadur in full, as your documents show it. Our guide to name order and format mismatch covers missing middle names and reversed order.
One and the Same Person Affidavit for Nepali Name Spellings
The usual answer is a one and the same person affidavit. It is a sworn statement that Ram Bahadur Chettri, Ram Bahadur Chhetri and R. B. Chhetry are all you. It is typed on West Bengal non-judicial stamp paper, usually Rs 10 or Rs 50, and signed before a notary. Some offices ask for a Magistrate, so ask first.
Put every spelling in it, with the document and number that carries each one. If the office later finds a version you left out, it can refuse the affidavit. Attach self-attested copies.
The affidavit does not correct any record. It only helps one office accept another office's spelling. Like a gazette, it is supporting proof, not a correction. Families in the plains face the same issue with Santali name spellings, and it is solved the same way.
Two Different Surnames: Subba or Limbu, Lama or Tamang
Some hill families use two different words as a surname. Many Limbu families use Subba, an old title, on some papers and Limbu on others. Some Tamang families use Lama. Some people write Thapa on one paper and Thapa Magar on another.
This is more than a spelling difference. Subba and Limbu are different words, so many offices treat them as two different surnames. An affidavit may still be accepted, especially with your father's papers showing both. But a passport office, a caste certificate office or a recruitment board may ask for more.
Decide this one with care
If you want to settle on one surname for good, for example moving from Subba to Limbu on every record, that is a real change of surname. It may need a gazette, and it can affect caste certificates. Ask the office that matters most to you before you start.
Our page on surname change in West Bengal explains the full route.
Nepali Name in Aadhaar: Change the Local Language From Bengali to Nepali
Nepali is on UIDAI's list of languages supported at enrolment centres. UIDAI also says the regional language on your Aadhaar can be updated at an enrolment centre that has this facility. So if your Aadhaar shows your name in Bengali and you would rather have it in Nepali, you can ask for that at a centre in the hills.
The English side is still what banks and portals check, so get that right first. Remember the limit: Aadhaar allows a name change only twice in a lifetime. Changing Chettri to Chhetri uses one of them. Do it once, to the spelling you will keep. UIDAI changes the name to what your proof document shows, so you need one accepted photo ID that already has the spelling you want. Our Aadhaar name change guide has the steps.
Nepali Surname Mismatch in a Caste Certificate and Father's Records
Many hill families hold an SC, ST or OBC certificate, issued by the SDO. It is checked against your father's records and your own. A surname written Tamang on your father's papers and Tamaang on yours, or Subba on one and Limbu on the other, can slow down a scholarship, an admission or a job verification.
Before applying, try to make your own surname match your father's records, or carry an affidavit that explains the difference. If the certificate already has a wrong spelling, the correction goes to the office that issued it. Do not apply for a fresh certificate in a new spelling: that can leave two genuine certificates in two names.
Our guides on name change in a caste certificate and father's name correction in a caste certificate explain the SDO route.
Nepali Name Spelling on a Madhyamik Certificate or Marksheet
Your Madhyamik certificate records your name as it was on the school's admission register. WBBSE corrects errors against that register. If the register says Chettri, the board will usually treat Chettri as correct.
So changing Chettri to Chhetri on a board certificate is generally not possible as a correction. Keep the certificate and use the affidavit.
If the certificate has a real error, where the register and the certificate differ, the correction goes through your school to the board's North Bengal regional office, not directly to the board. Our marksheet and school certificate correction guide has the steps.
Studying Nepali at school does not change this. The name offices compare is the one in English letters on the certificate.
Which Document to Correct First for a Nepali Name Mismatch
List every version
Class 10 papers, Aadhaar (English and Nepali or Bengali), PAN, voter ID, caste certificate, bank, ration card. Write how each one reads.
Choose the master spelling
Usually the English spelling on your Class 10 certificate.
Ask the office that raised it
It may need only the affidavit. Asking is free.
Make the affidavit
List every spelling. Rs 10 or Rs 50 stamp paper, before a notary unless told otherwise.
Aadhaar and PAN first
If records must be corrected, these two come first. Banks, scholarships and most portals check them.
The rest in one round
Bank, voter ID, ration card and the caste certificate, all to the same spelling, with the affidavit attached.
Common Mistakes With Nepali Name Spelling Corrections
Fixing each record to a different spelling
Changing Chettri to Chhetri on one paper and to Chhetry on another only creates a new mismatch. Use one spelling everywhere.
Keeping Bdr as a short form
Write Bahadur in full or leave it out, but decide once. Short forms are what passport and exam forms question most.
Treating Subba and Limbu as a spelling issue
They are two different words. Ask the office before assuming an affidavit will do.
Spending an Aadhaar update too early
Aadhaar allows only two name changes in a lifetime. Settle your spelling first.
Paying for a gazette for a spelling difference
Chhetri and Chettri are not two names. Try the affidavit first, and buy a gazette only if an office refuses it in writing.
When You Need a Gazette for a Nepali Name Change in Darjeeling or Kalimpong
You need a gazette only when you are really changing your name or surname, such as settling on Limbu instead of Subba; when an office has refused the affidavit; or when an office asks for a gazette in writing. The Kolkata Gazette Part II accepts notifications in Nepali as well as Bengali, English, Hindi, Urdu and Santali. Our Darjeeling name change page explains that choice, and the gazette guide helps you pick a route.
Kolkata Gazette Part II (state route, adults living in West Bengal)
Affidavit before a Magistrate
A name change affidavit sworn before a First Class Judicial Magistrate. A notary will not do.
Two newspapers
One Bengali and one English newspaper. Keep the complete pages.
Apply online
At wbgazettepart2.in, with ID up to 2 MB and a photo up to 100 KB.
Pay on GRIPS
Rs 1,100.
Download
Usually in about 7 days, with an SMS on your registered mobile.
Gazette of India (central route, for passport cases, minors and people living outside West Bengal)
Notary affidavit
A name change affidavit on stamp paper before a notary.
Newspaper notice
Keep the original page, not a clipping.
Typed proforma
Fill it in, with two witnesses.
Sign in the old name
You and both witnesses sign in the old name.
Pay on BharatKosh
Rs 1,100 for an adult, Rs 1,700 for a minor, Rs 3,500 from abroad. Revised each financial year and non-refundable.
Post it to Delhi
In your own name, to the Department of Publication, Civil Lines, Delhi 110054. Agents cannot submit it.
Download it free
After 30 to 45 days at egazette.gov.in. The downloaded copy needs no certification.
A gazette does not rewrite any record. After it is published, you still apply to each office, Aadhaar, PAN, bank and the rest, one by one.
Nepali Name Spelling in Documents: Frequently Asked Questions
Are Chhetri and Chettri the same surname?
Yes. They are two English spellings of one Nepali surname. Most offices accept the difference with a one and the same person affidavit and copies of both documents.
Can my Aadhaar show my name in Nepali?
Yes. Nepali is on UIDAI's list of supported languages, and the regional language can be updated at an enrolment centre that has this facility.
Do I need a gazette if my surname is spelt differently on two documents?
Usually not. A spelling difference is not a change of name. A one and the same person affidavit normally explains it. A gazette is for a real change, or when an office asks for it in writing.
Is Subba and Limbu a spelling difference?
No. They are two different words. An office may accept an affidavit with your father's papers, but some will ask for more. Settling on one of them for good is a change of surname.
My documents say Ram Bdr Gurung. Is that a problem?
It is a short form of Bahadur. The affidavit usually explains it. For a passport, write Bahadur in full, because the form asks for initials and short forms to be expanded.
Can WBBSE change Chettri to Chhetri on my Madhyamik certificate?
Generally no. The board corrects errors against the school admission register. If the register says Chettri, it is not an error. Keep the certificate and use the affidavit.
Will changing Chettri to Chhetri in Aadhaar use one of my two name changes?
Yes. A name change in Aadhaar counts towards the limit of two in a lifetime. Make the change once, to the spelling you will keep.
Can a Kolkata Gazette notification be in Nepali?
Yes. The Kolkata Gazette Part II accepts notifications in Nepali, Bengali, English, Hindi, Urdu and Santali. Many people still choose English because banks and offices will read it later.
My old papers say Darjeeling district but I live in Kalimpong. Does that matter?
Kalimpong became a separate district in 2017, so older papers show Darjeeling. That is an address difference, not a name problem. Update the address where an office asks.
What stamp paper is used for the affidavit in West Bengal?
West Bengal non-judicial stamp paper, usually Rs 10 or Rs 50, as the receiving office asks. It is signed before a notary, or a Magistrate if the office says so.
My caste certificate surname differs from my father's. What should I do?
Carry an affidavit explaining the difference, or get the certificate corrected at the office that issued it. Do not apply for a second certificate in a new spelling.
When do I really need a gazette for a Nepali name?
When you change the name or surname itself, such as settling on Limbu instead of Subba, when an office refuses the affidavit, or when an office asks for a gazette in writing.
Official Sources for Nepali Name Spelling in West Bengal
UIDAI languages list
uidai.gov.in: the languages supported at Aadhaar enrolment centres, Nepali included.
UIDAI regional language update
uidai.gov.in: changing the regional language at a centre with the facility.
Passport Seva instruction booklet
passportindia.gov.in: initials to be expanded in the name.
WBBSE
wbbse.wb.gov.in: Madhyamik certificate corrections through the school.
Kolkata Gazette Part II
wbgazettepart2.in: the state route, with notifications in six languages including Nepali.
eGazette of India
egazette.gov.in: the central route and free downloads.
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Send Us How Your Nepali Name Reads on Each Document
Tell us every spelling on your papers and which office is asking. Often a simple affidavit is all you need, and we will tell you so. If a record really has to change, we will tell you which one first and whether a gazette is needed at all. Monday to Saturday, across the hills and the rest of West Bengal.