Santali Name Spelling in Documents in West Bengal: One Name, Many Scripts
Your school certificate says Sunita Marmu, your Aadhaar says Sunita Murmu, and your father's ST certificate says Murmoo. Your name is written in Ol Chiki at home, in Bengali on village 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 do not need a gazette.
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Santali Name Spelling in Documents (Quick Answer)
A Santali name is often written in Ol Chiki, Bengali and English, and each office turns it into English letters its own way. So Murmu, Marmu and Murmoo, or Hansda and Hasda, 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, or when an office asks for it in writing.
| Common spelling | Other spellings you may see |
|---|---|
| Murmu | Marmu, Murmoo, Murmo |
| Hansda | Hansdah, Hasda, Hansdak |
| Hembram | Hembrom, Hembrum |
| Soren | Saren, Soran |
| Kisku | Kiskoo, Kisko |
| Baskey | Baske, Baskay, Baski |
| Mardi | Marandi, Marndi |
| Besra | Besera, Bisra |
| Tudu | Tuddu, Todu |
Why Santali Names Are Spelt Differently Across West Bengal Documents
West Bengal has about 24 lakh Santali speakers, roughly a third of all Santali speakers in India (Census 2011). Most live in Jhargram, Purulia, Bankura, Midnapore, Suri, Balurghat and Malda areas, and many work in Kolkata and other towns.
Santali has its own script, Ol Chiki, created by Pandit Raghunath Murmu in 1925. Santali became a scheduled language of India through the 92nd Constitutional Amendment in 2003. It is also written in Bengali, Devanagari, Odia and Roman letters.
The trouble is that almost every office in West Bengal keeps names in Bengali or English. A panchayat clerk writes your surname in Bengali. A school clerk turns it into English. The Aadhaar operator types it again. Each person spells the sound the way they hear it, so Murmu becomes Marmu, and Hansda becomes Hasda.
None of this is your mistake. But when a bank, a scholarship portal, a recruitment board or the SDO office asks why the spellings differ, you are the one who has to explain. Most of the time it is simple and cheap to clear.
Ol Chiki, Bengali and English Versions of a Santali Name
Think of your name as one sound with three written forms. In Ol Chiki it is the form your family and community use. In Bengali it appears on voter rolls, ration cards, land records and many panchayat papers, for example মুর্মু for Murmu. In English letters it appears on Aadhaar, PAN, bank records, board certificates and the passport.
Offices compare the English form. The Bengali form matters on the Bengali side of Aadhaar and voter ID, and on land records. The Ol Chiki form is rarely used on official records, but it is the one that tells you how your name really sounds, which helps you choose the right English spelling.
Our page on Aadhaar Bengali and English name mismatch explains what to do when the two sides of Aadhaar do not agree.
Choose One English Spelling of Your Santali 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. Every correction you make 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 Marmu, think twice before choosing Murmu.
- Match your father where you can. Your surname on the ST certificate is checked against your father's records. A different spelling from his can slow down a caste verification.
- Prefer the common spelling. Murmu, Hansda, Hembram, Soren and Kisku are the spellings most offices expect.
- Check the given name too. Names like Sunita or Sunitha, Lakhan or Lakhon can also vary.
- 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 new surname, that is a real change of name.
One and the Same Person Affidavit for Santali Name Spellings
The usual answer is a one and the same person affidavit. It is a sworn statement that Sunita Marmu, Sunita Murmu and Sunita Murmoo 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. The same approach works for the Md, Mohd and Sk name spellings that other families in West Bengal face.
Santali Name in Aadhaar: No Ol Chiki Option at the Enrolment Centre
UIDAI lists the languages supported at an enrolment centre: Assamese, Bengali, English, Gujarati, Hindi, Kannada, Konkani, Malayalam, Marathi, Manipuri, Nepali, Odia, Punjabi, Tamil, Telugu and Urdu. Santali is not on the list. So in West Bengal, your Aadhaar shows your name in English and usually in Bengali, not in Ol Chiki.
This means the Bengali side of your Aadhaar is a transliteration made by the operator. If it reads wrongly, ask at a centre with the local language facility. The English side is what banks and portals check, so get that right first.
Remember the limit: Aadhaar allows a name change only twice in a lifetime. Changing Marmu to Murmu 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.
Santali Surname Mismatch in an ST Certificate and Father's Records
For a Santal family, the ST certificate is often the most important paper after Class 10. It is issued by the SDO, and it is checked against your father's records and your own. A surname written Murmu on your father's papers and Marmu on yours can slow down a scholarship, an admission or a job verification.
Before applying for an ST certificate, 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, which causes bigger problems later.
Our guides on name change in a caste certificate and father's name correction in a caste certificate explain the SDO route.
Santali 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 Marmu, the board will usually treat Marmu as correct, not as a mistake.
So changing Marmu to Murmu on a board certificate is generally not possible as a correction. Keep the certificate as it is and use the affidavit to explain the other spelling.
If the certificate has a real error, where the register and the certificate differ, the correction goes through your school to the board's regional office, not directly to the board. Our marksheet and school certificate correction guide has the steps.
Studying Santali in Ol Chiki at school does not change this. The name that offices compare is the one in English letters on the certificate.
Which Document to Correct First for a Santali Name Mismatch
List every version
Class 10 papers, Aadhaar (English and Bengali), PAN, voter ID, ST 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 ST certificate, all to the same spelling, with the affidavit attached.
Common Mistakes With Santali Name Spelling Corrections
Fixing each record to a different spelling
Changing Marmu to Murmu on one paper and to Murmoo on another only creates a new mismatch. Use one spelling everywhere.
Spending an Aadhaar update too early
Aadhaar allows only two name changes in a lifetime. Settle your spelling first.
Applying for a second ST certificate
A fresh certificate in a new spelling leaves two genuine certificates in two names. Correct the existing one instead.
Paying for a gazette for a spelling difference
Murmu and Marmu are not two names. Try the affidavit first, and buy a gazette only if an office refuses it in writing.
Ignoring the Bengali side
Aadhaar, voter ID and land records carry the Bengali form too. Check that it matches the sound of your name.
When You Need a Gazette for a Santali Name Change in West Bengal
You need a gazette only when you are really changing your name, such as taking a new surname; 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 Santali as well as Bengali, English, Hindi, Urdu and Nepali. Our Jhargram 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.
Santali Name Spelling in Documents: Frequently Asked Questions
Are Murmu and Marmu the same surname?
Yes. They are two English spellings of one Santali 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 Ol Chiki?
No. Santali is not among the languages UIDAI lists for enrolment centres. In West Bengal, Aadhaar usually shows your name in English and Bengali.
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.
Which spelling should I choose, Hansda or Hasda?
Choose the one on your Class 10 certificate if you can, because that is the hardest record to change. Then use that spelling on every record from now on.
Can WBBSE change Marmu to Murmu on my Madhyamik certificate?
Generally no. The board corrects errors against the school admission register. If the register says Marmu, it is not an error. Keep the certificate and use the affidavit.
My ST certificate surname differs from my father's. Is that a problem?
It can slow down a verification. 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.
Will changing Marmu to Murmu 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 Santali?
Yes. The Kolkata Gazette Part II accepts notifications in Santali, Bengali, English, Hindi, Urdu and Nepali. Many people still choose English or Bengali because banks and offices will read it later.
The Bengali spelling on my Aadhaar is wrong. What do I do?
Visit an Aadhaar centre that has the local language facility. The English side is what most offices check, so make sure that is right first.
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.
Should brothers and sisters use the same surname spelling?
It helps. When siblings use the same spelling as their father, family records, ST certificates and property papers match more easily later.
When do I really need a gazette for a Santali name?
When you change the name itself, such as taking a new surname, when an office refuses the affidavit, or when an office asks for a gazette in writing.
Official Sources for Santali Name Spelling in West Bengal
UIDAI languages list
uidai.gov.in: the languages supported at Aadhaar enrolment centres.
UIDAI
uidai.gov.in: name updates, accepted documents and the lifetime limit.
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 Santali.
eGazette of India
egazette.gov.in: the central route and free downloads.
Get Call and Name Change Format
Send Us How Your Santali 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 West Bengal.