What is "aithal"

Aithal is the Lastname or surname generally suffixed with first name, especially persons belonging to Kota or Shivalli Brahmin the subsect of Brahmin in Dakshina Kannada and Udupi districts of Karnataka, India. In general, Aithals residing in those districts speak a regional dialect of the Kannada and Tulu language. There are many Aithals who have migrated to other places within erstwhile South Canara district e.g., Surathkal or Puttur and claim those places as their native places. People with the surname Aithal have emigrated from India to Europe and North America beginning in the early to mid-1960s, with many having permanently settled outside of India.