What is "soni"

Soni may refer to:

Soni is an Indian family name, which is believed to be originated from Hindi word 'Sona' meaning gold, as the people of this origin were goldsmiths by profession. A majority of people having this surname would be found in northern and western parts of India such as Marwar and Gujarat. Many if not most belong to the Soni (caste). Many Soni are also Maheshwari.

However, in Punjab Soni is a clan of Khatris and not of goldsmiths and therefore of different origin.

Category:Indian family names

The Soni are a Hindu caste found throughout India. They are traditionally goldsmiths in the state of Gujarat. They are also found among the Indian diaspora of the United Kingdom.

Soni (Hindi: सोनी, Punjabi: ਸੋਣੀ) is a Suryavanshi Khatri family, the surname originating from the Punjab region of India.

In India the term caste creates a crucial distinction between Varna and Jāti, even though jati does not fit into any of the four varnas and is more often referred to as Sudras. In Punjab, an individuals admittance to varna and jati is by birth. Khatri is the Punjabi form of Kshatriyas.

Sonis are one of the mainstream Khatris or Kshatriyas of Punjab who are not shown to be a tribe or pursue agriculture as means of livelihood. Soni along with the Chopra, Dhawan, Batta, Bandha, Kakar, Mahindru, Sahgal, Tandon, Vohra, Wadhaun, and Wahi form the Barah-Ghar group of Khatris, which is of a higher level than and distinct from the Char-Ghar and the Dhai-Ghar groups, and also distinct from the Sonis of Gujarat, who are traditional goldsmiths and speak the Gujarati or Kutchi languages and have many sub-castes. Presently Soni are found mainly in Punjab, Haryana and Delhi.

Guru Govind Singh married his second wife, Sundari, a Soni khatri of Bajwara at Makhowal on 15 May 1685.