What is "tiwari"

Tiwari ( Devanagari: तिवारी) is a surname of the Hindu Brahmins communities commonly found in India and Nepal. Mostly used in Northern India, Tiwari is a common last name between Brahmins in the Indian states, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Delhi, Uttarakhand, Assam, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and Kerala. In Kerala it is "Sarma" (or Sarmah in Assam). Tiwari is an upper title in the Brahmin community.

Its other forms are Trivedi and Tripathi. It means "versed in three vedas".

The density of Tiwari is higher among Kanyakubja Brahmins, Saryupareen Brahmins, and Utkala Brahmins. Another description of Tiwari or Tripathi or Trivedi (Ti or Tri means "three" and wari or path or vedi means person who is having the virtues of God's three forms, Brahma, Vishnu and Mahesh, which represent life's three stages, birth, life and death. Thus Tiwari, Tripathi or Trivedi means "knowledgeable priest", who is versed in the life's three stages).