5 Things You Didn’t Know About Parsi Surnames

Want to know the origins of your favourite ‘wala’? Voila!

1. Sodawaterbottleopenerwala? There’s no bottle opener in it.

Sodawaterbottleopenerwala is a fictitious surname. But Sodawaterwala is for real.

Google/Kaevan Umrigar

2. My name is Jeejeebhoy Jamshedji, the Parsi guard of the GIP.

Via parsisinjhansi.com.au

A lot of Parsis used to work in the Indian Railways, which explains surnames like Driver and Guard.

3. No butcher, no baker, no candlestickmaker

Via bppvoterslist.org

But we have a Billiardmaker, a Watchmaker, a Cabinetmaker and a Bobbinmaker.

4. We are more British than the British.

Via Wikipedia

Which explains surnames like Forbes, Crawford, Cooper, Baxter, Nicholson, Morris, Spencer… The list goes on.

5. Hell, sometimes we’re even French.

Via bppvoterslist.org

Vraiment!