Uttarakhand is one of the few states wherein Varna system is followed more rather than the Caste System.

Also, it is important to keep in mind that the last name/Surname of Uttarakhandi people doesn’t necessarily specify their Varna or Caste. In contrast, the last name generally specifies the name of their Village. For ex: Nautiyal, from the village ‘Nauti’, Kharakwal, from the village ‘Kharak’, etc.

Below is the list of last names generally used in the hilly state:

1 Amoli 2 Anthwal 3 Aswaal 4 Aswal 5 Bachheti 6 Badola 7 Badoni 8 Bagwari 9 Bahuguna 10 Bahukhandi 11 Baiwal 12 Balodi 13 Baluni 14 Bamol 15 Bamrada 16 Bandhooni 17 Banduni 18 Banoodi 19 Barmola 20 Barthwal 21 Basera 22 Baunthiyal 23 Belwal 24 Benjwal 25 Bhadola (different from Bhadula/Badola) 26 Bhadori 27 Bhadri 28 Bhadula 29 Bhandari 30 Bhardwaj 31 Bhartari 32 Bhatt 33 Bijalwan 34 Binjola 35 Bisht 36 Bonthiyal 37 Budakoti 38 Butola 39 Chamoli 40 Chand 41 Chandola 42 Chandra 43 Chaturvedi 44 Chauhan 45 Chaukiyal 46 Chimwal 47 Dabral 48 Dandriyal 49 Dangwal 50 Darmora 51 Datt 52 Deborani 53 Debtalla 54 Deoli 55 Devrani 56 Devshalo 57 Dhasmana 58 Dhaundiyal 59 Dhuliya 60 Dhyani 61 Dimri 62 Diwedi 63 Dobhal 64 Dobriyal 65 Dosad 66 Dotiyal 67 Duklaan 68 Dungriyal 69 Dutpudee 70 Farswan 71 Firmal 72 Gairi 73 Gairola 74 Gauniyal 75 Gaur 76 Ghansiyal 77 Ghildiyaal 78 Godiyal 79 Gughtiyal 80 Gusain 81 Gwari 82 Hatwal 83 Hemdaan 84 Hindwan 85 Jadli 86 Jakhmola 87 Jakhwal 88 Jalandhari 89 Jamloki 90 Jhingwan 91 Joshi 92 Jugran 93 Juyal 94 Kabtiyal 95 Kadwal 96 Kagdiyal 97 Kainthola 98 Kaintura 99 Kaktwan 100 Kala 101 Kalura 102 Kandari 103 Kandpal 104 Kandwal 105 Kankhriyal 106 Kanthola 107 Kantro 108 Kapruwan 109 Karah 110 Karakoti 111 Kathait 112 Kemani 113 Keshwan 114 Khandoori 115 Khanduri 116 Khankriyal 117 Khansali 118 Khantwal 119 Kharakwal 120 Khatri 121 Khukshal 122 Kimothi 123 Kodnala 124 Kokahliyal 125 Koli 126 Kothari 127 Kothiyal 128 Kotnala 129 Kudiyal 130 Kukreti 131 Kundliya 132 Kunwar 133 Kuriyal 134 Lakhera 135 Lingwal 136 Lohani 137 Madhwal 138 Maithani 139 Malasi 140 Malkoti 141 Mamgain 142 Manodi 143 Mathpal 144 Mehra 145 Mingwal 146 Miyan 147 Mumgai 148 Mundaypi 149 Mundepi 150 Nainwal 151 Naithani 152 Naniwal 153 Naugain 154 Nauriyal 155 Nautiytal 156 Nawani 157 Nayal 158 Negi 159 Nimbachiya 160 Nimish 161 Painuli 162 Pal 163 Pandey 164 Pant 165 Panthari 166 Panwar 167 Parindiyal 168 Parmar 169 Pasbola 170 Patwal 171 Payal 172 Petwal 173 Podawal 174 Pokhariyal 175 Prakash 176 Pujari 177 Pundir 178 Purohit 179 Pusola 180 Rana 181 Ranakoti 182 Rangra 183 Ratori 184 Rautela 185 Rauthan 186 Rawat 187 Rawhchaylay 188 Ringola 189 Ringwal 190 Rudola 191 Sajwan 192 Saklani 193 Sati 194 Sayana 195 Semwal 196 Shah 197 Sharma 198 Sidola 199 Silswal 200 Singh 201 Siolodi 202 Sundriyal 203 Suyal 204 Tadiyal 205 Thapliyal 206 Tiwari 207 Uniyal 208 Upadhyay 209 Upreti 210 Vashisht 211 Vyas 212 Baurai/Baudai 213 Rawal 214 Nirala 215 Tripathi 216 Pachauri 217 Goswami 218 Thakur 219 Bhartwan 220 Mall/Maal 221 Mehta 222 Ramola 223 Naudiyal (different than Nautiyal) 224 Shaiv 225 Jhaldiyal 226 Molasi (different from Malasi) 227 Ghanshala 228 Arya 229 Devrari (different from Devrani) 230 Manori 231 Fonia 232 Jirwan 233 Maikhuri 234 Khali 235 Jhildiyal (different from Ghildiyal) 236 Khainal 237 Twat 238 Penwal 239 Gabriyal 240 Kafola 241 Kathela 242 Hetwal 243 Topwal 244 Badwal 245 Molpha 246 Jitwan 247 Pankholi 248 Mishra 249 Kokahliyal 250 Rawchaylay 251 Todaria 252 Matura 253 Bangari 254 Kailkhura 255 Khairain 256 Shaili 257 Shati 258 Riyal 259 Kuliyal 260 Kannauji 261 Kanyakubgh 262 Dawan 263 Bhaunsiyal 264 Chudhary 265 Punsoda 266 Maliyal 267 Kharola 268 Bagot 269 Kimola 270 Mayal 271 Posti 272 Karasi 273 Chamola 274 Dhoni 275 Bhenisora 276 Karasi 277 Jhingwan 278 Bhardula 279 Farindyal 280 Ballabh 281 Tamta 282 Adhikari 283 Adhoi 284 Aithani 285 Akshara 286 Anraula 287 Asgola 288 Aswada 289 Asyal 290 Atwal 291 Badela 292 Badooni 293 Bafila 294 Bagadwal 295 Bagarhwal 296 Bagarwal 297 Bagauniya 298 Bagauriya 299 Bageti

Kumaon or Kumaun is one of the two regions and administrative divisions of the Indian state of Uttarakhand, the other being Garhwal. It includes the districts of Almora, Bageshwar, Champawat, Nainital, Pithoragarh, and Udham Singh Nagar. It is bounded on the north by Tibet, on the east by Nepal, on the south by the state of Uttar Pradesh, and on the west by the Garhwal region. The people of Kumaon are known as Kumaonis and speak the Kumaoni language. Historically ruled by the kings of Katyuri and Chand Dynasties, the Kumaon division was formed in 1816, when the British reclaimed this region from the Gorkhas, who had annexed the erstwhile Kingdom of Kumaon in 1790. The division initially consisted of three districts, Kumaon, Terai and Garhwal, and formed the northernmost frontier of the Ceded and Conquered Provinces in British India, that later became North Western Provinces in 1836, United Provinces of Agra and Oudh in 1902, and United Provinces in 1937. It is home to a famous Indian Army regiment, the Kumaon Regiment. Important towns of Kumaon are Haldwani, Nainital, Almora, Pithoragarh, Rudrapur, Kichha, Kashipur, Pantnagar, Mukteshwar and Ranikhet. Nainital is the administrative centre of Kumaon Division and this is where the Uttarakhand high court is located. Kumaon is believed to have been derived from “Kurmanchal”, meaning land of the Kurmavatar (the tortoise incarnation of Lord Vishnu, the preserver according to Hinduism). The region of Kumaon is named after as such. During the time of the British control of the region, between 1815 and 1857 it was also known as Kemaon.

Garhwal is the western region and administrative division of the Indian state of Uttarakhand. Lying in the Himalayas, it is bounded on the north by Tibet, on the east by Kumaon region, on the south by Uttar Pradesh state, and on the northwest by Himachal Pradesh state. It includes the districts of Chamoli, Dehradun, Haridwar, Pauri Garhwal, Rudraprayag, Tehri Garhwal, and Uttarkashi. The people of Garhwal are known as Garhwali and speak the Garhwali language. The administrative center for Garhwal division is the town of Pauri. The Divisional Commissioner is the administrative head of the Division, and is a senior Indian Administrative Service officer. As the administrative head of the division, the Commissioner is overall incharge of the 7 districts in the Garhwal region of Uttarakhand, and is aided in his duties by an Additional Commissioner and the District Magistrates. Vinod Sharma is currently the Divisional Commissioner of the Garhwal Division.