PRASAD

Indian (northern and southern states): Hindu name from Sanskrit prasāda ‘favor’, ‘grace’, ‘offering’. In the northern states, it probably evolved into a family name from use as the final element in a compound personal name such as Deviprasad, meaning ‘gift of the god Hari’, Jagannathprasad ‘gift from the lord of the world (i.e. Shiva)’. In South India it is used only as a male given name, but has come to be used as a family name in the U.S. among people from South India.