Mitra (Bengali: মিত্র) is a Bengali Hindu surname found mostly amongst the Bengali Kayastha community and occasionally among other communities like Barujibi in the Bengal region of the Indian subcontinent.
[1][2] The surname may have been derived either from the Sanskrit word Mitra, meaning friend or ally,[3] or from the name of an important Indo-Iranian deity in the Vedas and in ancient Iran.
[4] According to GK Ghosh, some Bengali surnames like Mitra were adopted from Buddhist tradition.
[5] Mitras are considered as Kulin Kayasthas of Vishvamitra gotra, along with Bose, Ghosh and Bangaja (Eastern Bengal) Guha.
[6] Notable people with the surname, who may or may not be affiliated to the clan, include: