DESCRIPTION
A commonly accepted etymology is that Dwivedi means a person who has the knowledge of two Vedas but there exists a conflicting view since Dwivedis are given higher status than Chaturvedis or chaubeys.In eastern part of Uttar Pradesh sources refer that Dwivedi is derived from DAIV: DAIV + VEDI Daiv: Spiritual, related to the God Vedi: One who knows about. Thus Dwivedi means a person who knows about God. Similarly: Trivedi never means one who has learnt three Vedas. According to Hinduism, a Brahmin must read all the four Vedas. Tri: All the three Vedi: Who knows Thus Trivedi means one who knows about all the three (Past, Present & Future). In that time a "Jyotishi" was called Trivedi Chaturvedi:chatur:knowledge four directions.
Dwivedi's (or Duvedi's or Dubey's) are mostly found in, or originate from the northern Indian states of Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Bihar, Rajasthan, Kashmir, Himachal pradesh and Punjab. People of the surname Dwivedi can be found in Gorakhpur, Allahabad, Pratapgarh, Azamgarh, Lucknow, Kanpur, Fatehpur, Varanasi, Mirzapur, Faizabad, Mathura, Agra of Uttar Pradesh. In Indore, Bhopal, Jabalpur, Mukundpur(Amarpatan, Distt. Satna), Satna, Rewa of Madhya Pradesh; and Darbhanga, Samastipur of Bihar. In Hoshiarpur and Nangal of Punjab there are some villages (e.g. Johal, Tanda Urmar, Budhi Pind, and Maida Majra, Baas Village, Dubeta Colony & Nangal Township in Nangal) where brahmins are predominantly of surname Dwivedi or Duvedi.
Notable individuals with the surname Dwivedi can now be found throughout India, many holding key political, business and arts positions in New Delhi and Mumbai. In Gujarat Dwivedi or Dubey are known as Dave.
Outside of India, many Dwivedis can be found in Canada, New Zealand and the United States.
