The word Naidu is etymologically related to the Tamil Nayakar and Naicker, Malayali Nair, the Nayake of Sinhalese people, Marathi Naik, and Nayaks (Pattanayak) in Orissa.
Naidu is the caste name or caste title used by the people belonging to the Kapu castes and its subcastes Balija / Balija Naidu, Telaga, Ontari, and Turpu Kapu in Andhra Pradesh , Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Kerala, Maharashtra, Orissa, Chattisgarh and Madhya Pradesh. They constitute more than 25% of the population of Andhra Pradesh.
Medieval Andhra dynasties like the Vishnukundins and Chalukyasand the recent ones like the Vijayanagara Empire conferred the title Nayaka / Nayakudu to a commander or Danda-nayaka (Army Commanderor) or a leader of a band of soldiers.
A title denoting a village or lineage headman.
Warriors) who received land and the title Nayaka as a part of the Nayankarapuvaram system for services rendered to the court during the Kakatheeya dynasty. Nayaka was one among approximately 25 titles used by the Kakatiyas to create a new political infrastructure to undercut the authority of heredity regional elites. [1].
Other communities like Boyars, Mudirajus, Kammas and Velamas sometimes adopt this title in a few districts in Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu.
