Loi

Loi, Loey, Loyi, Loei, is a Jat surname within the Sikh community ,from Panjab. They originally came from the South of the Indus Valley in Sindh in Pakistan and later on migrated to North-East Panjab region of India to the village Pandori Ganga Singh in Hoshairpur district.

Loi surname origin (There are several possibilities where Loi could have originated from) -

1. The word Loi in Punjabi means “shawl”, which is a blanket used to keep you warm, and means blanket or cover for protection in the Sindhi language (From the lower Indus Valley in Sindh).

2. The name Loi may have come from the festival Lal Loi (the Sindhi term for Lohri in Punjabi) from the south of the Indus Valley in Sindh, where all Jats originate from. Lal Loi or Lohri is associated with the end harvesting winter crops, and is associated with agriculture and farming. Farming and agriculture has always been the Jats and the Loi Jats main occupation. Lal Loi and Lohri is a significant time for the Jats, as it marks a new harvesting season.

3. The surname Loi may also be a shortened version of the Jat surname Malloi, which is the same as Malhi, (a Jat clan). It may be another variant of the Jat surname Loleri.

4. The surname Loi may have also been derived or be another form of the name Louis. Louis means “famous warrior”. Jat surnames often have translations and meanings similar to : Light of God”, “Protector of God”, “Warrior of God”, “crown”, “ruler” , “Warrior”, which is the same as what Louis means. Jats were also historically warriors, linking closely to the meaning of the name Louis. Louis is also said to have a variant form in the Persian language as “لویی”. Persian spoken by Iranians and there are places which are now in modern times, in Iran, where the Jats originated from. This all links up very closely to the Jats history and origins.

5. Loi could have originated from Burma, (Myanmar in modern times), specifically in the Shan Hills. There are several Loi mountains in Burma, such as Loi Pangnao, Loi San and Loi Leng. It is also said that some Jat tribes may have migrated to Burma. Jat clan names often originate from landmarks, such as rivers or mountains and villages. It is a possibility that Loi is from one of the Loi mountains.

6. The name Loi is likely to be named after a village or villages within India where the Loi Jats ruled or are from. Loi is probably named after the village Loi लोई (or Loyi). Loi village is located in Budhana, Muzaffarnagar in Uttar Pradesh. It is said to be a Jat village and is near other Jat villages such as Sarai, and Khera Mustan. Many Jat names are named after villages within India, which is where Loi originated from. Loi could originate from the village Loi Sarai within Uttar Pradesh. Loi could possibly have connections with the Sarai Jat gotra, from the village Loi Sarai, however there is no evidence of. this. Loi may also come from the name of the village Loi Bazar in the district Mathura in Uttar Pradesh in Muzaffarnagar. Mathura is the birth land of Lord Krishna who was a Jat. Jat clan names often originate from village names in Rajasthan, Punjab, Uttar Pradesh and Haryana, so there is also a high possibility that Loi originated from Loi, Loi Bazar village or Loi Sarai

The Lois are a small Jat clan known for being agriculturists .Their heritage is deeply associated with owning agricultural land and they have earned a reputation for being skilled farmer. They owned some of the healthiest farm animals in their village, specifically bullocks.

Other castes have tried to claim this surname however Loi was originally and always Jat.

In the year 1891 in the India census, the Loi Jats were recorded as a Jat clan

See this link here to see more: https://theloijats.weebly.com/