Tirkey, Kujur and Minz Spelling on Documents in Jharkhand
Tirkey or Tirki. Kujur or Kujoor. Minz or Minj. Before you treat this as a clerk's typing mistake, understand what these names actually are. They are totemic clan names of the Kurukh, taken from plants, animals and objects, and used as surnames. Tirkey is an eagle. Kujur is a medicinal plant. Minz is a fish. The clan is exogamous and it descends from father to son. That last point is not folklore, it is the reason a recruitment panel comparing your surname with your father's is comparing exactly the right thing, and the reason this problem must be fixed for the family and not for one person.
Start with what the name is, because it changes how you should handle the paperwork. Tirkey, Kujur, Minz, Lakra, Ekka, Toppo and Xalxo are clan names of the Kurukh, and clan names among the Kurukh are taken from plants, animals and objects, then used as the family's surname. A study of marriage among the Oraon of Chotanagpur puts it plainly: the people have totemic clans or gotra, named after birds, animals, fishes, plants, vegetables, objects and minerals, and their marriage is strictly clan exogamy and tribe endogamy. The clan is also inherited in one direction only: the tribe is patrilocal and patrilineal, and the clan name descends from father to son. Now bring that back to your file. A difference between Tirkey and Tirki, or Kujur and Kujoor, is a transliteration difference created when a Kurukh name was written into Hindi and then into English by different clerks. It does not change your clan, and nobody should let you feel it does. But because the clan passes from father to son, the comparison a recruitment panel or a scrutiny officer makes between your surname and your father's documents is not an arbitrary check. It is checking the thing the name is actually for. So the rule on this page is narrower and firmer than on an ordinary spelling page: settle one spelling for the whole family, starting with the father's records, and never correct one person alone.
Kurukh Clan Surnames and the Totem Behind Each One
Read this section once and the rest of your paperwork makes more sense. These are not names somebody invented at an office counter. Each one carries a totem, and the clan it names governs who a family may marry.
| Clan surname | The totem it is named after |
|---|---|
| Tirkey | An eagle |
| Kujur | A medicinal plant |
| Minz | A fish |
| Lakra | Tiger |
| Ekka, also Kachhap | Turtle |
| Toppo | Woodpecker |
| Xalxo | Pigeon |
How this is treated at a Scheduled Tribe verification, where a vigilance officer reads the school record and examines the parents, is on our tribal surname mismatch in an ST certificate page, and the position across all the Jharkhand pairs on tribal surname spelling correction.
Tirkey or Tirki, Kujur or Kujoor, Minz or Minj
Each of these pairs has its own reason, and knowing the reason is what lets you explain it in one sentence instead of arguing. The name began in Kurukh, went into Hindi, and then into English, and every crossing was done by a person writing what they heard.
| The pair | Why the two forms exist |
|---|---|
| Tirkey and Tirki | The ending sound written as a long e in one office and a short i in another. Both appear on properly issued Government documents across Jharkhand, and neither office was wrong at the time |
| Kujur and Kujoor | The long vowel in the middle written as u in one record and oo in another. This is created purely by putting Hindi into English letters, and it is one of the commonest pairs we see |
| Minz and Minj | A sound at the end of the name with no exact English letter. Two reasonable clerks chose two reasonable letters, and both spellings are in wide use in the same districts |
| Lakra, Ekka, Toppo | Steadier than the three above, but still written with a doubled or single letter depending on the office. Check yours letter by letter rather than assuming |
| Xalxo and Khalkho | The widest gap of all, because one follows the older written form and the other follows the sound. On paper they look like different names entirely, which is exactly how a counter reads them |
Why the Father's Document Decides a Clan Surname Spelling
On an ordinary spelling question we tell people to start with their own Class 10 certificate. That still matters. But a Kurukh clan surname has one feature an ordinary surname does not, and it changes the order of work.
| The situation | How we would handle it |
|---|---|
| Father and son spelt differently | Settle the father's spelling first, on his own documents, then correct the son's records to match his. Doing it the other way round leaves the two disagreeing on paper, which is the exact thing a panel tests |
| Several brothers and sisters, several spellings | Pick one family spelling and move everyone towards it together. Correcting one person and leaving the rest does not solve the problem, it hands it to whoever applies next |
| The father has died and his records cannot be corrected | His certified records become the fixed point, and everything living is brought into line with them. This is usually the cleanest version, because nothing can drift |
| A married daughter whose records differ | Her own earlier records, especially the school record, still carry the clan name of her father's line. Settle those against his papers before anything else is touched |
| The village or church record spells it differently again | Useful evidence, and worth collecting, but see the warning below about what it can and cannot do |
The Order to Settle a Kurukh Clan Surname in Jharkhand
This order is deliberately different from an ordinary spelling fix, because the family comes before the individual here.
Lay out the father's documents first
His own papers, not yours. The clan name descends through his line, so his spelling is the natural fixed point for everybody.
Then add every other family member
Mother, brothers, sisters, and your own papers. One line per document, letter by letter, on a single sheet.
Decide one family spelling
Usually the father's, checked against your own Class 10 certificate. Write the decision down and tell whoever fills forms for the children.
Check that spelling is already on a document
With a clan name it nearly always is, which makes this a correction rather than a change of name, and far cheaper.
Get the admission form and register page
Attested, in writing. Older than any certificate, and the paper a vigilance officer will actually read.
Collect the church or village record if one exists
It supports the application and shows long use. It does not replace the application, so collect it and still write to the office.
Correct the heaviest records, family together
School record, then the Scheduled Tribe certificate, then the birth record, for everybody, not one person at a time.
Update the Aadhaar and PAN last
Always last. They are matched against the school record, so correcting them first creates the mismatch you are removing.
Keep one folder for the whole family
Every corrected record, every application with its received stamp, and the written decision on the family spelling.
Central Gazette Process for a Clan Surname Spelling From Jharkhand, Where a Correction Cannot Do It
No district in Jharkhand has a gazette counter, so the file goes from Ranchi, Jamshedpur, Dhanbad, Bokaro, Hazaribagh, Deoghar or anywhere else in the state to the Department of Publication, Civil Lines, Delhi 110054, and the notice publishes in Part IV of the Gazette of India. As reported in July 2025 the Finance Department stopped personal name change notifications from the Jharkhand Government Press with immediate effect, so there is no state alternative to fall back on.
The Eight Steps of a Clan Surname Spelling File Sent From Jharkhand
Settle the final name first
Write it out letter by letter, with the spacing you want, and then use exactly that in every paper. A corrigendum after publication is a second fee and a second wait.
Pick the category, then its proforma
For a surname spelling this is almost always the public notice for a wrongly written name, not a change of name, because you are not taking a new name. Twelve categories exist and only one is yours, and picking the wrong one is how files come back.
Type the proforma in duplicate
Two originals, signed in the old spelling, with two witnesses giving signature, full name, address and mobile number on both copies. On a wrongly written name the wrong spelling has to be quoted exactly as it is printed on each certificate named.
Get the affidavit attested at the right level
A notary for the ordinary change of name, and a First Class Magistrate of the concerned area where the different surname guidelines apply. This is the step that catches people out.
Publish and keep the original paper
One of the daily local leading newspapers, carrying both spellings in full, the father's name and the address. The whole original paper goes in the file, not a cutting.
Pay only through BharatKosh
The Non Tax Receipt Portal and nowhere else since October 2018. Select the Department of Publication by name, read the amount the portal shows on the day, pay in your own name and print the e-receipt.
Check every date, then post it yourself
Nothing in the file older than one year. Personally or by post or courier only, never through an agent or advocate. Photocopy everything first, because nothing sent in comes back.
Read the notice, then download it
Check both spellings letter by letter the day it publishes, note the page and issue number, and download the e-Gazette copy of that Part IV issue.
The Five Papers in the File, and What Is Checked in Each
| The paper | What is checked in it, clause by clause |
|---|---|
| 1. The proforma, in duplicate | That it is the right category's format; the existing full name exactly as your documents carry it, surname included; the child's new full name exactly as you settled it; the father's or husband's name; the full address with pin code; the signature in the old name; two witnesses complete with signature, full name, address and mobile number |
| 2. The affidavit or undertaking | Signed by the parent applying; the same names and address as the proforma, word for word; attested at the level the category asks for, which is a First Class Magistrate for the adopting a different surname route; on Rs 100 non-judicial stamp paper as our safe default |
| 3. The original newspaper | The original paper, not a cutting; the paper's name and date of publication visible; both of the child's names carried; the same spelling as the proforma; dated within the last year |
| 4. Photographs, identity proof and any category paper | Two self attested passport photographs of each applicant and the child, which the minor guidelines ask for specifically; identity and address proof matching the proforma address; both witnesses' proofs; and whatever the category itself demands, such as a decree or a no objection certificate where the maiden surname requirement applies |
| 5. The CD, its certificate and the BharatKosh receipt | MS Word, without the witness portion, with the name of the Guardian typed in place of the signature, which is where a minor file differs from an adult one; the certificate that the hard copy and the soft copy are the same; the forwarding letter to the Controller of Publication with a telephone number and email; the e-receipt |
The posting detail is on the sending the file to Delhi page, the wording on the proforma format page, the charge by category on the fee and undertaking page, the reasons files come back on the rejection reasons page, and the download on the download page.
What Settling a Kurukh Clan Surname Spelling Costs in Jharkhand
| Item | Cost | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Where the chosen spelling is already on a family document, which is nearly always | The issuing office's own charges per record corrected, plus Rs 10 for an RTI application if a school register page has to be obtained that way. No gazette charge at all. Several family members can be run in parallel | A few weeks per office |
| One and the same person affidavit | Rs 100 non-judicial stamp paper and the notary. Accepted by banks, employers and colleges. Usually refused by boards, passport counters and recruitment panels | The same day |
| One and the same person affidavit | Rs 100 non-judicial stamp paper and the notary. Accepted by banks, employers and colleges. Usually refused by boards, passport counters and recruitment panels | The same day |
| Government printing charge | The minor guidelines print Rs 1,700 for a change of name of a minor with effect from 01.04.2016 to 31.03.2017. For comparison the adult guidelines print Rs 1,100 for the same year, and Rs 3,500 for an Indian living abroad. Every category's guidelines add that the charge varies each financial year and from case to case, so treat these as the order of the amount. What BharatKosh shows on the payment screen the day you pay is the figure that counts | Part IV publishes weekly, so allow several weeks from posting |
| Affidavit | Rs 100 non-judicial stamp paper plus the attestation. A notary is enough for an ordinary public notice. A First Class Magistrate is only for the adopting a different surname route | Notary the same day; a magistrate needs a planned court visit |
| Newspaper | Paid to the paper, charged by length | Same week |
| Post or courier to Delhi | Sent in your own name from any district, and keep the receipt | A few days each way |
| Updating the records afterwards | Aadhaar charges a fee per attempt with no refund, and the other offices have their own small charges | Several weeks across all of them |
| Our charge | Quoted on your papers before you pay anything, and confirmed in writing. We print no service price on any page of this site | |
The honest total for a clan surname is usually small, because the spelling you settle on is already on somebody's paper. What makes it expensive is one thing above all others: correcting one person and leaving the family, then paying again when the next brother or sister applies for something. Where a published notice genuinely is needed, our one public notice for several certificates page shows how a family shares a single file. Our corrigendum page covers a second file, and name change cost the line items in full.
Myths About Kurukh Clan Surname Spellings
| What people are told | What is actually so |
|---|---|
| A different spelling means a different clan | It does not. Tirkey and Tirki are one clan, written twice. Two different clan names, such as Tirkey and Lakra, are a completely different matter, because those are separate totems, an eagle and a tiger |
| Fix your own records and you are done | The most expensive belief on this page. The clan name descends from father to son, so a panel compares your surname with your father's documents. Correcting yourself alone moves the problem to the next person in the family |
| One of the two spellings must be wrong | Usually neither. The name began in Kurukh, went into Hindi and then into English, and some sounds have no exact English letter. Both spellings sit on properly issued Government documents |
| A gazette is needed for a spelling | Only where the spelling is on no document at all. With a clan name somebody in the family always holds it, which makes this a correction at the issuing office |
| A church register or village record will settle it | It supports an application and shows long use, which is genuinely useful. It does not replace the application, because a school or registrar corrects against documents it recognises |
| Start with the Aadhaar, it is quickest | The wrong end. Aadhaar and PAN are matched against the school record, so they follow, they never lead |
| An affidavit settles it everywhere | With banks, employers and colleges, usually. With boards, passport counters, recruitment panels and Aadhaar for a major change, usually not |
| Sort it out when the verification raises it | The worst moment. Settle it while nothing is pending, which is also when it is cheapest and when the whole family can be done together |
Key Terms in a Kurukh Clan Surname Correction
| Term | What it means in practice |
|---|---|
| Clan, or gotra | The group a Kurukh family belongs to, named after a totem and used as the surname. Tirkey is an eagle, Kujur a medicinal plant, Minz a fish, Lakra a tiger |
| Totem | The plant, animal or object a clan is named after. It is why these surnames exist at all and why they are not interchangeable |
| Clan exogamy | Marriage outside one's own clan. Recorded as the rule among the Oraon, along with tribe endogamy, which is why the clan name is carried carefully |
| Patrilineal | Descending through the father. The clan name descends from father to son, which is the reason his documents are the test |
| Transliteration | Writing a name from one script into another by sound. The reason Tirkey and Tirki, or Kujur and Kujoor, both exist with nobody at fault |
| Anchor record | The document everything else is judged against. Your Class 10 certificate for you, and the father's own documents for the family line |
| Admission register | The school's own record of every student's name on admission. Older than any certificate and read during a Scheduled Tribe verification |
| Church register | A parish record of baptisms and marriages. Supports an application by showing long use of the name, but does not replace it |
| Munda or Manki record | Records kept at village level. Same position as a church register: useful supporting evidence, never a substitute for writing to the issuing office |
| Correction | Putting a record right against a document already held. Cheap, quick, publishes nothing, and it is what a clan surname spelling nearly always is |
| Change of name | Taking a name no record carries. Rarely what this is, whatever you are quoted for |
| Received stamp | The office's acknowledgement on your own copy. Without it, an application never happened |
Kurukh Clan Surname Correction Help Across Jharkhand
The school, the issuing office and the block are in your own district. Mapping the whole family, deciding one spelling from the father's records outwards, drafting the applications and telling you whether a gazette is needed at all are done on your scans over WhatsApp, for every district in the state.
District pages are linked from the services page.
Send your papers for a spelling check
Photograph the father's documents first, because the clan name descends through his line and his spelling is usually the fixed point for everybody. Then your own Class 10 certificate, the Scheduled Tribe certificate, the school admission form if the family kept a copy, the birth record, the Aadhaar and the PAN, and the same for brothers and sisters. If a church register, a marriage record or a village record carries the name, send that too, because it shows long use even though it cannot replace an application. The first reply tells you which spelling the family should keep, which records need correcting and in what order, and whether a gazette is needed at all. It usually is not. Details on the contact page.
- 📞Call 9540005002
Monday to Saturday, 9 AM to 6 PM - WhatsApp 9540005064
Send your scans here, it is the fastest way - ✉️info@jharkhandnamechange.com
- 📍Ranchi office: Main Building, Near Shaheed Chowk, Ranchi, Jharkhand 834001
- 🏛️Head office (Gazette filing desk): Metro Pillar No. 377, Near Burari Metro Station, Shop No. B-1, Ground Floor, Gali No. 1, Khasra No. 31/12, Hardev Nagar, Jharoda Majra, Burari, Delhi 110084
Tirkey, Kujur and Minz Spelling: Frequently Asked Questions
Is Tirkey or Tirki the correct spelling?
What do these surnames actually mean?
Does a different spelling change my clan?
Why does everyone keep asking about my father's documents?
My brothers and sisters are spelt differently from me.
Do I need a gazette for this?
Will my church register or village record settle it?
In what order should the records be corrected?
What should the school be asked for?
Will an affidavit be enough?
A verification is already running. What now?
What does it cost?
Sources on Kurukh Clans and the Records Your Surname Sits On
- Kurukh peopleA reference entry, not a Government record: clan names taken from plants, animals and objects and used as surnames, the tribe being patrilocal and patrilineal, and the clan name descending from father to son.
- Marriage Among The Oraon Tribe Of Chotanagpur (Jharkhand), Dr. Carlus ToppoAn academic paper: totemic clans or gotra named after birds, animals, fishes, plants, vegetables, objects and minerals, and marriage being strictly clan exogamy and tribe endogamy.
- Tribal Welfare Research Institute, Jharkhand, on the OraonThe State's own institute on the community, recorded as Kurukh or Oraon or Dhangar and also spelt Uraon.
- Kumari Madhuri Patil against Additional Commissioner, Tribal Development, 2 September 1994The Supreme Court directions on the Scrutiny Committee and the Vigilance Cell, and what the vigilance officer examines, including school records and the parents.
- Jharkhand Academic CouncilThe board that holds and corrects the school record your surname will be judged against.
- JharSewa, the Jharkhand Government service portalWhere a caste or Scheduled Tribe certificate is applied for and verified in Jharkhand.
- Registration of Births and Deaths Act, 1969The Act the registrar works under, including the sections on adding and correcting a name in the register.
- UIDAI list of supporting documentsWhat Aadhaar accepts for a name update, which is done after the heavier records agree.
- Department of Publication, guidelines for change of nameThe twelve categories, for the rare case where a published notice is genuinely asked for.
A Kurukh Clan Surname in Eight Lines
The short version
- These are totemic clan names. Tirkey is an eagle, Kujur a plant, Minz a fish.
- A spelling difference does not change your clan, and nobody should say it does.
- Two different clan names on two papers is a different problem entirely.
- The clan name descends from father to son, so his records lead.
- Settle one family spelling and move everybody together, never one person.
- A church or village record supports an application but never replaces it.
- School record first, certificates next, Aadhaar and PAN last of all.
- One of the spellings is always on a family paper, so this is a correction.
Send your father's papers first, then the rest of the family, and we will settle one spelling.
His documents, your Class 10 certificate, the ST certificate, school admission forms, birth records, Aadhaar and PAN, plus any church or village record carrying the name.