The small local or titular groups of ordinary Hindu castes are called 'section,' and the totemic groups of the primitive tribes 'sept.' But perhaps it is simpler to use the word 'clan' throughout according to the practice of Sir J.G.Frazer.

The vernacular designations of the clans or sections are _gotra_, which originally meant a stall or cow-pen; _khero_, a village; _dih_, a village site; _baink_, a title; _mul_ or _mur_, literally a root, hence an origin; and _kul_ or _kuri_, a family.

The sections called eponymous are named after Rishis or saints mentioned in the Vedas and other scriptures and are found among the Brahmans and a few of the higher castes, such as Vasishta, Garga, Bharadwaj, Vishvamitra, Kashyap and so on.

A few Rajput clans are named after kings or heroes, as the Raghuvansis from king Raghu of Ajodhia and the Tilokchandi Bais from a famous king of that name.

The titular class of names comprise names of offices supposed to have been held by the founder of the clan, or titles and names referring to a personal defect or quality, and nicknames.