'''Saxena''' is an Indian surname primarily found in northern and Central India. It is a common surname found amongst the Chitraguptavanshi Kayastha (also known as North-Indian Kayastha) community of upper caste Hindus<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Srivastava|first=Vinay Kumar|date=September 2016|title=Speaking of Caste: Merit of the Principle of Segmentation|url=http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/0038022920160302|journal=Sociological Bulletin|volume=65|issue=3|pages=317–338|doi=10.1177/0038022920160302|s2cid=158426264 |issn=0038-0229|url-access=subscription}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal|date=2015-06-05|title=Caste and the Power Elite in Allahabad|url=https://www.epw.in/journal/2015/6/special-articles/caste-and-power-elite-allahabad.html|journal=Economic and Political Weekly|language=en|volume=50|issue=6|pages=7–8}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|author=Shibu Thomas|date=Dec 19, 2009|title=woman: HC to decide woman's caste abuse case against husband {{!}} Mumbai News - Times of India|url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/mumbai/hc-to-decide-womans-caste-abuse-case-against-husband/articleshow/5354374.cms|access-date=2021-04-02|website=The Times of India|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=Kayasth|url=https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Kayasth|access-date=28 June 2021|website=Merriam Webster}}</ref> particularly in the Hindi-speaking regions of India. Saxena, in origin, is derived from the Sanskrit word ''sakhisena'' meaning “friend of the army”.<ref>{{cite web |title=Saxena Name Meaning & Saxena Family History |url=https://www.ancestry.com/name-origin?surname=saxena |website=www.ancestry.com |access-date=20 March 2023}}</ref>
==Notables== * Abha Saxena (c. 1986–), bioethicist, global health specialist, and Coordinator of the Global Health Ethics Unit of the WHO in Geneva; wife of Shekhar * Abhishek Saxena (born 1988), Indian Bollywood and Punjabi film director * Akash Saxena (born 1975), Indian MLA for Uttar Pradesh * Anuraag Saxena (c. 2016–), Indian activist, author, commentator and founder of the India Pride Project * Anuj Saxena (born 1967), Indian actor, film producer and businessman * Arvind Saxena (born 1955), Indian civil servant and former chairman of the Union Public Service Commission * Arun Kumar Saxena (born 1948) Indian politician and physician who serves as the MLA for Bareilly and Minister of Environment, Forest & Climate Change * Ashutosh Saxena (c. 2009–), Indian-American computer scientist, researcher, and entrepreneur * Avadh Saxena (c. 1986–), American physicist and Group Leader of Physics of Condensed Matter and Complex Systems Group (T-4) at Los Alamos National Laboratory * Banarsi Prasad Saxena (c. 1931; deceased), Indian historian associated with Allahabad University * Girish Chandra Saxena (1928–2017), governor of Jammu and Kashmir * Gopaldas Neeraj (1925–2018), Indian poet, author, and songwriter * Gunjan Saxena (born 1975), Indian Air Force officer and helicopter pilot * Harshit Saxena (born 1985), Indian singer and composer * Harshita Saxena (c. 2008–), Indian model and beauty pageant titleholder * Iresh Saxena (born 1984), Bengal cricketer * Jalaj Saxena (born 1986), Indian cricketer * Jatin Saxena (born 1982), Indian first-class cricketer * K. P. Saxena (1932–2013), Hindi satirist and writer * Krishna Gopal Saxena (1912–2003), Indian homoeopathic physician * Manisha Saxena (born 1993), Indian model, actress, and television presenter * N. C. Saxena (c. 1982–), Indian bureaucrat and member of the Planning Commission of India and the National Advisory Council * Neelam Saxena Chandra (born 1969), Indian poet, author, and bureaucrat * Neha Saxena (film actress) (c. 2012–), film and television actress * Neha Saxena (TV actress) (c. 2009–), Indian television actress * Nitin Saxena (born 1981), Indian mathematics and theoretical computer scientist * Parag Saxena (born 1955), Indian-American investment manager, co-founder and general partner of Vedanta Capital, and CEO of New Silk Route * PN Saxena (1925–1999), Indian academic, Founder Professor and Chairman of the Department of Pharmacology at Jawaharlal Nehru Medical College * Poonam Kishore Saxena (born 1953), Indian Revenue Service officer and Chairperson of the Secretary of the Central Board of Direct Taxes * Prem Behari Narain Raizada (1901–1966), Indian calligrapher who wrote the Constitution of India * Rajan Saxena (management academic) (c. 1996–), Indian management expert, academic & writer * Rajan Saxena (physician) (c. 2004–), Indian doctor and Dean and Head of Surgical Gastroenterology at Sanjay Gandhi Postgraduate Institute of Medical Sciences * Rakesh Saxena (born 1952), Indian convicted criminal, financier and trader * Ramesh Saxena (1944–2011), Indian cricketer * Sapan Saxena (born 1985), Indian author and software engineer * Sarveshwar Dayal Saxena (1927–1983), Indian writer, poet, columnist and playwright * Saumitra Saxena (born 1976), Indian American poet * Sharat Saxena (born 1950), Indian actor * Shekhar Saxena (c. 1998–), Director of the Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse at the World Health Organization; husband of Abha * Shibban Lal Saxena (1906–1984), Indian politician and freedom fighter * Sushil Kumar Saxena (c. 1988–), Indian musicologist, academic, scholar, and author * Vijay Saxena (1968–1994), Indian actor * Vinai Kumar Saxena (born 1958), Indian business executive, 4th Lieutenant Governor of Ladakh (2026–), and 22nd Lieutenant Governor of Delhi (2022–2026) * Vineet Saxena (born 1980), Indian cricketer * Veerendra Saxena (born 1960), Indian theatre, film, and television actor * W. Hansraj Saxena (c. 1993–), CEO of the News J Channel and the former Deputy Managing Director of Sun Pictures
==References== {{Reflist}}
{{Surname}} {{Authority control}} Category:Surnames of Indian origin Category:Surnames of Hindu origin