The book is a detailed study of surnames that were used in the past and are used today in the state of Assam in India. It focuses on background of surname titles, family names and last names discussing their origin. The coverage includes various types of surnames—of Assamese communities including various tribes, Muslims and those of Vaishnabi Satra culture. It explain meanings and associations of each. It also takes up surnames mentioned in inscriptions found in the region. The appendices deal with Bengali, Manipuri, Sikh, Marowari, Nepali and tea tribes surnames. The volume has an account of the general history of surnames from a global perspective, taking up different regions and peoples of the world and detailing the surnames used in them.