A Nayak (also Nayaka, Nayaker/Naicker (Tamil) or Nayadu/Naidu (Telegu) or Nair (Malayalam) Nayake/Naike (Sinhala) or Naik (Marathi) ) is the title of a government official, equivalent to a provincial governor or viceroy, in the Telugu kingdoms of southern India, including the Kakatiya kingdom of Warangal (11th-14th centuries) and the Vijayanagara kingdom (14th-16th centuries). The Nayak system was dominant from the fifteenth to the early seventeenth century. The Nayaks were key state administrators, functionaries, and revenue collectors and as such were liable to be transferred. Although they played a very important administrative role, there are no detailed studies on them except those on some big families like Kanaka Nayaka (Kanakadasa), Madhakari Nayaka, D.K.Naiker, Periyar etc. After the collapse of the Vijayanagara Kingdom in the 16th century, Nayaks of some of the kingdom's former provinces became de facto independent rulers, and established hereditary dynasties. Nayaks ruled Madurai, Thanjavur, Chitradurga, and Keladi until the 18th century. The Beda(means Hunters), Talavar (means Natives) also use Nayak as the last names.Now Beda and Talavar communities are identified as Nayaks. Like Kanaka dasa (Kanaka Nayaka), D.K. Naiker who are Kuruba Gowdas who has Nayaka or Naiker surnames. For the butterfly, see viceroy butterfly. ... Telugu belongs to the family of Dravidian languages and is the official language of the state of Andhra Pradesh, India. ... The Kakatiya Dynasty was a south Indian dynasty that ruled parts of what is now Andhra Pradesh, India from 1083-1323 AD. They were one of the few Telugu kingdoms that lasted for centuries. ... Warangal is a city in Andhra Pradesh state of southeastern India. ... Vijayanagara (often written Vijayanagar, meaning the city of victory), in northern Karnataka, is the name of the now ruined capital city of the historic Vijayanagara empire in the Southern part of India. ... Kanaka Dasa was one of the devotees of Krishna and an influential person in the Vaishnava bhakti movement in Karnataka. ... Kanakadasa (c 1509-1609 A.D.) belongs to the tradition of Haridasa literary movement which ushered in an era of devotional literature in Karnataka. ... Late D.K.Naiker was a prominent backward classes leader, belonging to the Dharwad district of Karnataka. ... Periyar is a common name and can be used in many ways Periyar is the popular name of E.V.Ramasami a political leader and rationalist from Tamil Nadu Periyar River is a river in the Indian state of Kerala This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists... The Vijayanagara empire was based in the Deccan, in peninsular and southern India, from 1336 onwards. ... Madurai (மதுரை in Tamil) is situated on the banks of Vaigai River in Tamil Nadu, a southern Indian state. ... Thanjavur, formerly known as Tanjore, is a city in Tamil Nadu, in southeastern India. ... The Famous Chitradurga Fort Chitradurga (ಚಿತ್ರದುರ್ಗ in Kannada) is a city located in the Indian state of Karnataka. ... Keladi can mean: Keladi (India) Taro, also called keladi or ubi keladi This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists pages that might otherwise share the same title. ... For other uses of Nayak, see Nayak (disambiguation) A Nayak (also Nayaka, Nayaker or Naicker) is the title of a government official, equivalent to a provincial governor or viceroy, in the Telugu kingdoms of southern India, including the Kakatiya kingdom of Warangal (11th-14th centuries) and the Vijayanagara kingdom (14th... The Kuruba community is a caste of people who reside in south India. ...

Nayak is also a surname of Gaud Saraswath Community. Spelled as 'Naique' during Portuguese rule in Goa, The Nayaks are basically the landlords and traders by profession. Kumble Nayak Family of Kumble town between Mangalore and Kasaragod were a great trading family in export of Rice and other commodities during 1700 A.D. to Maldievs, China etc.

Some notable Nayaks

• Thirumalai Nayakar
• E.V. Ramaswami Naicker
• D.K.Naiker
• Dr Huli Naiker
• Kanaka Nayaka
• Sirimavo Bandaranaike of Sri Lanka
• Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga of Sri Lanka
• George Naicker of South Africa
• Gagathura (Monty) Mohambry Naicker of South Africa
• Mira Nair
• Kerishnie Naicker of South Africa
• Michael Naicker of South Africa
• Narainsamy Thumbi "NT" Naicker of South Africa
• Chennappa Nayakar
• Madras Venu Naicker
• Daya Nayak
• Gururaj Nayak
• Sarojini Naidu
• Nandamuri Taraka Rama Rao
• Chandrababu Naidu
• Venkaiah Naidu
• Shri Vasantrao Naik
• Kriba Naiken