Etymology of word 'gupta'

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The word 'gupta' as a proper noun in India is ubiquitous. It is used

as a name- chitra gupta, vishnu gupta, chandra gupta(maurya)or as a

name of dynasty- the dynasty of guptas....

 

On the other hand, the modern name Gupta is being used a surname of

Vaishyas.

 

On searching the web for the etymology of this word, I found the

following:

 

HTTP://WWW.PLEXOFT.COM/SBF/G04.HTML

 

THE COMMON FAMILY NAME GUPTA, INCIDENTALLY, SEEMS TO HAVE A

DIFFERENT ETYMOLOGY. NOW HERE IS AN IRONY: ADLY WAS TRYING ALL

DURING THIS CONVERSATION TO DERIVE LARGE CHUNKS OF THE HINDI

VOCABULARY FROM ARABIC, BUT HE DIDN'T CLAIM GUPTA. AS IT HAPPENS,

THE ANCIENT RELIGIOUS NAME FOR MEMPHIS (THE ONE IN EGYPT, NOT THE

ENDURING ELVIS-WORSHIP CENTER IN TENNESSEE) WAS HA KA PTAH. IN THE

SEVENTH CENTURY, THE CONQUERING ARABS CORRUPTED THIS TO AGUPTA, AND

EVENTUALLY THE INITIAL A WAS ELIDED AS WELL. THE G WAS DEVOICED

AGAIN ON ENTERING ENGLISH AND SOME OTHER EUROPEAN LANGUAGES,

BECOMING OUR COPT[iC].

 

Hope the group can throw more light on this.

 

kishore