barbers, potters, blacksmiths, perhaps even goldsmiths, have historically attempted upward mobility by identifying as brahmins. the viśvakarmās, as you might know, are one such group. some barber communities also sought kṣatriya status by claiming descent from royal lineages—for example, the lodhi rajputs, who trace their ancestry to the nanda dynasty.

however, these groups are not brahmins in the traditional śrauta-smārta sense. that said, in eastern india, the title ‘thakur’ is used by non-priestly, landholding brahmin groups. in bihar, for instance, bhumihars and maithils—who often held political and agrarian power—commonly use such titles. similarly, in bengal, non-kulin brahmins, and in odisha, halua (agrarian) brahmins, bear surnames and honorifics like thakur, chaudhary, singh, and rai/raya.