Reddy is the name of a socio-economically and politically dominant caste found in Southern India. Reddy caste has this great history and the various people from this cast has helped people in large way throughout the ages. The largest single community grouping in Andhra Pradesh today is of the Reddi community. The name is also written in English as Reddy.

Reddy community found all over Andhra Pradesh and the neighboring states Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Maharashtra. In Andhra Pradesh, the Reddy’s are considered traditional village headmen. The duties of headmen included the collection of tax, guarding the village and basically representing the village in dealing with outsiders or even the government. Physically they are very well built and strong, 'solid farmer stock' according to some english observers, and they retain a residual military -aristocratic tradition.

Several members of the community are very wealthy landowners and businesmen. Reddys regard Andhra Pradesh as their homeland and telugu is their mother tongue. It was in reddies kingdom Telugu language developed. However they form an intricate part of Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, and Maharastra society as well and are proficient in those languages too. Many Reddys migrated to tamilnadu centuries ago and have formed a distinct community that is completely incorporated into andhra culture and doesn't necessarily feel a closer affinity to their Andhra cousins.

In most areas of Andhra Pradesh, in the small villages it is the Reddy who speaks authoritatively on behalf of the village: they are the traditional “leaders” of the village. But this is changing fast. Younger members are losing interest in living in rural areas and striking out to work in towns …even to the USA.

There are various sects/clans among the reddis. The ones I could get some details about are the Panta reddis, including the Velanadu , Paakanadu and Motati Reddys ( these are old geographical areas) i.e. the Krishna-Guntur , Nellore and Chittoor Reddis and upland area. In Telangana there are the the Keti Reddis, There are other subdivisions but I am still collecting information.

Regarding the origin of the term and specific caste there are various theories: The oral traditions of Reddys state (first Reddy is a charioteer who impressed the king with his courage in the battle and own some lands) that Reddy is a corruption of Ratti meaning chariot or charioteer and their ancestors were charioteers for the Rashtrakutas. The Reddys may have been early practitioners of agriculture and farming. "Reddy" is derived from the Telugu word "redu" which means farm land. Some linguists surmised the word Reddy originated from the medieval term Rattodu, which is derived from Rashtrakutudu. The Rashtrakutas employed wealthy local farmers to head villages and collect taxes in the empire and conferred the title of Reddy. The usage of the word Reddy specifically was first seen in the inscriptions made during the Renati Chola times (7th century CE)).

Another theory relates the Reddies to the Rathis, who ruled over small principalities in the Deccan plateau before 200 BCE and before the Satavahanas and Mauryas. The Rathis left coins in northern Andhra Pradesh, Kurnool district, and near Pune. The coins are found in the levels between the megalithic and Satavahana levels in excavations.