Kaushika is the birth-lineage name of the sage who later became famous as Vishwamitra. Born as the son of King Gadhi and a descendant of the ancient king Kusha, he was originally a powerful Kshatriya ruler known as Kaushika or Vishvaratha. After his confrontation with Vashistha and the subsequent long austerities that transformed him into a Brahmarshi, he received the name Vishwamitra. Consequently, many families of the Vishwamitra gotra also use the designation Kaushika, and the two names are often interchangeable.
The Kaushika gotra therefore represents the same lineage as Vishwamitra, with the same pravaras (Vishwamitra–Devarata–Audala or Vishwamitra–Aghamarshana–Kaushika). It uniquely embodies the theme of transformation from royal power to the highest spiritual status, making it one of the most dramatic origin stories in the entire gotra system.
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Literally "of the Kusha lineage" - traditionally the birth-lineage name associated with the sage Vishwamitra before he attained rishi status.
No. Gotra and surname are separate systems. Families with many different surnames, across many regions and communities, can share the same gotra, and families with the same surname can belong to different gotras.
Many communities traditionally avoid marriage between people of the same gotra, based on the idea that they share a common patrilineal ancestor. Exact customs vary widely by community and region.