Vishwamitra, originally named Kaushika or Vishvaratha, was born a Kshatriya king, the son of King Gadhi of Kanyakubja and a descendant of the ancient king Kusha. The name Vishwamitra means “friend of the universe” or “friend of all.” After a humiliating defeat at the hands of the sage Vashistha, whose wish-fulfilling cow he had attempted to seize, Kaushika renounced his kingdom and undertook severe austerities for thousands of years. Through successive stages of spiritual attainment—Rajarshi, Maharshi, and finally Brahmarshi—he transformed himself into one of the Saptarishi. Vashistha himself ultimately conferred the title of Brahmarshi upon him.
Vishwamitra is the seer of the third mandala of the Rigveda and is credited with the revelation of the Gayatri Mantra, one of the most sacred verses in the Vedic tradition. He plays a major role in the Ramayana as the teacher who takes the young Rama and Lakshmana into the forest to protect a sacrifice and later escorts them to Mithila for Sita’s swayamvara. The Vishwamitra (or Kaushika) gotra is widespread among Brahmins and also appears in other communities. Its common pravaras include Vishwamitra–Devarata–Audala or Vishwamitra–Aghamarshana–Kaushika.
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From Sanskrit "vishva" (all/universe) and "mitra" (friend) - literally "friend of all". One of the Saptarishi, remembered as having been born a king before becoming a sage.
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.