The word Hinduism was first used by the British writers in the year 1830 to describe the multiplicity of the faiths of the people of India.+

In Encyclopaedia Britannica, it says: - The word Hinduism was first used by the British writers in the year 1830 to describe the multiplicity of the faiths of the people of India, excluding the converted Christians. (Volume- -20, Reference -581)

That is the reason today, the majority of scholars say that the word Hinduism is a misnomer. 

 

The correct word should be Santana Dharma, the eternal religion, or the Vedic Dharma, the religion of the Vedas.         

Swami Vivekananda says: - The word Hindu is a misnomer; the correct word should be a Vedantin, a person who follows the Ved.     

Hinduism incorporates a vast pantheon of deities, some of whom are manifestations or combinations of others. Most of the deities mentioned in the Vedas are no longer worshipped; much of today's popular devotion centres around the major deities of Shiva, Vishnu, and the Goddess.

The Vedas describe many deities, most of whom are personified forces of nature. The most oft-mentioned are Indra, Agni, Soma, and Varuna.:~Santthosh Kumaar.