Find out how popular the last name Bohra is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Bohra.

Bohra, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Bohra surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Bohra in America

Bohra is the 98099th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Bohra surname appeared 185 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Bohra.

The history of the last name Bohra

The surname Bohra is believed to have originated in the Indian subcontinent, specifically in the western state of Gujarat. It is associated with the Bohra community, a sect within the Ismaili branch of Shia Islam. The name itself is derived from the Gujarati word "vohorvu," which means "to trade."

The Bohra community traces its roots back to the late 11th century, when a group of Ismaili missionaries from Egypt arrived in India. Over time, the community established itself as a prosperous trading class, with a strong presence in the textile and spice trade. The name Bohra became synonymous with this mercantile tradition.

One of the earliest recorded mentions of the name can be found in the Persian text "Khulasatu'l-Hisab" (Summary of Accounts), written by Qazi Nurullah Shustari in the 15th century. This work documents the financial transactions of the Bohra community in India during that period.

In the 16th century, the Bohra community gained prominence under the patronage of the Mughal Empire. Several Bohra traders and businessmen rose to positions of influence, including Mulla Abdul Ghafur Bohra, who served as the chief administrator of the port city of Surat during the reign of Emperor Akbar (1556-1605).

Another notable figure from the community was Sir Adamji Peerbhoy Bohra (1836-1900), a wealthy industrialist and philanthropist who played a significant role in the development of Bombay (now Mumbai) during the British colonial era. He was knighted by Queen Victoria in 1887 for his contributions to the city.

In the 19th century, the Bohra community also produced several prominent religious leaders, including Syedna Abdeali Saifuddin Bohra (1859-1936), who served as the spiritual head of the Dawoodi Bohra sect for over 50 years. His successor, Syedna Taher Saifuddin Bohra (1915-1965), was instrumental in establishing educational and charitable institutions for the community.

Other notable individuals with the surname Bohra include Sir Fazulbhoy Currimbhoy Bohra (1828-1903), a successful businessman and one of the founders of the Bombay Stock Exchange, and Zubeida Begum Bohra (1908-1988), a renowned Indian actress and dancer who starred in several early Bollywood films.

While the Bohra community is now spread across various parts of the world, including the Middle East, Africa, and North America, the surname remains closely associated with its Indian roots and the rich mercantile and cultural traditions of the community.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Bohra

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Bohra.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Bohra was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Bohra was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Bohra, please contact us.

Reference this page

We spend a lot of resources downloading, cleaning, merging, and formatting the data that is shown on the site.

If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!