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

Chaudhary, 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 Chaudhary surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Chaudhary in America

Chaudhary is the 11443rd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Chaudhary surname appeared 2,752 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Chaudhary.

We can also compare 2010 data for Chaudhary to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Chaudhary

The surname "Chaudhary" is of Indian origin, and it can be traced back to the medieval period. Originally, it was a title given to those who were the headmen or chiefs of villages, known as "Chaudhary" or "Chaudhari." The word "Chaudhary" is derived from the Sanskrit word "Chaturvedi," which means someone well-versed in the four Vedas.

The surname is particularly prevalent in the northern and central regions of India, such as Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, and Rajasthan. The earliest known reference to the name can be found in the Ain-i-Akbari, a 16th-century document that provided a detailed account of the administration and governance of the Mughal Empire during the reign of Emperor Akbar.

One of the earliest documented individuals with the surname "Chaudhary" was Raja Ram Chaudhary, a prominent landowner and chieftain who lived in the 16th century. He was known for his valor and leadership during the time of the Mughal Empire. Another notable figure was Kunwar Nanak Chand Chaudhary, a renowned warrior and military commander who fought against the British during the Indian Rebellion of 1857.

In the 17th century, the "Chaudhary" surname appeared in the Rajputana region, where the Chaudhary family held significant influence and power. One of the most prominent members of this family was Maharaja Sawai Ram Singh Chaudhary, who ruled over the princely state of Kishangarh in the 18th century.

Over the centuries, the "Chaudhary" surname has been associated with various professions and occupations, including agriculture, politics, and social activism. Notable individuals with this surname include Charan Singh Chaudhary, a prominent political leader and former Prime Minister of India; Chaudhary Devi Lal, a renowned agriculturist and former Deputy Prime Minister of India; and Chaudhary Brahm Prakash, a social reformer and advocate for women's rights in the early 20th century.

The surname "Chaudhary" has also been widely recognized in the field of literature and arts. One of the most celebrated authors with this surname is Munshi Premchand, whose real name was Dhanpat Rai Chaudhary. He is regarded as one of the greatest writers of modern Hindi literature and a pioneer of the Hindi novel.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Chaudhary

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

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 Chaudhary 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.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Chaudhary has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

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 Chaudhary was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

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