2000
#18,588
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,368
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.51
Rare Last name
Chaudhary
A surname of Indian origin meaning "holder of four" or "owner of land," often referring to a landowner or chieftain.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 5,507 Americans carry the last name Chaudhary. That puts it at #6,749 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.61 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 62,240 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Chaudhary surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Chaudhary with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
5.5K
1 in 62,240
Census rank
#6,749
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.6
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
4.8K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 4,802 bearers of the surname Chaudhary in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.61 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 6749th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Chaudhary, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 92.9%. The next largest groups are White (3.0%) and Two or More Races (2.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of 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.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Chaudhary
Among Census respondents with the surname Chaudhary, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 92.9%. The next largest groups are White (3.0%) and Two or More Races (2.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Chaudhary bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Chaudhary surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Asian and Pacific Islander92.9% · 4,460
- White3.0% · 144
- Two or more races2.7% · 131
- Hispanic or Latino0.8% · 40
- Black or African American0.4% · 17
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 10
Timeline
Historical Census data for Chaudhary
Chaudhary appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#11,443
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,752
+1,384 bearers (+101.2%)
Per 100,000 0.93
Rank movement Up 7,145 places
2020
#6,749
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,802
+2,050 bearers (+74.5%)
Per 100,000 1.61
Rank movement Up 4,694 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #18,588 | 1,368 | 0.51 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #11,443 | 2,752 | 0.93 | +1,384 bearers (+101.2%) | Up 7,145 places |
| 2020 | #6,749 | 4,802 | 1.61 | +2,050 bearers (+74.5%) | Up 4,694 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Chaudhary surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #11,443 | #6,749 | 41.0% |
| Count | 2,752 | 4,802 | 74.5% |
| Per 100K | 0.93 | 1.61 | 72.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Chaudhary bearers went from 2,752 to 4,802 (+74.5% change). The surname moved up 4,694 positions in the national ranking, going from #11,443 to #6,749.
FAQ
Chaudhary surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Chaudhary?
Name Census estimates that about 5,507 living Americans carry the surname Chaudhary. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 62,240 residents.
How common is Chaudhary?
Chaudhary ranks #6,749 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.61 per 100,000 residents, which is about 2 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 4,802 people with the surname Chaudhary. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (5,507), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.61 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.61 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 2 of them to have the surname Chaudhary.
Has Chaudhary become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Chaudhary went from 2,752 recorded bearers to 4,802. That is an increase of 2,050 (+74.5%). In the national ranking it rose from #11,443 to #6,749.
What does the Census say about the background of Chaudhary?
Among Census respondents with the surname Chaudhary, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 92.9%. The next largest groups are White (3.0%) and Two or More Races (2.7%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
Asian/Pacific Islander is the largest self-reported group for the surname Chaudhary in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.9% (4,460 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Chaudhary appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Asian/Pacific Islander (92.9%), White (3.0%), Two or More Races (2.7%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Chaudhary (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Chaudhary mean?
A surname of Indian origin meaning "holder of four" or "owner of land," often referring to a landowner or chieftain. The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Chaudhary (1.61 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many people have the last name Chaudhary?
You can see how common the surname Chaudhary is on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.