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

Chaudhuri, 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 Chaudhuri surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Chaudhuri in America

Chaudhuri is the 33087th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Chaudhuri surname appeared 692 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 Chaudhuri.

We can also compare 2010 data for Chaudhuri 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 Chaudhuri

The surname Chaudhuri has its origins in the Indian subcontinent, specifically in the regions of West Bengal and Bangladesh. It is derived from the Sanskrit word 'Chaudhary,' which means a landowner or a person in charge of a village. The name can be traced back to the medieval period when it was used to denote the village headmen or chiefs.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Chaudhuri can be found in the 'Ain-i-Akbari,' a 16th-century document written during the reign of the Mughal Emperor Akbar. This text mentions several Chaudhuri families who held prominent positions in the administration of the Mughal Empire.

During the British colonial period in India, the Chaudhuri surname was commonly used by members of the landowning class and the zamindars (landlords) in Bengal. Some notable figures from this era include Dwarkanath Chaudhuri (1793-1865), a prominent businessman and philanthropist, and Bankim Chandra Chaudhuri (1838-1894), a renowned novelist and the composer of the national song "Vande Mataram."

In the 19th century, the Chaudhuri surname was also associated with the Brahmo Samaj, a religious and social reform movement in Bengal. One of its leaders, Devendranath Chaudhuri (1817-1905), played a significant role in shaping the ideology of the movement.

Another famous individual with the Chaudhuri surname was Abanindranath Chaudhuri (1871-1951), a renowned painter and scholar who was instrumental in the revival of Indian art and the foundation of the Bengal School of Art.

In more recent times, the Chaudhuri surname has been carried by several prominent figures, including Nirad C. Chaudhuri (1897-1999), a renowned writer and historian, and Buddhadeb Chaudhuri (1932-2021), a celebrated film director and screenwriter who was a prominent figure in the Indian Parallel Cinema movement.

It is worth noting that the spelling of the surname has evolved over time, with variations such as Chowdhury, Chowdhry, and Choudhary being used in different parts of the Indian subcontinent. However, the core meaning and origin of the name remain the same, signifying the historical significance of landowners and village leaders in the region.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Chaudhuri

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

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

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

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