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

Choudhry, 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 Choudhry surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Choudhry in America

Choudhry is the 17851st most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Choudhry surname appeared 1,567 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 Choudhry.

We can also compare 2010 data for Choudhry 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 Choudhry

The surname Choudhry is of Indian origin, specifically from the northern regions of the country. It emerged in the medieval period, likely around the 12th or 13th century. The name is derived from the Sanskrit word "Chaudhari," which means a village leader or headman. It was a title given to the head of a village or a group of villages who was responsible for collecting taxes and maintaining law and order.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name appears in the Ain-i-Akbari, a 16th-century administrative document commissioned by the Mughal Emperor Akbar. It mentions several individuals with the title "Chaudhari" serving as local administrators and tax collectors. Over time, the title became a hereditary surname among certain families in northern India.

The spelling "Choudhry" is a variation that emerged as the name spread across different regions and dialects. Some other similar spellings include "Chaudhary," "Chaudhri," and "Choudhari." The name is particularly prevalent in the states of Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, and Punjab, where it is associated with various clans and communities, such as Jats and Rajputs.

One notable historical figure with the surname Choudhry was Dewan Ramnath Choudhry (1825-1887), a prominent lawyer and politician from Punjab. He played a significant role in the establishment of municipal governance in the region and served as the first president of the Lahore Municipal Committee.

Another individual of note was Chaudhry Rahmat Ali (1897-1951), a famous Muslim nationalist who is credited with coining the name "Pakistan" for the proposed Muslim homeland. He was a passionate advocate for the creation of an independent Muslim state and published the influential pamphlet "Now or Never" in 1933, which outlined his vision for Pakistan.

In the realm of literature, Chaudhry Afzal Haq (1891-1942) was a renowned Urdu poet and writer from Punjab. He is particularly known for his humorous and satirical works, which provided a witty commentary on social and political issues of his time.

Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain (born 1946) is a contemporary figure who has been a prominent politician in Pakistan. He has served as the Prime Minister of Pakistan and has held various other influential positions in the government.

Chaudhry Mushtaq Ahmed (1943-2016) was a renowned cricket umpire from Pakistan. He officiated in numerous international cricket matches, including several World Cup matches, and was highly respected for his professionalism and integrity.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Choudhry

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

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

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

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