2000
#23,072
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,034
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.38
Rare Last name
Choudhry
An honorific surname indicating royal ancestry or lineage.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,268 Americans carry the last name Choudhry. That puts it at #14,503 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.66 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 151,126 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Choudhry 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 Choudhry with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
2.3K
1 in 151,126
Census rank
#14,503
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.7
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.0K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 1,978 bearers of the surname Choudhry in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.66 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 14503rd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Choudhry, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 88.6%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.4%) and White (4.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of 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.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Choudhry
Among Census respondents with the surname Choudhry, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 88.6%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.4%) and White (4.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Choudhry 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 Choudhry surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Asian and Pacific Islander88.6% · 1,752
- Two or more races4.4% · 87
- White4.0% · 79
- Hispanic or Latino1.7% · 34
- Black or African American1.3% · 26
Timeline
Historical Census data for Choudhry
Choudhry 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
#17,851
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,567
+533 bearers (+51.5%)
Per 100,000 0.53
Rank movement Up 5,221 places
2020
#14,503
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,978
+411 bearers (+26.2%)
Per 100,000 0.66
Rank movement Up 3,348 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #23,072 | 1,034 | 0.38 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #17,851 | 1,567 | 0.53 | +533 bearers (+51.5%) | Up 5,221 places |
| 2020 | #14,503 | 1,978 | 0.66 | +411 bearers (+26.2%) | Up 3,348 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 Choudhry 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 | #17,851 | #14,503 | 18.8% |
| Count | 1,567 | 1,978 | 26.2% |
| Per 100K | 0.53 | 0.66 | 24.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Choudhry bearers went from 1,567 to 1,978 (+26.2% change). The surname moved up 3,348 positions in the national ranking, going from #17,851 to #14,503.
FAQ
Choudhry surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Choudhry?
Name Census estimates that about 2,268 living Americans carry the surname Choudhry. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 151,126 residents.
How common is Choudhry?
Choudhry ranks #14,503 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.66 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 1,978 people with the surname Choudhry. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,268), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.66 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.66 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Choudhry.
Has Choudhry become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Choudhry went from 1,567 recorded bearers to 1,978. That is an increase of 411 (+26.2%). In the national ranking it rose from #17,851 to #14,503.
What does the Census say about the background of Choudhry?
Among Census respondents with the surname Choudhry, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 88.6%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.4%) and White (4.0%). 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 Choudhry in the 2020 Census, accounting for 88.6% (1,752 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Choudhry appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Asian/Pacific Islander (88.6%), Two or More Races (4.4%), White (4.0%). 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 Choudhry (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 Choudhry mean?
An honorific surname indicating royal ancestry or lineage. 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 Choudhry (0.66 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 Americans have the surname Choudhry?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.