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

Chowdhry, 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 Chowdhry surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Chowdhry in America

Chowdhry is the 54418th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Chowdhry surname appeared 379 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 Chowdhry.

We can also compare 2010 data for Chowdhry 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 Chowdhry

The surname Chowdhry originates from the Indian subcontinent and dates back several centuries. It is believed to have originated from the Sanskrit word "chaudhari," which means a land revenue collector or administrator. The name was initially used to refer to a class of officials who were responsible for collecting land taxes and managing local affairs in rural areas.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Chowdhry can be found in the Ain-i-Akbari, a detailed document commissioned by the Mughal Emperor Akbar in the 16th century. It mentions the Chowdhries as influential landowners and administrators in various regions of the empire.

During the medieval period, the Chowdhries held significant power and influence in parts of present-day India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh. They were often granted land and privileges by ruling dynasties in exchange for their administrative services and loyalty.

In the 18th century, the Chowdhry family of Rajshahi, Bengal (now Bangladesh), gained prominence as leaders in the region's resistance against the British East India Company. Notably, Khwaja Alauddin Chowdhry (1723-1789) was a prominent figure in this movement.

Another notable Chowdhry was Sir Khwaja Salimullah Chowdhry (1846-1915), a prominent zamindar (landowner) and philanthropist from Bengal. He was instrumental in establishing educational institutions and promoting social reforms.

In the 20th century, Maulvi Tamizuddin Khan Chowdhry (1899-1963) was a renowned politician and lawyer from East Pakistan (now Bangladesh). He played a crucial role in the Bengali Language Movement and served as the Speaker of the East Pakistan Legislative Assembly.

The name Chowdhry has also been associated with various places, such as Chowdhry Bangar in the Punjab region of Pakistan and Chowdhry Pargana in the Rajshahi district of Bangladesh. These place names likely originated from the presence of influential Chowdhry families in those areas.

Over time, the spelling of the name has varied, with alternative forms such as Choudhry, Chaudhari, and Chaudhary. However, Chowdhry remains a widely recognized spelling, particularly in parts of South Asia.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Chowdhry

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

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

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

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