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

Chowdhury, 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 Chowdhury surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Chowdhury in America

Chowdhury is the 2997th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Chowdhury surname appeared 11,961 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 4 people would have the surname Chowdhury.

We can also compare 2010 data for Chowdhury 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 Chowdhury

The surname Chowdhury originated in the Indian subcontinent, primarily in regions that are now part of Bangladesh and the Indian states of West Bengal and Tripura. It is derived from the Sanskrit word "Chaudhuree," which means a feudal landlord or an influential person in a village or region.

The earliest recorded instances of the name Chowdhury can be traced back to the 13th and 14th centuries, during the reign of the Sena dynasty in Bengal. At that time, the Chowdhuries were influential landowners and administrators who played a significant role in the governance of rural areas.

One of the earliest known references to the name Chowdhury can be found in the Mughal administrative records from the 16th century. During the Mughal era, the Chowdhuries were recognized as influential zamindars (landowners) and were often granted titles and privileges by the Mughal emperors.

In the 18th century, the Chowdhury family gained prominence in the region of Chittagong, now part of Bangladesh. Prominent members of the family during this period include Raja Rajballabh Chowdhury (1700-1783), a powerful zamindar who played a significant role in the region's politics and administration.

Another notable figure with the surname Chowdhury was Sir Khwaja Nazim-ud-din Chowdhury (1859-1942), a prominent politician and lawyer from the Bengal region. He served as the President of the Indian National Congress in 1928 and played a crucial role in the Indian independence movement.

During the 20th century, several individuals with the surname Chowdhury made significant contributions in various fields. These include Amiyo Kumar Chowdhury (1913-1996), a renowned Bengali writer and novelist, and Syed Muazzem Ali Chowdhury (1925-2007), a renowned Bangladeshi diplomat and politician who served as the Prime Minister of Bangladesh from 1986 to 1988.

Vijaya Lakshmi Chowdhury (1924-2019) was an Indian social worker and political activist who fought for women's rights and played a crucial role in the Chipko movement, a non-violent ecological movement in India.

Overall, the surname Chowdhury has a rich history and has been associated with influential figures in the Indian subcontinent for several centuries, particularly in the regions of Bengal, Bangladesh, and parts of northeastern India.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Chowdhury

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

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

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

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