2000
#68,973
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 266
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.10
Very Rare Last name
Chaudhri
A hereditary title or surname used by some Hindu castes, particularly in Punjab.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 556 Americans carry the last name Chaudhri. That puts it at #47,189 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.16 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 616,465 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Chaudhri 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 Chaudhri with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
556
1 in 616,465
Census rank
#47,189
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.2
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
485
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 485 bearers of the surname Chaudhri in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.16 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 47189th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Chaudhri, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 83.9%. The next largest groups are White (9.1%) and Two or More Races (5.2%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Chaudhri
The surname Chaudhri originated in India and is derived from the Sanskrit word "Chaudhari," which means a holder of a superior rank or a landowner. This surname traces its roots back to ancient times when it was associated with the powerful landowning class in the northern regions of the Indian subcontinent.
The name Chaudhri has its origins in the Punjab region of present-day India and Pakistan. It was initially used by the dominant agricultural communities who held significant land holdings and enjoyed a prominent social status. The earliest recorded instances of this surname can be found in medieval manuscripts and administrative records from the 12th century onwards.
One notable mention of the name Chaudhri is in the Ain-i-Akbari, a 16th-century administrative document commissioned by the Mughal Emperor Akbar. This document provides a detailed account of the revenue system and social hierarchy of the time, where the Chaudhris were recognized as influential landowners and local leaders.
In the early 18th century, during the reign of the Sikh Empire, the Chaudhri surname gained further prominence. Several prominent figures from this era carried the Chaudhri surname, including Chaudhri Nand Singh (1690-1753), a renowned military commander and trusted advisor to the Sikh ruler, Maharaja Ranjit Singh.
Another notable Chaudhri was Chaudhri Rehmat Ali (1897-1951), a prominent scholar and political activist who is credited with coining the term "Pakistan" in his pamphlet "Now or Never" published in 1933. He advocated for the creation of an independent Muslim state in the northwestern regions of British India.
The Chaudhri surname has also been associated with several other historical figures, including Chaudhri Chhotu Ram (1881-1945), a prominent leader of the Indian peasant movement and a proponent of agricultural reforms in the early 20th century.
Over the centuries, the Chaudhri surname has maintained its association with landed gentry and influential families, particularly in the northern regions of the Indian subcontinent. While the name has undergone various spelling variations, such as Chaudhari, Chowdhry, and Choudhary, its core meaning and historical significance remain rooted in the landowning and leadership traditions of ancient India.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Chaudhri
Among Census respondents with the surname Chaudhri, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 83.9%. The next largest groups are White (9.1%) and Two or More Races (5.2%).
The bar chart below shows how Chaudhri 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 Chaudhri surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Asian and Pacific Islander83.9% · 407
- White9.1% · 44
- Two or more races5.2% · 25
- Hispanic or Latino1.2% · 6
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.4% · 2
- Black or African American0.2% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Chaudhri
Chaudhri 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
#54,752
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 376
+110 bearers (+41.4%)
Per 100,000 0.13
Rank movement Up 14,221 places
2020
#47,189
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 485
+109 bearers (+29.0%)
Per 100,000 0.16
Rank movement Up 7,563 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #68,973 | 266 | 0.10 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #54,752 | 376 | 0.13 | +110 bearers (+41.4%) | Up 14,221 places |
| 2020 | #47,189 | 485 | 0.16 | +109 bearers (+29.0%) | Up 7,563 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 Chaudhri 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 | #54,752 | #47,189 | 13.8% |
| Count | 376 | 485 | 29.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.13 | 0.16 | 24.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Chaudhri bearers went from 376 to 485 (+29.0% change). The surname moved up 7,563 positions in the national ranking, going from #54,752 to #47,189.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Chaudhri
FAQ
Chaudhri surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Chaudhri?
Name Census estimates that about 556 living Americans carry the surname Chaudhri. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 616,465 residents.
How common is Chaudhri?
Chaudhri ranks #47,189 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.16 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 485 people with the surname Chaudhri. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (556), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.16 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.16 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Chaudhri.
Has Chaudhri become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Chaudhri went from 376 recorded bearers to 485. That is an increase of 109 (+29.0%). In the national ranking it rose from #54,752 to #47,189.
What does the Census say about the background of Chaudhri?
Among Census respondents with the surname Chaudhri, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 83.9%. The next largest groups are White (9.1%) and Two or More Races (5.2%). 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 Chaudhri in the 2020 Census, accounting for 83.9% (407 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Chaudhri appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Asian/Pacific Islander (83.9%), White (9.1%), Two or More Races (5.2%). 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 Chaudhri (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 Chaudhri mean?
A hereditary title or surname used by some Hindu castes, particularly in Punjab. 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 Chaudhri (0.16 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 people have the surname Chaudhri?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.