Chowdhury is a title of honour, usually hereditary, originating from the

Indian subcontinent The Indian subcontinent is a list of the physiographic regions of the world, physiographical region in United Nations geoscheme for Asia#Southern Asia, Southern Asia. It is situated on the Indian Plate, projecting southwards into the Indian O ...

. It is an adaption from

Sanskrit Sanskrit (; attributively , ; nominally , , ) is a classical language belonging to the Indo-Aryan branch of the Indo-European languages. It arose in South Asia after its predecessor languages had diffused there from the northwest in the late ...

. During the

Mughal rule The Mughal Empire was an early-modern empire that controlled much of South Asia between the 16th and 19th centuries. Quote: "Although the first two Timurid emperors and many of their noblemen were recent migrants to the subcontinent, the d ...

, it was a title awarded to eminent people, while during

British rule The British Raj (; from Hindi ''rāj'': kingdom, realm, state, or empire) was the rule of the British Crown on the Indian subcontinent; * * it is also called Crown rule in India, * * * * or Direct rule in India, * Quote: "Mill, who was hims ...

, the term was associated with

zamindar A zamindar ( Hindustani: Devanagari: , ; Persian: , ) in the Indian subcontinent was an autonomous or semiautonomous ruler of a province. The term itself came into use during the reign of Mughals and later the British had begun using it as ...

s and social leaders. The common female equivalent was Chowdhurani. Many landlords under the

Permanent Settlement The Permanent Settlement, also known as the Permanent Settlement of Bengal, was an agreement between the East India Company and Bengali landlords to fix revenues to be raised from land that had far-reaching consequences for both agricultural met ...

carried this surname. Land reforms after the partition of India abolished the permanent settlement. In modern times, the term is a common South Asian surname for both males and females.

Meaning and significance

"Chowdhury" is a term adapted from the

word ''caturdhara'', literally "holder of four" (four denoting a measure of land, from ''chatur'' ("four") and ''dhara'' ("holder" or "possessor")). The name is a Sanskrit term denoting the head of a community or caste. It was a title awarded to persons of eminence, including both Muslims and Hindus, during the

Mughal Empire The Mughal Empire was an early-modern empire that controlled much of South Asia between the 16th and 19th centuries. Quote: "Although the first two Timurid emperors and many of their noblemen were recent migrants to the subcontinent, the d ...

. It was also used as a title by military commanders responsible for four separate forces, including the cavalry, navy, infantry and elephant corps. These people belonged to the

families in

British India The provinces of India, earlier presidencies of British India and still earlier, presidency towns, were the administrative divisions of British governance on the Indian subcontinent. Collectively, they have been called British India. In one ...

Regional

In the

Chittagong Hill Tracts The Chittagong Hill Tracts ( bn, পার্বত্য চট্টগ্রাম, Parbotto Chottogram), often shortened to simply the Hill Tracts and abbreviated to CHT, are group of districts within the Chittagong Division in southeast ...

, the titular ''

Raja ''Raja'' (; from , IAST ') is a royal title used for South Asian monarchs. The title is equivalent to king or princely ruler in South Asia and Southeast Asia. The title has a long history in South Asia and Southeast Asia, being attested f ...

s'' of the

Bohmong Circle The Bohmong Circle ( my, ဗိုလ်မင်းထောင်) is one of three hereditary chiefdoms (or "circles") in the Chittagong Hill Tracts of modern-day Bangladesh. The jurisdiction of the Bohmong Circle encompasses parts of Bandarba ...

and

Mong Circle The Mong Circle ( my, ဖလံထောင်) is one of three hereditary chiefdoms (or "circles") in the Chittagong Hill Tracts of modern-day Bangladesh. The jurisdiction of the Mong Circle encompasses parts of Khagrachhari District. The chiefdo ...

have the surname Chowdhury. The

Bengali Muslim Bengali Muslims ( bn, বাঙালি মুসলমান; ) are adherents of Islam who ethnically, linguistically and genealogically identify as Bengalis. Comprising about two-thirds of the global Bengali population, they are the sec ...

Mirashdars living in the former

Kachari Kingdom The Dimasa Kingdom (also Kachari kingdom) was a late medieval/early modern kingdom in Assam, Northeast India ruled by Dimasa kings. The Dimasa kingdom and others (Kamata, Chutiya) that developed in the wake of the Kamarupa kingdom were exam ...

were given titles by the Kachari Raja, which in modern-day acts as a surname for them. In Bihar, the

Pasi Pasi may refer to: * Pasi (caste), a Hindu caste of northern India * ''Pasi'' (film), a 1979 Tamil film * Pasi (given name) * Pasi (surname), a surname of the Pasi community * Pasi, Papua New Guinea, a settlement near the coast of Sandaun Provinc ...

are also known as the ''Chaudhary'', a community traditionally connected with

toddy tapping Palm wine, known by several local names, is an alcoholic beverage created from the sap of various species of palm tree such as the palmyra, date palms, and coconut palms. It is known by various names in different regions and is common in vari ...

.People of India Bihar Volume XVI Part Two edited by S Gopal & Hetukar Jha pages 759 to 765 Seagull Books

Alternate spellings

Its alternate spellings include: Chaudhary, Chaudri, Choudhary, Chaudhry, Chowdary, Chowdhary, Chaudry, Choudary, Choudhry, Chaudhuri, Chaudhari, Chudhry, Choudhari, Choudhury, Chowdhuri and Chowdury. The female equivalent is Chaudhurani and alternate spellings include: Choudhurani, Chowdhurani, Chowdhrani, Choudhrani, Chaudhrani.

Notable people

Bangladesh

Abdul Latif Chowdhury Abdul Latif Chowdhury ( bn, আব্দুল লতিফ চৌধুরী; 25 May 1913 – 16 January 2008), widely known as Saheb Qiblah Fultali, was a Bangladeshi Sufi Islamic scholar and theologian who is the founder of the Fultali movem ...

, Islamic scholar and writer *

Abdul Matin Chaudhary Abdul Matin Chaudhary ( bn, আব্দুল মতিন চৌধুরী; 1925–1989), also known by his daak naam Kola Mia ( bn, কলা মিঞা), and the epithet Jinnar Daan Haat (lit. '' Jinnah's right hand''), was a Pakistani ...

, minister and politician *

Abdul Matin Chowdhury Abdul Matin Chowdhury (1 May 1921 – 24 June 1981) was a Bangladeshi academic and physicist. He served as the 14th Vice-chancellor of the University of Dhaka. Education Chowdhury passed entrance examination from Arunchandra High School in No ...

, academic and physicist *

, politician *

, religious scholar and political activist *

Abdul Munim Chowdhury Mohammad Abdul Munim Chowdhury ( bn, মোহাম্মদ আব্দুল মুনিম চৌধুরী) is a Bangladeshi politician and businessman. He was the former MP of Habiganj-1, representing the Jatiya Party. Early life Chowdh ...

, former MP for

Habiganj-1 Habiganj-1 is a constituency represented in the Jatiya Sangsad (National Parliament) of Bangladesh since 2019 by Gazi Mohammad Shahnawaz of the Awami League. Boundaries The constituency encompasses Bahubal and Nabiganj upazilas. History Th ...

Abdur Rouf Choudhury Abdur Rouf Choudhury (1 March 1929 – 1996) was a Bengali writer. Early life Choudhury was born on 1 March 1929, in Mukimpur, Nabiganj, Habiganj District, Bangladesh (then part of Assam) where his father Azhar Choudhury, a land owner, and h ...

, writer * Abed Chaudhury, geneticist and science writer * Abidur Reza Chowdhury (1872–1961), Bengali politician and educationist * Abu Lais Md. Mubin Chowdhury, former MP for Habiganj-3 * Abu Osman Chowdhury, Sector Commander of the

Mukti Bahini The Mukti Bahini ( bn, মুক্তিবাহিনী, translates as 'freedom fighters', or liberation army), also known as the Bangladesh Forces, was the guerrilla resistance movement consisting of the Bangladeshi military, paramilitary ...

* Justice Abu Sayeed Chowdhury, second President of Bangladesh * Justice A. F. M. Ahsanuddin Chowdhury, 9th President of Bangladesh *

Anwarul Karim Chowdhury Anwarul Karim Chowdhury ( bn, আনোয়ারুল করিম চৌধুরী; born 5 February 1943) is a Bangladeshi diplomat most noted for his work on development in the poorest nations, global peace and championing the rights ...

, former UN Under Secretary General *

Ariful Haque Choudhury Ariful Haque Choudhury ( bn, আরিফুল হক চৌধুরী) is a Bangladesh Nationalist Party politician and the current mayor of Sylhet. Choudhury is also an executive member of Bangladesh Nationalist Party. In 2003, he was elect ...

, Mayor of Sylhet *

A. Q. M. Badruddoza Chowdhury Abdul Qasim Mohammad Badruddoza Chowdhury (known as AQM Badrudozza Chowdhury; ; born 1 November 1932) served as the President of Bangladesh from 14 November 2001 until his resignation on 21 June 2002. He was the founding secretary-general of B ...

, 13th President of Bangladesh * Ayesha Bedora Choudhury, doctor * Justice Badrul Haider Chowdhury, fifth Chief Justice of Bangladesh * Chanchal Chowdhury, actor * Farid Uddin Chowdhury, teacher, politician and businessman *

Fazlul Qadir Chaudhry Fazlul Quader Chowdhury (1919–1973) was a Bengali people, Bengali politician who served as the 5th speaker of the National Assembly of Pakistan from East Pakistan. He belonged to Ayub Khan (Field Marshal), Ayub Khan's Convention Muslim League. ...

, 5th Speaker of the National Assembly of Pakistan *

Chowdhury Gulam Akbar Chowdhury Gulam Akbar ( bn, চৌধুরী গোলাম আকবর; 16 September 1921 – 29 December 1988) was a Bangladeshi writer. He served in the Bangla Academy of Bangladesh as the collector of Bengali folk literature. Early life ...

, writer and collector of

Bengali folk literature Bangladeshi Folk Literature ( bn, বাংলাদেশি লোক সাহিত্য) constitutes a considerable portion of Bengali literature. Though it was created by illiterate communities and passed down orally from one generation ...

for the

Bangla Academy The Bangla Academy ( bn, বাংলা একাডেমি, ) is an autonomous institution funded by the Bangladesh government to foster the Bengali language, literature and culture, to develop and implement national language policy and to d ...

Chowdhury Tanbir Ahmed Siddiky Chowdhury Tanbir Ahmed Siddiky (also spelled Chowdhury Tanvir Ahmed Siddiky) is a Bangladeshi politician. He is one of the founding members of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP). He served as the State Minister for Commerce in the cabinet of P ...

, former Minister of Commerce * Golam Ali Chowdhury, Zamindar of Haturia and philanthropist * Harris Chowdhury, former MP for Sylhet-5 *

Hasan Mashhud Chowdhury Hasan Mashhud Chowdhury (born 9 September 1948) was a Bangladesh Army general who was 11th Chief of Army Staff of the Bangladesh Army from 16 June 2002 to 15 June 2005. He was the last officer to serve in this position who had first been comm ...

, 11th Chief of Army Staff of the Bangladesh Army *

Humayun Rashid Choudhury Humayun Rasheed Choudhury ( bn, হুমায়ূন রশীদ চৌধুরী; 11 November 1928 – 10 July 2001) was a Bangladeshi career diplomat and Speaker of the Bangladesh National Parliament from 1996 to 2001. He was elected pre ...

, 41st President of the United Nations General Assembly & 7th Speaker of the Bangladesh National Parliament * Iftekhar Ahmed Chowdhury, diplomat and former Foreign Affairs Adviser *

Izharul Islam Chowdhury Izharul Islam Chowdhury ( bn, মুফতি ইজহারুল ইসলাম) is the founder of Jamiatul Uloom Al-Islamia Lalkhan Bazar. He is the present executive president of Nizam-e-Islam Party and Nayeb-e-Ameer of Hefazat-e-Islam Ban ...

, Bangladeshi Islamic scholar * Jamilur Reza Choudhury, president of

Bangladesh Mathematical Olympiad The Bangladesh Mathematical Olympiad is an annual mathematical competition arranged for school and college students to nourish their interest and capabilities for mathematics. It has been regularly organized by the Bangladesh Math Olympiad Commi ...

, vice-chancellor of

University of Asia Pacific University of Asia Pacific ( bn, ইউনিভার্সিটি অব এশিয়া প্যাসিফিক) often abbreviated as UAP is a private university located at Dhaka, Bangladesh Bangladesh (}, ), officially the P ...

, adviser to

Caretaker Government of Bangladesh The Caretaker Government of Bangladesh ( bn, বাংলাদেশের তত্ত্বাবধায়ক সরকার) was a form of government in which Bangladesh used to be ruled by a selected government for an interim period du ...

Chowdhury Kazemuddin Ahmed Siddiky Chowdhury Kazemuddin Ahmed Siddiky, (1876–1937) was a Bengali Muslim aristocrat and politician during the British Raj. A Khan Bahadur, he was one of the founders of the University of Dacca. He was President of the Eastern Bengal and Assam Musl ...

, founding president of Assam Bengal Muslim League * Mahmudul Amin Choudhury, 11th

Chief Justice of Bangladesh The chief justice of Bangladesh ( bn, বাংলাদেশের প্রধান বিচারপতি — ) is the chief amongst the judges of the Supreme Court of Bangladesh, and also head of the whole judicial establishments, inclu ...

* Mahmud Us Samad Chowdhury, former MP for Sylhet-3 * Mainur Reza Chowdhury, 12th Chief Justice of Bangladesh *

Mehazabien Chowdhury Mehazabien Chowdhury is a Bangladeshi actress, model and the winner of Lux Channel I Superstar 2009. Mehazabien began her acting career after winning ''Lux Channel I Superstar'', (2009) a Bangladeshi beauty pageant, and rose to national prominenc ...

, actress *

Mizanur Rahman Chowdhury Mizanur Rahman Chowdhury ( bn, মিজানুর রহমান চৌধুরী; 19 October 1928 – 2 February 2006) was a Bengali politician, most notable for serving as Prime Minister of Bangladesh from 9 July 1986, to 27 March 1988. ...

, fifth Prime Minister of Bangladesh * Mukhlesur Rahman Chowdhury, journalist and editor turned politician. Advisor to the President of Bangladesh (2006-2007) * Naiyyum Choudhury, biotechnologist and nuclear scientist *

Najma Chowdhury Najma Chowdhury (26 February 1942 – 8 August 2021) was a Bangladeshi academic. She was a pioneer in establishing women studies in Bangladesh. She founded the Women and Gender Studies department of the University of Dhaka in 2000. She was an a ...

, founder of the Women and Gender Studies department in the

University of Dhaka The University of Dhaka (also known as Dhaka University, or DU) is a public research university located in Dhaka, Bangladesh. It is the oldest university in Bangladesh. The university opened its doors to students on July 1st 1921. Currently i ...

, adviser to

* Nazim Kamran Choudhury, former MP * Rashed Chowdhury, former Army officer, currently in exile in the United States * Rezwana Chowdhury, renowned exponent of Tagore songs *

Sadruddin Ahmed Chowdhury Sadruddin Ahmed Chowdhury (1 January 1931 – 23 July 2016) was a Bangladeshi academic and physicist. He was one of the instrumental figures in founding Shahjalal University of Science and Technology (SUST) and served as the vice-chancellor of th ...

, physicist and vice-chancellor of Shahjalal University of Science and Technology and

Sylhet International University Sylhet International University (SIU) is a private university located at Shamimabad, Bagbari, Sylhet, Bangladesh. It was established under ''The Private University Act of 1992''. SIU is affiliated with University Grants Commission of Banglade ...

Salah Choudhury Salah Uddin Shoaib Choudhury is a Bangladeshi journalist and the editor of the Bangladeshi newspaper 'Blitz'. Choudhury has faced a number of criminal charges against him including smuggling information out of the country, fraud, sedition, tre ...

, editor of ''

Weekly Blitz Salah Uddin Shoaib Choudhury is a Bangladeshi journalist and the editor of the Bangladeshi newspaper 'Blitz'. Choudhury has faced a number of criminal charges against him including smuggling information out of the country, fraud, sedition, tr ...

'' *

Samson H. Chowdhury Samson H. Chowdhury ( bn, স্যামসন এইচ চৌধুরী; 25 September 1925 – 5 January 2012) was a Bangladeshi business magnate. He was the chairman of Square Pharmaceuticals. Personal life Samson H. Chowdhury was born o ...

, Bengali Christian entrepreneur and business leader * Samarjit Roy Chowdhury, painter *

Shahinur Pasha Chowdhury Shahinur Pasha Chowdhury ( bn, শাহীনুর পাশা চৌধুরী; born 1985) is a Bangladeshi politician and a former Jatiya Sangsad member representing the Sunamganj-3 constituency during 2005–2006. He was elected a membe ...

, politician * Shamima K Choudhury, physicist and advocate for women in science * Shamsher M. Chowdhury, diplomat and former

secretary A secretary, administrative professional, administrative assistant, executive assistant, administrative officer, administrative support specialist, clerk, military assistant, management assistant, office secretary, or personal assistant is a ...

of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs * Shamsul Huda Chaudhury, third Speaker of the Bangladesh National Parliament *

Shirin Sharmin Chaudhury Shirin Sharmin Chaudhury (born 6 October 1966) is the current and the first female Speaker of the Jatiya Sangsad since April 2013. At 46 years of age, she became the youngest to assume the office. She was also the Chairperson of the Executive Co ...

, Speaker of the Bangladesh National Parliament * Shayan Chowdhury, Bengali indie musician and singer * Shegufta Bakht Chaudhuri, 4th Governor of

Bangladesh Bank Bangladesh Bank ( bn, বাংলাদেশ ব্যাংক) is the central bank of Bangladesh and is a member of the Asian Clearing Union. It is fully owned by the Government of Bangladesh. The bank is active in developing green bankin ...

* Syed Nawab Ali Chowdhury, Nawab of Dhanbari,

Tangail Tangail ( bn, টাঙ্গাইল, ), is a major city within the Dhaka Division in central Bangladesh. It sits on the bank of the Louhajang River, north-west of Dhaka, the nation's capital. It is considered to be the main urban area of ...

* Tapan Chowdhury, Bengali singer of Adhunik songs * TIM Fazle Rabbi Chowdhury, six-time MP and former leader of the Jatiya Party (Zafar) * Yahya Chowdhury, former MP for

Sylhet-2 Sylhet-2 is a constituency represented in the Jatiya Sangsad (National Parliament) of Bangladesh since 2019 by Mokabbir Khan of the Gano Forum. Boundaries The constituency encompasses Bishwanath and Osmani Nagar upazilas. History The cons ...

* Yeamin Ahmed Chowdhury Munna, footballer for

Chittagong Abahani Chittagong Abahani Limited ( bn, চট্টগ্রাম আবাহনী লিমিটেড), also spelled as Chattogram Abahani or Chittagong Abahoni, is a sports club based in Chittagong, Bangladesh. A wing of Abahani Limited wa ...

* Yakub Ali Chowdhury, essayist

India

Abdul Jalil Choudhury ʿAbd al-Jalīl ibn Aṣghar Choudhury al-Badarfūrī ( ar, عبد الجليل بن أصغر تشودهري البدرفوري; 19 December 1989), or simply Abdul Jalil Choudhury Badarpuri ( bn, আব্দুল জলিল চৌধুরী ...

(1925–1989), Islamic scholar and politician * Abdul Munim Choudhury, former MLA of Karimganj South *

Mahendra Mohan Choudhury Mahendra Mohan Choudhury (12 April 1908 – 27 December 1982) was a freedom fighter and politician from Nagaon, Undivided Kamrup district (now Barpeta district) of Western Assam. He was Chief Minister of Assam from 1970 to 1972. He also s ...

, Chief Minister of Assam and Governor of Punjab * Upendrakishore Ray Chowdhury, 19th century aristocrat *

Amitabh Chaudhry Amitabh Chaudhry is an Indian banker, and the managing director (MD) and chief executive officer (CEO) of Axis Bank, the third largest private sector bank in India. He joined Axis in January 2019, after heading HDFC Life Insurance for nine years. ...

(born 1964/65), Indian banker, CEO and MD of Axis Bank *

Anjan Choudhury Anjan Choudhury (25 November 1944 – 21 February 2007) was an Indian film director, writer, and screenplay writer who worked in the Bengali cinema of West Bengal. He was survived by his wife Jaysree Choudhury and two daughters, namely Chumki ...

, Bengali film director and writer * A. B. A. Gani Khan Choudhury, Railway Minister of India *

Aniruddha Roy Chowdhury Aniruddha Roy Chowdhury is an Indian film director. He is the director and producer of multiple Bengali and Hindi films. He directed the highly successful Hindi movie ''Pink'' which received accolades from film critics and movie lovers alike. C ...

, Indian film director *

Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury (born 2 April 1956) is an Indian politician serving as the leader of the Indian National Congress in the 17th Lok Sabha and the Member of Parliament from Berhampore. He is also the current president of West Bengal Prades ...

, member of the

16th Lok Sabha Members of the 16th Lok Sabha were elected during the 2014 Indian general election. The elections were conducted in 9 phases from 7 April 2014 to 12 May 2014 by the Election Commission of India. The results of the election were declared on 16 M ...

of India *

Arindam Chaudhuri Arindam Chaudhuri is an Indian national best known for his involvement with the now-defunct Indian Institute of Planning and Management, an unaccredited institute that was previously headquartered in New Delhi and had 18 branches across India ...

, Indian author *

Rahul Chaudhari Rahul Chaudhari is an Indian international Kabaddi player, who has played as a defender and later became a magnificent raider. He was the first player ever to score 500, 700 and 800 raid points in Pro Kabaddi League. He was a member of the I ...

, Indian kabaddi player *

Somlata Acharyya Chowdhury Somlata Acharyya Chowdhury is an Indian Bengali singer. She rose to fame with the release of 'Tumi Asbe Bole' & 'Jagarane Jay Bibhabaree' from the Bengali film Ranjana Ami Ar Ashbona in 2011. She has been a prominent singer in Bengali films s ...

, Indian singer *

Sonali Chowdhury Sonali Chowdhury Ghosh Dastidar is an Indian film and television actress. She has worked in Bengali cinema and television shows, including ''Saat Bhai Champa'', ''Jol Nupur'' and '' Agniparikkha''. Life Choudhuri was born in Kolkata in 1980. Sh ...

, Indian actress * Chumki Choudhury, Indian actress *

Rina Choudhury Rina Choudhury is a former Indian actress who worked in Tollywood cinema and now working as a film director and writer. Her first film was ''Geetsangeet''. She directed ''Kalpataroo''. She also appeared in the Bengali serial ''Erao Sotru'' ...

, Indian actress *

Tridha Choudhury Tridha Choudhury is an Indian actress who predominantly appears in Hindi series and films and Telugu films. She won the title, ''Clean & Clear Times of India Freshface 2011''. Her first movie was ''Mishawr Rawhoshyo'' in 2013, directed by Srij ...

, Indian actress * Jogen Chowdhury, 21st century Indian painter * Pramatha Chaudhuri, 19th century Bengali writer and an influential figure in Bengali literature *

Salil Chowdhury Salil Chowdhury (19 November 1925 – 5 September 1995) was an Indian music director, songwriter, lyricist, writer and poet who predominantly composed for Bengali, Hindi and Malayalam films. He composed music for films in 13 languages. This in ...

, Indian music director & composer * Nirad C. Chaudhuri, Indian writer *

Shankar Roychowdhury General Shankar Roychowdhury is a former Chief of Army Staff of the Indian Army, and a former member of the Indian Parliament. Early life General Roychowdhury was born in Kolkata, West Bengal, India into the Zamindar family of Taki (India), ...

, Chief of Staff of the

Indian Army The Indian Army is the land-based branch and the largest component of the Indian Armed Forces. The President of India is the Supreme Commander of the Indian Army, and its professional head is the Chief of Army Staff (COAS), who is a four- ...

* Mrinal Datta Chaudhuri, theoretical economist, academic and professor of the

Delhi School of Economics Delhi School of Economics (DSE), popularly referred to as "D School", is a Higher Educational Institution within the University of Delhi. The Delhi School of Economics is situated in University of Delhi's North Campus in Maurice Nagar. Establ ...

. *

Joyanto Nath Chaudhuri General (India), General Jayanto Nath Chaudhuri (Bengali Language, Bengali: জয়ন্তনাথ চৌধুরী; 10 June 1908 – 6 April 1983) was a General Officer in the Indian Army. He served as the 6th Chief of the Army Staff ( ...

, Chief of Staff of the Indian Army *

Ravi Shankar Ravi Shankar (; born Robindro Shaunkor Chowdhury, sometimes spelled as Rabindra Shankar Chowdhury; 7 April 1920 – 11 December 2012) was an Indian sitarist and composer. A sitar virtuoso, he became the world's best-known export of North In ...

(born Rabindra Shankar Chowdhury), Indian musician and a composer of

Hindustani classical music Hindustani classical music is the classical music of northern regions of the Indian subcontinent. It may also be called North Indian classical music or, in Hindustani, ''shastriya sangeet'' (). It is played in instruments like the violin, si ...

Bula Choudhury Bula Choudhury (born 2 January 1970, Hugli, India) is an Indian former swimmer. She is an Arjuna awardee, Padma shri awardee, former India national women's swimming champion and elected as MLA from 2006 to 2011 representing Nandanpur in West ...

, Indian national women's swimming champion *

Najib Ali Choudhury Najib Ali Choudhury ( bn, নজিব আলী চৌধুরী) was a 19th-century Bengalis, Bengali Islamic scholar and teacher. He was notable for his founding of the Madinatul Uloom Bagbari, the first madrasa in the Barak Valley region. ...

, Islamic scholar and teacher *

Sarita Choudhury Sarita Catherine Louise Choudhury (born 18 August 1966) is a British actress, known for her role as Mina in the Mira Nair-directed feature film '' Mississippi Masala'' (1991). Choudhury has played roles in American and international films and te ...

, Indian actress and model *

Chaudhary Charan Singh Chaudhary Charan Singh (23 December 1902 – 29 May 1987) served as the 5th Prime Minister of India between 28 July 1979 to 14 January 1980. Historians and people alike frequently refer to him as the 'champion of India's peasants.' Charan S ...

, 6th Prime Minister of India * Pratik Chaudhari (born 1989), Indian footballer playing as a defender for Jamshedpur * Veerabhadram Chowdary, film director *

Renuka Chowdhury Renuka Chowdhury (born 13 August 1954) is an Indian politician and a member of the Indian National Congress, she represented the political party in the Rajya Sabha from Andhra Pradesh. She has also served as the Union minister of State (Indepe ...

, Union Minister of State *

Saifuddin Choudhury Saifuddin Choudhury (1 August 1952 – 14 September 2014), was an Indian politician who was a CPI(M) leader and MP from West Bengal state of India. In February 2001 he formed Party of Democratic Socialism (PDS). Political career He was e ...

, former Member of Parliament * Veeramachineni Jagapathi Rao Chowdary, Telugu film actor *

Chaudhary Devi Lal Chaudhary Devi Lal (born Devi Dayal; 25 September 1915 – 6 April 2001) was an Indian statesman who served as 6th Deputy Prime Minister of India from 1989 to 1991 in the governments of V. P. Singh and Chandra Shekhar. Also popularly known as T ...

, Deputy Prime Minister of India * K. V. Chowdary, Indian Revenue Service Central Vigilance Commissioner * Chaudhary Harmohan Singh Yadav, Shaurya Chakra awardee * Shagun Chowdhary, Indian shooter * Chaudhary Brahm Prakash Yadav, Chief Minister, Delhi *

Mahima Chaudhry Mahima Chaudhry is an Indian actress and model who worked in Hindi films. During the 1990s, Chaudhry did a few modelling assignments and appeared in several television commercials before venturing into films. She made her acting debut in the 1997 ...

, Indian actress and model * Mohinder Singh Chaudhury, Indian politician *

Rita Chowdhury Rita Chowdhury (born 17 August 1960) is an Indian poet, novelist and Sahitya Akademi Award recipient in the world of Assamese literature. She has been an associate professor in Cotton College, Guwahati, Assam in Political Science Department sin ...

, established poet and novelist,

Sahitya Akademi Award The Sahitya Akademi Award is a literary honour in India, which the Sahitya Akademi, India's National Academy of Letters, annually confers on writers of the most outstanding books of literary merit published in any of the 22 languages of the ...

recipient * Aadesh Chaudhary, Indian actor *

R. B. Choudary Ratanlal Bhagatram Choudary is an Indian film producer who has worked in several film industries, predominantly in Tamil and Telugu along with a few films in Malayalam and Hindi. He is the founder of the production company Super Good Films. C ...

, Indian film producer *

Y. S. Chowdary Yalamanchili Satyanarayana Chowdary (born 2 June 1961), popularly known as Sujana Chowdary or Srujana Chowdary, is an Indian politician Member of Parliament, Rajya Sabha member from the Bharatiya Janata Party. He was the Minister of State for Ea ...

, Indian central minister for state *

Gurmeet Choudhary Gurmeet Choudhary (born 22 February 1984) is an Indian actor and martial artist. He is known for his portrayal of Rama in '' Ramayan'', Maan Singh Khurana in '' Geet – Hui Sabse Parayi'' and Yash Suraj Pratap Sindhina in '' Punar Vivaah - Zi ...

, Indian television actor *

Ranjit Chowdhry Ranjit Chowdhry (19 September 1955 – 15 April 2020) was an Indian character actor, known for his roles in television, movies, and theatre. He appeared in two episodes of ''The Office'', as Vikram, a telemarketer who worked with Michael, and w ...

, Indian actor *

Karmveer Choudhary Karmveer Choudhary sometimes referred as Karamveer Chaudhary (born 24 July 1963, Jhunjhunu District) is an Indian actor and motivational speaker, best known for his works in Hindi cinema and Indian television. Life and career He started hi ...

, Indian actor * Kamla Chaudhry (born 1908), Indian short story writer * Yuvika Chaudhary (born 1983), Indian actress *

Amit Chaudhuri Amit Chaudhuri (born 15 May 1962) is a novelist, poet, essayist, literary critic, editor, singer, and music composer from India. He was Professor of Contemporary Literature at the University of East Anglia from 2006 to 2021, Since 2020, he has ...

, Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature * Ankush Chaudhari, Marathi film actor *

Ambikagiri Raichoudhury Ambikagiri Raichoudhury (1885–1967) was an Assamese poet, lyricist, singer, powerful prose writer, news worker, magazine editor, patriotic, social-worker and the leading freedom fighter of India's freedom struggle. He is known as Assam Kesari ...

, Assamese poet *

Moinul Hoque Choudhury Moinul Hoque Choudhury (13 May 1923 – 13 February 1976) was an Indian politician from Assam. A five-time MLA; he was the Minister of Commerce and Industrial Development during Indira Gandhi regime in 1971. He is also known as the Industrial Ref ...

, five-time MLA, two-time

UN General Assembly The United Nations General Assembly (UNGA or GA; french: link=no, Assemblée générale, AG) is one of the six principal organs of the United Nations (UN), serving as the main deliberative, policymaking, and representative organ of the UN. Cur ...

representative and Minister of Industrial Development * Rashida Haque Choudhury, former Minister of State of Social Welfare * Avinov Choudhury

Nepal

* Binod Chaudhary, Nepalese billionaire

Fiji

Mahendra Chaudhry Mahendra Pal Chaudhry ( hif, महेन्द्र पाल चौधरी; born 9 February 1942) is a Fijian politician and the leader of the Fiji Labour Party. Following a historic election in which he defeated the long-time former lead ...

, former Prime Minister of Fiji

Pakistan

Cecil Chaudhry Group Captain Cecil Chaudhry (Urdu:سیسل چودھری) (27 August 1941 – 13 April 2012) was a Pakistani academic, human rights activist, and a veteran fighter pilot. As a flight lieutenant, he fought in the Indo-Pakistani War of 1965 ...

, Pakistani academic, human rights activist, veteran fighter pilot *

Chaudhry Muhammad Ali Chaudhry Muhammad Ali ( Urdu, pa, ; 15 July 1905 – 2 December 1982), best known as Muhammad Ali, was a Pakistani politician and statesman who served as the fourth prime minister of Pakistan, appointed on 12 August 1955. His government tra ...

, fourth Prime Minister of Pakistan *

Choudhry Rahmat Ali Chaudhry Rahmat Ali (; ur, ; 16 November 1897 – 3 February 1951) was a Pakistani nationalist who was one of the earliest proponents of the creation of the state of Pakistan. He is credited with creating the name "Pakistan" for a separate M ...

Pakistan Movement The Pakistan Movement ( ur, , translit=Teḥrīk-e-Pākistān) was a political movement in the first half of the 20th century that aimed for the creation of Pakistan from the Muslim-majority areas of British India. It was connected to the per ...

activist and politician *

Fawad Chaudhry Fawad Ahmed Hussain Chaudhry (born 7 April 1970) is a Pakistani politician and a senior member of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf, who was Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting, in office since 14 April 2021 to 10 April 2022. Previously ...

, Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting * *

Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain ( pa, ; ur, ; (born 27 January 1940) is a senior Pakistani politician from a Punjabi Jat family of Gujrat who previously served as 16th prime minister of Pakistan. Hussain is the party president of the Pakistan ...

, 14th Prime Minister of Pakistan * Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry, former Chief Justice of Pakistan * and founder of

Atlas Air Atlas Air, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Atlas Air Worldwide Holdings, is a major American cargo airline, passenger charter airline, and aircraft lessor based in Purchase, New York. Atlas Air is the world's largest operator of the Boei ...

(FY 2019 revenue US$2.7 billion) * Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan, Minister of Interior of Pakistan

United Kingdom

* Akhlaq Choudhury, Judge of the British

High Court of Justice The High Court of Justice in London, known properly as His Majesty's High Court of Justice in England, together with the Court of Appeal and the Crown Court, are the Senior Courts of England and Wales. Its name is abbreviated as EWHC (Englan ...

Anwar Choudhury Anwar Bakht Choudhury ( bn, আনোয়ার বখত চৌধুরী; born 15 June 1959) is a British diplomat of Bangladeshi origin. He was Governor of the Cayman Islands until he was recalled in June 2018 after less than three mont ...

, diplomat at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office; former

Governor of the Cayman Islands The Governor of the Cayman Islands is the representative of the British monarch in the United Kingdom's overseas territory of the Cayman Islands. The Governor, a civil servant who has in modern times typically been a British subject normally res ...

, British Ambassador to Peru and British High Commissioner to Bangladesh * Anjem Choudary, Islamist political activist *

Asim Chaudhry Asim Chaudhry is a British comedian, writer, director and actor best known for playing Chabuddy G in the BBC mockumentary series ''People Just Do Nothing'', which he co-created. For this role, he won a Royal Television Society Award and was nom ...

, comedian and actor * Foysol Choudhury MBE – Businessman, community activist and Chairman of Edinburgh and Lothians Regional Equality Council. *

Hamza Choudhury Hamza Dewan Choudhury (born 1 October 1997) is an English professional footballer who plays as a defensive midfielder for EFL Championship side Watford, on loan from Leicester City. He has made over 80 appearances for Leicester since 2017, and ...

midfielder A midfielder is an outfield position in association football. Midfielders may play an exclusively defensive role, breaking up attacks, and are in that case known as defensive midfielders. As central midfielders often go across boundarie ...

for English football club Leicester City F.C. *

Himanshi Choudhry Himanshi Choudhry is a British actress. She is known for playing Sheetal Dhanrajgir in ''Tu Aashiqui'' and Sudha Dhawan in '' Inside Edge''. Early life and Career Choudhary was born in Manchester to Indian parents and grew up in New Delhi, Indi ...

, British actress * Khaled Choudhury, theatre personality and artist * Mamun Chowdhury – Businessman, and founder and co-director of London Tradition. *

Navin Chowdhry Navin Chowdhry (born 1 January 1971) is a British actor He is best known for his roles as Indra Ganesh in Doctor Who Sunil Mitesh in The Job Lot and as Nish Panesar in the BBC soap opera EastEnders. Early life Chowdhry is of Indian-origin and ...

- British actor *

Roshonara Choudhry Stephen Timms, the Labour MP for East Ham, was stabbed on 14 May 2010 during his constituency surgery by Roshonara Choudhry, a 21-year-old British former student and an Islamic extremist, in an attempt to kill him. She was found guilty of att ...

, British Islamic extremist * Shamim Chowdhury, TV and print journalist for Al Jazeera English * Shefali Chowdhury, actress best known for the role of

Padma Patil Dumbledore's Army (or D.A. for short) is a fictional student organisation in J. K. Rowling's ''Harry Potter'' series that is founded by the main characters, Harry Potter (character), Harry Potter, Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger, to stand up a ...

in the '' Harry Potter'' film series *

Sophie Choudry Sophie Choudry (born 8 February 1982) is a British singer and actress based in India. She has been active primarily in Hindi-language films and is also a former MTV India VJ and occasional model, and television presenter. Early life Sophie Ch ...

, British actress and singer *

Paul Chowdhry Tajpaul Singh Chowdhry (Punjabi: ਤਜਪੌਲ ਸਿੰਘ ਚੋਦਰੀ, born 21 August 1974), better known as Paul Chowdhry, is an English comedian and actor. He is of Indian Punjabi Sikh descent. He began his stand up career in 1998 and ...

English comedian of Punjabi origin.

United States

* Jay Chaudhry (born 1958/1959), American billionaire, CEO and founder of Zscaler * Michael Chowdry, founder of cargo airliner Atlas Air *

Satveer Chaudhary Satveer Singh Chaudhary (born June 12, 1969) is an American criminal and immigration lawyer. He is also a politician and a former member of the Minnesota State Senate and the Minnesota House of Representatives serving from 1996 to 2010. During h ...

, former Minnesota state senator * Subir Chowdhury, author and management consultant

Chaudhurani

* Faizunnesa Choudhurani, Muslim feminist and awarded the title

Nawab Nawab ( Balochi: نواب; ar, نواب; bn, নবাব/নওয়াব; hi, नवाब; Punjabi : ਨਵਾਬ; Persian, Punjabi , Sindhi, Urdu: ), also spelled Nawaab, Navaab, Navab, Nowab, Nabob, Nawaabshah, Nawabshah or Nobab, ...

Queen Victoria Victoria (Alexandrina Victoria; 24 May 1819 – 22 January 1901) was Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland from 20 June 1837 until her death in 1901. Her reign of 63 years and 216 days was longer than that of any previo ...

* Indira Devi Chaudhurani, Indian literary figure, author and musician. * Karimunnesa Khanam Chaudhurani (1855–1926), Bengali poet, social worker, and patron of literature. *

Sarala Devi Chaudhurani Sarala Devi Chaudhurani (born Sarala Ghosal; 9 September 1872 – 18 August 1945) was an Indian educationist and political activist, who founded Bharat Stree Mahamandal in Allahabad in 1910. This was the first national-level women's organizat ...

, founder of the first women's organisation in India, the Bharat Stree Mahamandal in Allahabad in 1910.

Fictional characters

*Indra Chaudhari, the protagonist of ''

Axiom Verge 2 ''Axiom Verge 2'' is a Metroidvania video game by American indie developer Thomas Happ Games. It is the sequel to ''Axiom Verge'' and was released on August 11, 2021, for Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4 and Windows (exclusive to the Epic Games Sto ...

Notes

References

{{Authority control Bengali-language surnames Titles in Bangladesh Indian surnames Pakistani names Punjabi-language surnames Gujarati-language surnames