Chowdhury
Chowdhury is a title of honour, usually hereditary, originating from the Indian subcontinent.
Meaning and significance
"Chowdhury" is a term in Sanskrit, literally meaning "holder of four" and dhar. The name is an ancient Sanskrit term denoting the head of a community or caste. These people belonged to the zamindar families in British India.Chowdhuries of Cachar
The Muslim Mirashdars living in the Kachari Kingdom were given titles by the Kachari Raja which had a hierarchy, and in modern day acts as a surname for the Kachari Sylheti Muslims of the Barak Valley. The title was the highest ranking title granted by the Kachari king above Majumdar, Bhuiyan, Barbhuiyan, Mazarbhuiyan, Rajbarbhuiyan, Laskar, Barlaskar respectively.Alternate spellings
Its alternate spellings include: Chaudhary, Chaudri, Choudhary, Chaudhry, Chowdary, Chowdhary, Chaudhary, 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.Bangladesh
- Mukhlesur Rahman Chowdhury, de facto President and Prime Minister, former Adviser to Iajuddin Ahmed
- Mehazabien Chowdhury, Bangladeshi actress
- Abdul Munim Chowdhury, former MP for Habiganj-1
- Abdur Rouf Choudhury, writer
- Abu Lais Md. Mubin Chowdhury, former MP for Habiganj-3
- Justice Abu Sayeed Chowdhury, 2nd President of Bangladesh
- Justice A. F. M. Ahsanuddin Chowdhury, 9th President of Bangladesh
- Anwarul Karim Chowdhury, former UN Under Secretary General
- Ariful Haque Choudhury, Mayor of Sylhet
- A. Q. M. Badruddoza Chowdhury, 13th President of Bangladesh
- Ayesha Bedora Choudhury, doctor
- Justice Badrul Haider Chowdhury, 5th Chief Justice of Bangladesh
- Fazlul Qadir Chaudhry, 5th Speaker of the National Assembly of Pakistan
- Chowdhury Gulam Akbar, writer and collector of Bengali folk literature for the Bangla Academy
- Harris Chowdhury, former MP for Sylhet-5
- Hasan Mashhud Chowdhury, 11th Chief of Army Staff of the Bangladesh Army
- Humayun Rashid Choudhury, 41st President of the United Nations General Assembly & 7th Speaker of the Bangladesh National Parliament
- Jamilur Reza Choudhury, president of Bangladesh Mathematical Olympiad, vice-chancellor of University of Asia Pacific, adviser to Caretaker Government of Bangladesh
- Chowdhury Kazemuddin Ahmed Siddiky, founding president of Assam Bengal Muslim League
- Mahmudul Amin Choudhury, 11th Chief Justice of Bangladesh
- Mahmud Us Samad Chowdhury, former MP for Sylhet-3
- Justice Mainur Reza Chowdhury, 12th Chief Justice of Bangladesh
- Mizanur Rahman Chowdhury, 5th Prime Minister of Bangladesh
- Najma Chowdhury, founder of the Women and Gender Studies department in the University of Dhaka, adviser to Caretaker Government of Bangladesh
- 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, physicist and vice-chancellor of Shahjalal University of Science and Technology and Sylhet International University
- Salah Choudhury, editor of Weekly Blitz
- Shamsher M. Chowdhury, Bangladeshi diplomat and former secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs
- Shamsul Huda Chaudhury, 3rd Speaker of the Bangladesh National Parliament
- Shirin Sharmin Chaudhury, Speaker of the Bangladesh National Parliament
- Shayan Chowdhury, Bengali indie musician and singer
- Samson H. Chowdhury, Bengali Christian entrepreneur and business leader
- Yahya Chowdhury, former MP for Sylhet-2
- Yeamin Ahmed Chowdhury Munna, footballer for Chittagong Abahani
India
- Mahendra Mohan Choudhury, Chief Minister of Assam and Governor of Punjab
- Upendrakishore Ray Chowdhury, 19th century aristocrat
- Amitabh Chaudhry, Indian banker, CEO and MD of Axis Bank
- Anjan Choudhury, Bengali film director and writer
- A. B. A. Gani Khan Choudhury, Railway Minister of India
- Aniruddha Roy Chowdhury, Indian film director
- Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, member of the 16th Lok Sabha of India
- Arindam Chaudhuri, Indian author
- Rahul Chaudhari, Indian kabaddi player
- Somlata Acharyya Chowdhury, Indian singer
- Sonali Chowdhury, Indian actress
- Chumki Choudhury, Indian actress
- Rina Choudhury, Indian actress
- Tridha Choudhury, Indian actress
- Jogen Chowdhury, 21st century Indian painter
- Pramatha Chaudhuri, 19th century Bengali writer and an influential figure in Bengali literature
- Salil Chowdhury, Indian music director & composer
- Nirad C. Chaudhuri, Indian writer
- Shankar Roychowdhury, Chief of Staff of the Indian Army
- Mrinal Datta Chaudhuri, theoretical economist, academic and professor of the Delhi School of Economics.
- Joyanto Nath Chaudhuri, Chief of Staff of the Indian Army
- Ravi Shankar, Indian musician and a composer of Hindustani classical music
- Bula Choudhury, Indian national women's swimming champion
- Sarita Choudhury, Indian actress and model
- Chaudhary Charan Singh, 6th Prime Minister of India
- Pratik Chaudhari, Indian footballer playing as a defender for Jamshedpur
- Veerabhadram Chowdary, film director
- Renuka Chowdhury, Union Minister of State
- Saifuddin Choudhury, former Member of Parliament
- Veeramachineni Jagapathi Rao Chowdary, Telugu film actor
- Chaudhary Devi Lal, 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, Indian actress and model
- Mohinder Singh Chaudhury, Indian politician
- Sophie Choudry, Indian actress and dancer
- Rita Chowdhury, established poet and novelist, Sahitya Akademi Award recipient
- Aadesh Chaudhary, Indian actor
- R. B. Choudary, Indian film producer
- Y. S. Chowdary, Indian central minister for state
- Gurmeet Choudhary, Indian television actor
- Ranjit Chowdhry, Indian actor
- Karmveer Choudhary, Indian actor
- Kamla Chaudhry, Indian short story writer
- Yuvika Chaudhary, Indian actress
- Amit Chaudhuri, Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature
- Ankush Chaudhari, Marathi Film actor
- Ambikagiri Raichoudhury, Assamese poet
- Moinul Hoque Choudhury, five-time MLA, two-time UN General Assembly representative and Minister of Industrial Development
- Rashida Haque Choudhury, former Minister of State of Social Welfare
Nepal
- Binod Chaudhary, Nepalese billionaire
Fiji
- Mahendra Chaudhry, former Prime Minister of Fiji
Pakistan
- Cecil Chaudhry, Pakistani academic, human rights activist, veteran fighter pilot
- Chaudhary Rahmat Ali, Pakistani Movement activist
- Chaudhry Muhammad Ali, 4th Prime Minister of Pakistan
- Fazal Ilahi Chaudhry, 5th President of Pakistan
- Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain, 14th Prime Minister of Pakistan
- Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry, former Chief Justice of Pakistan
- Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan, Minister of Interior of Pakistan
United Kingdom
- Anjem Choudary, Islamist political activist
- Anwar Choudhury – The British High Commissioner for Bangladesh between 2004 and 2008. He is currently the Director of International Institutions at the Foreign & Commonwealth Office.
- Foysol Choudhury MBE – Businessman, community activist and Chairman of Edinburgh and Lothians Regional Equality Council.
- Hamza Choudhury, midfielder for English football club Leicester City F.C.
- Khaled Choudhury, theatre personality and artist
- Mamun Chowdhury – Businessman, and founder and co-director of London Tradition.
- Roshonara Choudhry, British Islamic extremist
- Shamim Chowdhury, TV and print journalist for Al Jazeera English
- Shefali Chowdhury, actress best known for the role of Padma Patil in Harry Potter
- Paul Chowdhry English comedian of Punjabi origin.
United States
- Jay Chaudhry, American billionaire, CEO and founder of Zscaler
- Michael Chowdry, founder of cargo airliner Atlas Air
- Satveer Chaudhary, former Minnesota state senator
- Subir Chowdhury, author & management consultant
Chaudhurani
- Faizunnesa Choudhurani, Muslim feminist and awarded the title Nawab by Queen Victoria
- Indira Devi Chaudhurani, Indian literary figure, author and musician.
- Karimunnesa Khanam Chaudhurani, Bengali poet, social worker, and patron of literature.
- Sarala Devi Chaudhurani, founder of the first women's organisation in India, the Bharat Stree Mahamandal in Allahabad in 1910.