Is this your surname? Why not share this page on Facebook

Surname Etymology and Meaning of CHOWDHURY

New! Discuss the origin and etymology of CHOWDHURY at the British Surnames Forum - contribute your own knowledge and information about where CHOWDHURY comes from.

Name meanings and etymologies are often disputed. The information here is compiled from freely available sources, and no claims whatsoever are made for accuracy, either historical or etymological.

Indian (Bengal) and Bangladeshi: Muslim and Hindu status name for a head of a community or caste, from Sanskrit catus- ‘four-way’, ‘all-round’ + dhuriya ‘undertaking a burden (of responsibility)’ (Sanskrit dhura ‘burden’). The title was originally awarded to persons of eminence, both Muslims and Hindus, by the Mughal emperors. The Khatris have a clan called Chowdhury. In some traditions the term is said to derive from a title for a military commander controlling four different fighting forces, namely navy, cavalry, infantry, and elephant corps, but this is probably no more than folk etymology.

Source: Dictionary of American Family Names (2003)