Chopra

Chopra (Gurmukhī: ਚੋਪੜਾ, Devanāgarī: चोपड़ा, IAST: chopṛa) is a Punjabi Khatri family name.

Etymology and historical references

The earliest reference to this family name dates back to around 400 AD. One of the important characters of a famous Punjabi legend 'Raja Rasalu' is minister Mahita Chopra. Most scholars agree that Raja Rasalu is a historical figure that ruled from Sialkot and lived sometime between 400 to 500 AD. If this is true, then the Chopra family name developed by that time.

Other references are more recent. Khatris of Chopra clan claim Crimean Tatar and Lipka Tatar ancestry.

List of notable people

Some well known people with this last name include (no relation to each other in most cases):

• B.R. Chopra — a film director
• Vikas Chopra — a well known DBA
• Daniel Chopra — a professional golfer
• Deepak Chopra — a contemporary writer
• Michael Chopra — a British footballer
• Prem Chopra — a film actor
• Priyanka Chopra — a film actress and former Miss World
• Ravi Chopra — a film director
• Vidhu Vinod Chopra — a film director, writer, and producer
• Yash Chopra — a film director, writer, and producer
• Aditya Chopra — a film director and producer
• Nikhil Chopra — former Indian cricketer
• Akash Chopra — Indian cricketer from Delhi
• Anjum Chopra — Indian woman cricketer
• Varun Chopra — English cricketer
• Harshad Chopra — Indian Television Actor

See also

• Caste
• Punjabi people
• Sikhs
• Hinduism in Punjab
• Khatri

References

• Temple, R.C. "The Legends of The Panjab", 1884. Many reprints 1977, 2002 (ISBN 81-7167-636-7, 0405101287)
• Dictionary of American Family Names, Oxford University Press, ISBN 0-19-508137-4
• Imperial Rule in the Punjab: The Conquest and Administration of Multan, 1818-1881 by James Royal Roseberry, III. Journal of the American Oriental Society, Vol. 110, No. 1 (Jan. - Mar., 1990), p. 176
• Griffin, Lepel Henry. The Panjab chiefs, historical and biographical notices, 1865