Qureshi

Qureshi is widely distributed surname in some Muslim countries.

The Dictionary of American Family Surnames states that it is Arabic and "indicat[es] descent from the Quraish, the leading tribe in Mecca at the time of the birth of the prophet Muhammad (510)".^[1]

It is a common surname in South Asia, especially in Pakistan (82%: 1,210,000, out of 1,470,000 worldwide), where it is the ninth most common surname. India has the second most (11%: 162,000). It is also present in parts of Western Asia, in Saudi Arabia (2.5%: 36,300), Iran, and England (0.65%: 9,580).^[2]^[3]

Families with the surname Qureshi in the Indian subcontinent claim inheritance from the Quraish tribe of ancient Mecca.^[3] However, DNA testing has shown they are of South Asian ancestry and do not have any Arab ancestry.^[4]

Notable people

Abdul Najeeb Qureshi (born 1988), Indian sprinter from Hyderabad
Abdul Subhan Qureshi, or Abdus Subhan (born 1972), fugitive from India wanted on terrorism charges
Abdullah Qureshi (activist) (1935–2007), Pakistani activist
Abu Ibrahim al-Hashimi al-Qurashi (1976–2022), leader of the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant
Ahsaan Qureshi, Indian stand-up comedian
Aisam-ul-Haq Qureshi (born 1980), Pakistani professional tennis player
Akhlaq Qureshi (born 1962), Italian Pakistani cricketer
Altaf Hassan Qureshi (1932–2026), Pakistani Urdu journalist, political analyst, and author
Amir Qureshi (born 1974), Pakistani football player
Amjad Qureshi (1895–1972), Pakistani cricket umpire
Asad Qureshi, British Pakistani filmmaker
Ayessha Quraishi (born 1970), Pakistani artist
Aziz Qureshi (1941–2024), 15th Governor of Mizoram, India
Bashir Ahmed Qureshi (1959–2012), Sindhi nationalist from Pakistan
Dulari Qureshi (born 1950), Indian art historian
Faisal Qureshi (television personality), Pakistani TV director
Farukh Qureshi (born 1986), Norwegian politician
Faysal Qureshi (actor) (born 1973), Pakistani actor
Fazal Ali Qureshi (1853 or 1854–1935), Islamic scholar and Naqshbandi sheikh from British India
Fazal Qureshi (born 1961), Indian tabla player
Ferdous Ahmed Qureshi (1941–2020), Bangladeshi politician and chairman of the Progressive Democratic Party
Ghulam Samdani Qureshi (1929–1991), Bangladeshi poet and writer
Habibullah Qurayshi (1865–1943), Bengali Islamic scholar
Haider Qureshi (born 1953), Pakistani Urdu poet
Huma Qureshi (born 1986), Indian actress and model
Huma Qureshi (journalist), British Pakistani freelance journalist
Iqbal Hussain Qureshi (1937–2012), Pakistani nuclear chemist
Ishtiaq Hussain Qureshi (1903–1981), Pakistani historian and scholar
Ismail Qureshi al Hashmi (1260–1349), Islamic preacher based in medieval India
Javed Qureshi (born 1961), Pakistani cricketer
Jazib Qureshi (1940–2021), Urdu poet
Kamal Qureshi (born 1970), Danish Pakistani politician
Kamran Qureshi (born 1975), British filmmaker
Khalil Qureshi, Pakistani physical chemist
M. Shahid Qureshi, Pakistani astrophysicist
Mazhar Mahmood Qurashi, or Mazhar Mahmood Qureshi (1925–2011), Pakistani physicist
Michael Qureshi (born 1976), Danish journalist
Moeenuddin Ahmad Qureshi (1930–2016), Pakistani economist and political figure
Mohammad Shafi Qureshi (1928–2016), Muslim politician from India
Muhammad Hafeez Qureshi (1930–2007), Pakistani nuclear scientist and mechanical engineer
Muhammad Hanif Qureshi, Pakistani artist
Muhammad Muzammil Qureshi (born 1979), Pakistani politician
Murad Qureshi (born 1965), British-Bangladeshi politician
Mustafa Qureshi (born 1938), Pakistani film and television actor
Nabeel Qureshi (author) (1983–2017), American author, speaker and Christian apologist
Nabeel Qureshi (director) (born 1985), Pakistani film, television, and music video director
Parvaiz Mehdi Qureshi (born 1943), Pakistan Air Force officer
Pernia Qureshi, Indian Pashtun style icon and fashion entrepreneur
Rafat Saeed Qureshi, Indian Urdu writer
Rashid Qureshi, Pakistan Army general
Reshma Qureshi, Indian model and vlogger
Robina Qureshi (born 1964), Scottish human rights campaigner
Sadiq Hussain Qureshi (1927–2000), Pakistani politician who served as both Governor and Chief Minister of Punjab Province
Safi Qureshey, or Safi Qureshi, American Pakistani entrepreneur
Sajid Qureshi (died 2013), Pakistani politician
Sajjad Hussain Qureshi (1923–1996), 15th Governor of Punjab Province, Pakistan
Saqib Saleem, or Saqib Saleem Qureshi (born 1988), Indian film actor and model
Sarah Quraishi, Pakistani aerospace engineer
Shah Abdul Majid Qureshi (1915–2003), Bangladeshi restaurateur and social reformer
Shah Mehmood Qureshi (born 1956), Pakistani politician, agriculturist, and parliamentarian
Shahid Ul Haq Qureshi (1945–unknown), Pakistani electrical engineer
Subhan Qureshi (born 1959), biologist from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan
Talal Qureshi, Pakistani DJ
Taufiq Qureshi (born 1962), Indian classical musician
Uzair Qureshi (born 1993), English cricketer
Waheed Qureshi (1925–2009), Pakistani linguist
Yasmin Qureshi (born 1963), British Labour Party politician and barrister
Zakir Qureshi (1967–2025), Pakistani television chef

Others

Aki Nawaz, or Haq Nawaz Qureshi (born 1961), British musician; part of the band Fun-Da-Mental; best known for playing drums with post-punk band Southern Death Cult, a forerunner to The Cult

Alla Rakha, or Ustad Allarakha Qureshi (1919–2000), Indian tabla player

References

^ Hanks, Patrick (2003). "Qureshi". Dictionary of American Family Names: 3-Volume Set. Oxford University Press. p. 148. ISBN 978-0-19-977169-1.
^ "Qureshi Surname Meaning & Statistics". Forebears. Retrieved 31 March 2017. Data as of 2014. Frequency counts rounded to three significant digits; percentages to two significant digits. See the Talk page.
^ ^a ^b Ahmad, Zarin (2018-06-14). Delhi's Meatscapes: Muslim Butchers in a Transforming Mega-City. Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0-19-909538-4.
^ "Qureshi Surname/Last Name: Meaning, Origin & Family History". discover.23andme.com. Retrieved 2024-06-12.

Qureshi

Notable people

References

See also