Khan () is a surname of Turkic and Mongolian origin, used as a title in various global regions, and today most commonly found in parts of the Indian subcontinent, Iran, Eastern Europe, Uzbekistan and Russia.
It is derived from the historic title khan, referring to military chief or royalty. It originated as a hereditary title among nomadic tribes in the Central and Eastern Eurasian Steppe during antiquity and was popularized by Afghan dynasties in the rest of Asia as well as in Eastern Europe during the medieval period.Khan entry in Hobson-Jobson: the Anglo-Indian dictionaryAs cited in The Baburnama, 2002, W.M. Thackston p273.
The surname Khan is extremely common among Muslims in South Asia, including among those of Pashtun, Gujjar,Warikoo, Kulbhushan; Som, Sujit (2000). Gujjars of Jammu and Kashmir. Indira Gandhi Rashtriya Manav Sangrahalaya. p. 90 Rajput and Mongolic descent.People of India Volume XLII Part Three edited by A Hassan & J C Das page 1139 to 1141 Manohar Publications Khan as a last name is also used by the Maithil Brahmin, Bengali Hindus, and Kashmiri Hindus, native to the Kashmir Valley of the Indian union territory of Jammu and Kashmir. In the Caribbean, the surname is largely carried by Muslims of Indo-Caribbean descent.
, Khan is one of the most common surnames worldwide, shared by over 22 million people in Asia and 23 million people worldwide."Khan" (surname distribution), Forebears.io, 2014. Retrieved 18 May 2018. It is the surname of over 108,674 British Asians, making it the 12th-most common surname in the United Kingdom.
Notable people Bahlul Khan Lodi (1401–1489) was the chief of the Pashtun Lodi tribe. Founder of the Lodi dynasty from the Delhi Sultanate upon the abdication of the last claimant from the previous Sayyid rule. Bahlul became sultan of the dynasty on 19 April 1451 (855 AH). Khushal Khan Khattak (1613–1689; Pashto: خوشال خان خټک), also known as Khushal Baba (), was a Pashtun poet, chief, and warrior. Mirwais Khan Hotak, revolted against Safavid Iran and established the Hotak dynasty. Azad Khan Afghan rose to power between 1752 and 1757, and controlled part of the Azerbaijan region up to Urmia city, northwestern and northern Persia, and parts of southwestern Turkmenistan and eastern Kurdistan. Kalu Khan Yousafzai, Afghan warrior hero who annihilated the Mughal army at the Malandari Pass devastating the Emperor Akbar the Great Mohammad Khatirjama Khan, leader of the Pathan tribe, gained control over north Indian territory of today's Uttar Pradesh in the 20th century, formed his capital in the area known as Barwaliya.
Scholars, intellectuals and academics Ahmed Raza Khan (1856–1921), Sunni Islamic scholar of south Asia Dilwar Khan (1937–2013), Bengali poet Gul Khan Nasir (1914–1983), poet, historian and politician from Pakistan Geoffrey Khan (born 1958), professor of Semitic languages at the University of Cambridge Muhammad Mojlum Khan, non-fiction writer best known for The Muslim 100 Muhammad Siddiq Khan (1910–1978), Bengali academic from Bangladesh, "father of the Library and Information Science discipline in Bangladesh" M. A. Muqtedar Khan, Indian American Islamic philosopher, Sufi and academic Rukhsana Khan, Pakistani-Canadian children's writer and storyteller Salman "Sal" Khan, Bengali-American educator, known for the online Khan Academy Sirajul Hossain Khan, editor of Pakistan Times and the Eastern News Agency Wahiduddin Khan, Islamic scholar and peace activist Wasiullah Khan, Pakistani-American educator and founder of East–West University in Chicago Yasmin Khan (b. 1977), associate professor of history, Kellogg College, Oxford
Politicians and rulers Abdul Majid Khan, former MP for Habiganj-2, Bangladesh Abdul Majid Khan Tarin (1877–1939), senior political figure of the North-West Frontier Province, British India Abu'l-Khayr Khan, founder of Turko-Mongol Shaybanid Dynasty of Uzbekistan Akram Khan (born 1970), Indian politician Ahmad Khan, British politician, former Conservative MP Ahmad Khan Bangash, Nawab of Farrukhabad who commanded an Afghan division in the Third Battle of Panipat Ali Haidar Khan , soldier who singlehandedly stormed multiple hidden German forts which allowed his unit to safely cross the Senio River Ali Haider Khan (1896–1963), Nawab of Longla, Minister of Power (Assam Province) Alivardi Khan (1671–1756), Nawab of Bengal, Bihar and Orissa Ali Amjad Khan (1871–1905), Nawab of Longla, Magistrate Amanullah Khan, Sovereign of Afghanistan 1919–1929 Amir Khan (Pindari) (1768–1834), Pindari leader in the early 19th century, later the Nawab of Tonk Arif Mohammad Khan, Indian politician and current governor of Kerala Asaf Khan, Wazir (Prime Minister) of Emperor Jahangir and Shahjahan Asif Nawaz Khan Janjua (1937–1993), former Chief Of Army Staff of the Pakistan Army Ataur Rahman Khan (1907–1991), Bengali activist politician, later Chief Minister of East Pakistan Ayub Khan (field marshal), Pakistan Army's only Field Marshall and president of Pakistan Ayub Khan (Emir of Afghanistan), former emir of Afghanistan during the Second Anglo-Afghan War Bahlul Khan (died 1488), founder of the Lodi dynasty Bairam Khan (1501–1561), Mughal commander, mentor and guardian of Akbar the Great Bilge Kul Qadir Khan, first ruler of Kara-Khanid empire Bismillah Khan Mohammadi, politician in Afghanistan Bostan Khan Tarin, 19th-century Pashtun clan warrior Chaudhry Ali Akbar Khan (1911–1967), Pakistani Federal Minister for Home Affairs 1964–1966 Dilal Khan (1585–1666), Muslim ruler of Sandwip Dost Mohammad Khan, Sovereign of the Kingdom of Cabool and Afghanistan during the 19th century Fatali Khan Khoyski, first Prime Minister of Azerbaijan Democratic Republic Fateh Naseeb Khan, Chief General of Alwar Armed Forces Feroz Khan Noon (1893–1970), former Prime Minister of Pakistan Franklin Khan, Trinidad and Tobago politician Fuad Khan (born 1955), Trinidad and Tobago politician Ganj Ali Khan, military officer and Governor in Safavid Iran Gaju Khan Yousafzai, Afghan ruler of the 16th century Genghis Khan (1162–1227), Mongol warlord of the 12th century German Khan, Russian oligarch Ghazala Khan, mother of American soldier Humayun Khan Raja Ghazanfar Ali Khan Khokhar, one of Pakistan's first Federal Ministers Ghulam Jilani Khan (1925–1999), Governor of Punjab 1980 to 1985 Habibullah Khan Barakzai, Emir of Afghanistan from 1901 to 1919 Habibullah Khan Khattak, British-Indian and Pakistan army general who served in the Burma campaign as well as founder of an industrialist empire Habibullah Khan Marwat, acting Prime Minister of Pakistan and High Court judge Habibullah Khan Tarin, Pakistan army officer Habibullah Khan Tarzi, Afghan diplomat to France Hafiz Khan, Fijian Businessman, former Senator, and President of the Muslim League Hassan Khan (politician) (1936–2024), Indian politician Haydar Khan, 2nd Wazir of Sylhet Hulagu Khan, ruler of Mongolian horde Humayun Khan (soldier), United States Army Captain, died in the Iraq War in 2004 Iftikhar Khan (1909–1949), had been nominated to become the first local Commander in Chief of Pakistan Iftikhar Khan Janjua, Hero of the Rann of Kutch and fell in the Battle of Chamb Imran Khan, Former Prime Minister of Pakistan from 2018 to 2022 Ismail Khan, former Afghan politician and warlord from Herat Khan Abdul Ghaffar Khan Badshah Khan (1890–1988), Pashtun leader and activist Khan Sahib Shahal Khan Khoso (1909–1956), Baloch leader, MLA West Pakistan Assembly from 1953 to 1956 Khizr Khan, first ruler of Sayyid Dynasty, fourth period of the Delhi Sultanate Khizr Muazzam Khan, father of American soldier Humayun, known for a speech at the 2016 Democratic National Convention Khudadad Khan (1888–1971), Indian recipient of the Victoria Cross Kublai Khan, king of China and founder of Yuan Dynasty Kutb Khan, commandant of Mahim when it was under Gujarat Sultanate Krum Khan, ruler and founder of Bulgaria Leila Khan, Pakistani politician Liaquat Ali Khan (1895–1951), 1st Prime Minister of Pakistan Lina Khan, Chair of the United States Federal Trade Commission from 2021 to 2025 Maryam Khan (born 1989), member of the Connecticut State House M.J. Khan, member of the Houston City Council Malik Umar Hayat Khan (1875–1944), elected member of the Council of State of India Munawar Khan Awan, soldier of INA and later Pakistani Army, known for Operation Gibraltar Mahboob Ali Khan, 6th Nizam of Hyderabad, popularly known as Teesmaar Khan Mir Osman Ali Khan (1886–1967), 7th Nizam of Kingdom of Hyderabad Mete Khan, ruler and warlord of the Xiongnu confederation in 2nd century BCE China. Sultan Fetih Mehmet Khan, Ottoman sultan notable for the capture of Constantinople Muhammad Hamidullah Khan (1938–2011), Bangladeshi military leader, politician and author General Muhammad Musa Khan Hazara, former Chief Of Army Staff of the Pakistan Army Muhammed Akbar Khan, the first Muslim to become a General in British Indian Army Mohammad Daoud Khan, former (1909–1978), former Prime Minister and President of Afghanistan Muhammad Khan Junejo (1932–1993), former Prime Minister of Pakistan Muhammad Zafarullah Khan (1893–1985), the first Foreign Minister of Pakistan Murshid Quli Khan ( 1665–1727), founder of the Nawab rulers in Bengal Nauroz Khan (1874–1964), Balochi Independence movement leader Nahar Khan, The Ruler of Mewat Najib Khan Yousafzai, Afghan Rohilla warrior and House Chief of Rohilkhand Nawab Ali Abbas Khan, Jatiya Party politician and three-time MP for Maulvibazar-2, Bangladesh Nawab Ali Haider Khan, 9th Nawab of Longla, minister and leader of the Independent Muslim Party Nawab Qaim Khan, 14th-century Ameer of the Delhi Sultanate and chief of Qaimkhani clan Nawazish Alam Khan (Hindi: नवाज़िश आलम ख़ान), Indian Baloch politician and member of the Sixteenth Legislative Assembly of Uttar Pradesh Nela Khan, Trinidad and Tobago politician Nisar Ali Khan (born 1954), Pakistani politician, former cabinet minister and opposition leader in the National Assembly of Pakistan Prince Aly Khan (1911–1960), Pakistani United Nations diplomat Prince Sadruddhin Aga Khan (1933–2003), diplomat, UN High Commissioner for Refugees from 1965 to 1977 Qasim Khan, founder of Qasim Khanate dynasty of Russia Qasim Khan politician and deputy speaker of Pakistan from 2018 to 2022 Rabina Khan, councillor for Shadwell and former Housing Cabinet member in Tower Hamlets, London Raeesah Khan, former Member of Parliament in Singapore Raja Habib ur Rahman Khan (1913–1978), Indian freedom fighter with the Indian National Army Raja Muhammad Zulqarnain Khan, President of AJK Raja Muhammed Sarfraz Khan (1905–1968), member of the Pakistan Movement Raja Sakhi Daler Khan Mangral, Kashmiri freedom fighter with the Indian National Army Raja Saroop Khan, former Governor of Punjab Rana Sanaullah Khan, Interior Minister of Pakistan from 2022 to 2023 Rana Khudadad Khan, President of Pakistan Muslim League (Punjab) Rana Afzal Khan (1949–2019), Finance Minister of Pakistan and PML-N Leader Rana Mohammad Hanif Khan (1922–2005), Finance Minister of Pakistan Rana Muhammad Iqbal Khan, Speaker of the Punjab Assembly from 2008 Rana Nazeer Ahmed Khan (born 1949), Pakistani former Federal Minister Rana Phool Muhammad Khan, MPA from Bhai Pheru (Phool Nagar) Purnendu Khan, MP from Uluberia Constituency of Bengal Sadiq Khan, Mayor of London Saifullah Khan family is a prominent political family of modern-day Pakistan, also known as Khans of Mewat Raja Hasan Khan Mewati was a Muslim Rajput Ruler of the Khanzada Dynasty of Mewat. Sahabzada Yaqub Khan (1920–2016), Pakistani general and diplomat Sardar Farooq Khan Leghari (1940–2010), first Baloch president of Pakistan Sardar Muhammad Ibrahim Khan (1915–2003), founder of Azad Jammu Kashmir State Sardar Shaukat Hayat Khan (1915–1998), senior political figure and lieutenant of the Quaid-i-Azam in the Punjab