Abro, Abra, or Abda (Sindhi: ابڙو) is a Sindhi surname. It is a sub-clan of the larger Samma tribe that at present chiefly occupies the region of Sindh in Pakistan.

The Abro tribe is an influential community residing in Sindh, Balochistan (in Kacchi Plains, Detha or Detho title of some clans in Jakhro or Jakhra are in majority), and Kutch. Historically, they trace their origins to the Samma Rajputs. The tribe is known for producing notable leaders, warriors, and tribal chiefs. Jam Abro Arbhang, remembered for defending Soomra women from Alauddin Khilji's forces, stands out as a historical hero. The Abros have contributed to Sindh's cultural heritage, with their stories celebrated in folklore and Shah Abdul Latif Bhittai's poetry. Today, they maintain their tribal identity while adapting to modern social dynamics.^[1]

The tribe has several sub-clans, often named after notable ancestors or founders.

The Abras are a branch of the larger Sindhi Samma tribe, they were landowners in North Western Sindh during the Mughal era, A Zamindar from the Abro Tribe named Meer Abro in the chandka pargunah made a huge canal in his areas, and then he made the foundations of countless villages and towns, out of them Jokh'ayē Harnri and Mahmīr were two very big Towns

Aside from that, Nanda' Abro laid the foundations for the Puptrī' town, the religious guide of this Sindhi-Muslim Abrā' Tribe was Murshid Shāh Alī' who used to call himself a Mahdejo', he also founded a village called Kotlī

Seeing this, The Abra Tribe all throughout the Chandka Pargunah started to dig Canals, making them one of the most powerful and rich tribes of northwestern Sindh. ^[2]

Abras got influence in northern Sindh during the early Kalhora era, where they held the forts of Tarai and Naushahro Abro. ^[3]

The Naushahro Abro Fort was built by Jalal Khan Abro and his brother Jam Siddique Abro, who both were Disciples of Mian Shahul Mouhammed Kalhoro but later on Mian Shahul Mouhammed Kalhoro took on the lands of the Sangi and Abra tribes around 1657. ^[4]

During the Rule of the Talpur dynasty, Jam Ali Mardan Abro, the grandson of Jalal Khan Abro, had acquired great influence in northern Sindh. He could rise up to 8 - 10 thousand Abra Tribesmen, Mir Fateh Ali Khan Talpur tried a lot to include him in the Talpur court, Mir Nasir Khan Talpur gifted him a golden sword for his valuable military service, Jam Ali Mardan Abro used to receive 971 shikarpuri rupees and 100 Kharars of rice from the Talpur amirs of Sindh, after the Death of Jam Ali Mardan his son Jam Ali Hyder abro became the head of the Abra tribe. ^{[5] [6]}

Some of the well-known sub-clans of the Abro tribe include:

• Jakhro
• Kakepota
• Mungrani
• Kamario (also spelled Kamaria)
• Khakhrani
• Agham
• Jeho (also spelled Jeha)
• Seelro (also spelled Seelra)
• Marfani
• Sawand
• Khuhro
• Shairani
• Bhutani (also spelled Bhootani)
• Kehar
• Markiani
• Luhur
• Sadhayo
• Rahuja
• Odho

• The spellings and names of some sub-clans may vary across different sources.
• A comprehensive list of all sub-clans is not clearly documented in a single official or academic source.
• For Wikipedia references, reliable sources such as books, research articles, and tribal encyclopedias should be used.

Notable people bearing the surname Abro, who may or may not be associated with the tribe, include:

• Allama Ali Khan Abro, scholar
• Jamal Abro (1924–2004), Pakistani writer
• Mazhar Abro, Pakistani writer and poet
• Murad Abro (1966–2008), Pakistani politician
• Sohai Ali Abro, Pakistani actress
• Suhaee Abro
• Mir Abdul Majid Abro, Pakistani politician
• Tariq Alam Abro (1958–2011) — Novelist, short story writer, and playwright in Sindhi literature.
• Dr. Fauzia Idrees Abro — Cybersecurity and AI expert; Associate Professor at Royal Holloway, University of London, and Global Ambassador for Responsible AI.
• Major General Muhammad Shahid Abro — Promoted to Major General in the Pakistan Army.
• Senator Muhammad Aslam Abro — Pakistani politician; served as MPA and then as Senator from Sindh.
• Senator Saifullah Abro — Member of the Senate of Pakistan (from Sindh).

• Some individuals are associated with the Abro surname but may not hold official tribal leadership positions.
• This list is not exhaustive and can be expanded with other notable figures from the tribe, including historical leaders and cultural contributors.

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Surname list

This page lists people with the surname Abro.
If an internal link intending to refer to a specific person led you to this page, you may wish to change that link by adding the person's given name(s) to the link.