The Khokhar or Khokar are a people of Punjab region of Pakistan and north-western India. According to H. A. Rose, they are the gotra (clan) of the Arain, Chura, Jat, Nai, and Rajput communities. According to Denzil Ibbetson, they are also a gotra of the Khatri and Tarkhan tribes. The Khokhars were designated as an agricultural tribe.

H. A. Rose finds early references to the Khokhars in the Taj-ul-Ma'asir, the Tabaqat-i-Nasir and the Ain-i-Akbari, with the earliest certain record being in the first of these, written in 1205 AD. These ancient texts recount a rebellion against the Muslim governor of Sangwan that occurred during the rule of Muhammad of Ghor. There had been incorrect rumours that the Sultan had died and these led to uprisings, among which was that of the Khokhars. They joined in rebellion with Rai Sal, the ruler of the Salt Range, but were heavily defeated. Rose makes it clear that there is uncertainty regarding whether Rai Sal was himself a Khokhar.

Rose believes that the origin of the Khokhar lay probably in a Hindu community but that they are "obscure" and some of their traditions of origin do not stand scrutiny. The tribal folklore claims a connection to the Awan community through a son of Qutb Shah, but Rose dismisses it as "this pedigree probably merely records the fact that the Awans and Khokhars owe their conversion to Islam to the saint Qutb Shah or his disciples, or that they both accepted his teachings." Rose is unconvinced by the Awan traditional lore regarding Qutb Shah which states that he ruled Herat and came to India to fight with several of his sons, including one called Khokhar, when Mahmud of Ghazni was invading an area which nowadays forms part of Afghanistan, Pakistan and northern India. Rose believes that the names of the descendants of Qutb Shah who came to settle in India are clearly not of Arabic origin and therefore the connection between those people and their alleged ancestor are unlikely.