[5] Its first mention in Bengali literature was by Daulat Uzir Bahram Khan in his adaption of Layla and Majnun.

The town was home to important Mughal government officials, including generals, civil servants and jagirdars.

During the reign of Emperor Jahangir in the 17th century, local zamindars Satrajit and Mukund resisted the Mughal government.

By the 19th century, the town was renamed as Faridpur in honour of the Sufi saint Shah Fariduddin Masud, a follower of the Chishti order of Ajmer.

[5] Haji Shariatullah and Dudu Miyan led the conservative Faraizi movement in Faridpur during the early 19th century.

The Faridpur Subdivision was a part of Dacca Division in the Bengal Presidency established by the East India Company.

[7][8] Prominent zamindar estates in Faridpur included the clan of Biswas Bari and Moyez Manzil.

British Faridpur was the birthplace of several nationalist leaders of the subcontinent, including Ambica Charan Mazumdar, Humayun Kabir, Maulvi Tamizuddin Khan, Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, Syed Qumrul Islam Saleh Uddin, Syeda Sajeda Chowdhury and KM Obaidur Rahman.

The Doyen & sole pioneer of Progressive culture, literature & theatre of Bangladesh and teacher of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman at the Faculty of Law in Dhaka University,Natyaguru Nurul Momen was born in Buraich of Alfadanga, now in Faridpur.

Faridpur District had a literacy rate (age 7 and over) of 72.13%, compared to the national average of 74.80%, and a sex ratio of 1059 females per 1000 males.

Folk festivities are held on the occasion of Annaprashana, Muharram, Bengali weddings, Jamai Shasthi, Bhadra Mangal Chandi.

Folk games of the district include Dariabandha, boat racing, Ha-du-du and cock fighting.