Sikh names

Last updated July 16, 2024

Sikhs have a given name and one or both of a surname and a Khalsa name. The surname may be a family name (based on the name of the ancestral village) or a caste name. Different castes still exist today in some aspects of Punjabi culture; similarly to the Hindu caste system, this system is based on employment^{[ citation needed ]} (ex. jatt signifies the farming caste).^{[ citation needed ]}

On becoming a Khalsa, the Sikh undertakes the obligation to wear the physical symbols of this status (the Five Ks) and takes the name "lion", usually romanized as Singh, if a man, or /kaur/ "the Crown Princess" for female, usually romanized as Kaur, if a woman. (Note that Singh is spelled irregularly: it is written /singh/ but pronounced /siṅg) These names reflect the strong egalitarianism of the Sikh religion. The adopting of the Khalsa name is symbolic for being a member of a larger family or faith. These names were originally intended to replace the Sikh's original surname, which was often a caste name.

Some Sikhs do replace their original surname with their Khalsa name, but many retain their original surname and add the Khalsa name before it. Thus, a man born Sandeep Brar should become Sandeep Singh but more likely will become Sandeep Singh Brar. Similarly, a woman born Harjeet Gill should become Harjeet Kaur or Harjeet Kaur Gill.

Personal names

Sikhs use a set of several hundred given names, all or nearly all meaningful, usually with a religious or moral theme.^{[ citation needed ]} For example, Ujjal means "bright, clean, holy".^{[ citation needed ]} The process of choosing a Sikh's first name, known as the Naam Karan, occurs following the first few days of their birth, in a ceremony called the Hukamnama (referring to a hymn from the Guru Granth Sahib as the will from God); a family often selects a name for a child by opening the Sikh holy scripture, the Guru Granth Sahib to a certain "aang" (page) and choosing a name that begins with the first letter of the first word on the "aang".^{[ citation needed ]}

Sikh given names are gender neutral, generally formed of a prefix and a suffix (ex. Har/jeet/).^{[ citation needed ]} There is however, a gender connotation attached when pronouncing a name, say Parkāśh for example; it may be either male or female, but /parakāśō/ is female while /parakāśū/ is male. ^{[ citation needed ]}

Family names

In Sikhism, women don't change their surnames after marriage - this is due to the fact that each partner keeps Singh and Kaur respectively, who use their preferred names).^{[ citation needed ]} Again, Punjabi culture generally contradicts this as women are expected to take their husband's family name. Their daughters would then generally have a given name, as well as the Khalsa name and their father's last name, which is usually the name of the father's village; for example, a girl with the name Harjeet, whose father's last name is Aulakh, would then become Harjeet Kaur Aulakh (meaning "Harjeet, princess of Aulakh"). In spite that this system is not permitted for Sikhs as it reinforces both tribalism and the patriarchy, it is the most widely used naming system amongst non-initiated Sikhs (and still prevalent among initiated Sikhs).^{[ citation needed ]} Sikh girls take on last name of Singh, a practice more common in larger cities. ^{[ citation needed ]}

Many Sikhs use the sole Singh and Kaur (without any other family name). Initiation is not necessary to use these Sikh last names. Some believers maintain that this practice of naming without using the word Singh or Kaur is manmat (Against the will of the Guru) and is prohibited in the Rehat Maryada (The way of living of Sikhs).^[1]

Caste

Many Sikhs append the name of their sub-caste (known as a got in Punjabi and gotra in Hindi) as their surname.^[2]^: 40–41 A got is an exogamous grouping within a particular caste (known as a zat in Punjabi and jati in Hindi).^[2]^: 343 A zat is an endogamous caste grouping, which contains gots under it.^[2]^: 345 Some Sikhs are against the usage of got names as surnames because they think it promotes the caste system and the discrimination that comes from it, which is against Sikh doctrines.^[2]^: 98 Sikhs tend to marry someone belonging to a different got as themself whilst belonging to the same zat.^[2]^: 40–41

Related Research Articles

Sikhism, also known as Sikhi, is a monotheistic religion and philosophy, that originated in the Punjab region of India around the end of the 15th century CE. Sikhism is classified as an Indian religion or Dharmic religion along with Buddhism, Hinduism, and Jainism. It is one of the most recently founded major religious groups and among the largest in the world with about 25–30 million adherents.

Khalsa refers to both a community that considers Sikhism as its faith, as well as a special group of initiated Sikhs. The Khalsa tradition was initiated in 1699 by the Tenth Guru of Sikhism, Guru Gobind Singh. Its formation was a key event in the history of Sikhism. The founding of Khalsa is celebrated by Sikhs during the festival of Vaisakhi.

The following outline is provides an overview of Sikhism, or Sikhi.

The Dasam Granth is a collection of various poetic compositions attributed to Guru Gobind Singh. The text enjoyed an equal status with the Adi Granth, or Guru Granth Sahib, in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries and were installed side by side on the same platform. The Dasam Granth lost favor during the colonial period when reformist Singh Sabha Movement scholars couldn't contextualize the reworkings of Puranic stories or the vast collection of 'Tales of Deceit' Sri Charitropakhyan.

Kaur, sometimes spelled as Kour, is a surname or a part of a personal name primarily used by the Sikh and some Hindu women of the Punjab region. It is also sometimes translated as 'lioness', not because this meaning is etymologically derived from the name, but as a parallel to the Sikh male name Singh, which means 'lion'.

The Nihang or Akali, also known as Dal Khalsa, is an armed Sikh warrior order originating in the Indian subcontinent. Nihangs are believed to have originated either from Fateh Singh and the attire he wore or from the "Akal Sena" started by Guru Hargobind. Early Sikh military history was dominated by the Nihang, known for their victories where they were heavily outnumbered. Traditionally known for their bravery and ruthlessness in the battlefield, the Nihang once formed the irregular guerrilla squads of the armed forces of the Sikh Empire, the Sikh Khalsa Army.

The Akhand Kirtani Jatha, alternatively romanized as the Akhand Keertanee Jathaa and abbreviated as AKJ, is a jatha and sect of Sikhism dedicated to the Sikh lifestyle. The Jatha follows a strict discipline in keeping the Rehat of Guru Gobind Singh. They also enjoy an active style of Keertan recited by Sikhs in a collective manner in front of Guru Granth Sahib. This style of Keertan is relatively simple, and the entire congregation devotionally participates in singing along.

Piara Singh Bhaniara also known as Baba Bhaniara, was a Dalit religious leader from Punjab, India. He established a Sikh sect in the 1980s, which was opposed by mainline Khalsa Sikhs as insulting to their faith. In 2001, his followers published their own holy text Bhavsagar Granth, and allegedly insulted the Sikh holy book Guru Granth Sahib. This sparked violence against Bhaniara's followers. The Government of Punjab banned Bhavsagar Granth, and arrested and jailed Bhaniara.

The Sarbloh Granth or Sarabloh Granth, also called Manglacharan Puran or Sri Manglacharan Ji, is a voluminous scripture, composed of more than 6,500 poetic stanzas. It is traditionally attributed as being the work of Guru Gobind Singh, the tenth Sikh guru. Scholars, on the other hand, attribute the work to after the Guru's death, being authored by an unknown poet. The work is mostly revered by the Nihang sect.

Panj Pyare refers to a gathered ad hoc quintet of five baptised (Amritdhari) Khalsa Sikhs who act as institutionalized leaders for the wider Sikh community.

The principal Sikh scripture is the Adi Granth, more commonly called the Guru Granth Sahib. The second most important scripture of the Sikhs is the Dasam Granth. Both of these consist of text which was written or authorised by the Sikh Gurus.

The principles of Sikhism state that women have the same souls as men and thus possess an equal right to cultivate their spirituality with equal chances of achieving salvation. Women in Sikhism participate in all religious, cultural, social, and secular activities including lead religious congregations, take part in the Akhand Path, perform Kirtan, perform Gatka and work as a Granthis.

A Gurmata, alternatively romanized as Gurumatta, is an order upon a subject that affects the fundamental principles of Sikh religion and is binding upon all Sikhs. Gurmata is similar to Fatwa in the Muslim tradition with a difference that Fatwa is not binding on all Muslims while Gurmata is binding on all Khalsa, however it is not binding on non-Khalsa Sikhs. Gurmatas were used in the 18th century to refer to the resolutions passed by the Sarbat Khalsa, a large gathering of esteemed Sikhs.

Jat Sikh or Jatt Sikh is an ethnoreligious group, a subgroup of the Jat people whose traditional religion is Sikhism, originating from the Indian subcontinent. They are one of the dominant communities in the Punjab, India owing to their large land holdings. They form an estimated 20–25% of the population of the Indian state of Punjab. They form at least half of the Sikh population in Punjab, with some sources estimating them to be about 60–66% appx. two-third of the Sikh population.

A Hukamnama, in modern-times, refers to a hymn from the Guru Granth Sahib which is given as an injunction, order, or edict to Sikhs. It also refers to edicts issued by the contemporary Takhts. In the historical sense, it was used to refer to an issued commandment, instruction, injunction, order, or edict given by one of the Gurus of Sikhism or their officiated followers and associates during their lives.

The following list consists of concepts that are derived from both Sikh and Indian tradition. The main purpose of this list is to disambiguate multiple spellings, to make note of spellings no longer in use for these concepts, to define the concept in one or two lines, to make it easy for one to find and pin down specific concepts, and to provide a guide to unique concepts of Sikhism all in one place.

A Ragi is a Sikh musician who plays hymns (shabads) in different ragas as prescribed in the Sri Guru Granth Sahib.

Sikhism was founded in Punjab in 1469 by Guru Nanak on the foundations that everyone is equal, regardless of caste, age, or gender. Both men and women are supposed to follow the Five Ks: Kesh, Kangha (comb), Kara, Kachera and Kirpan, and there was never a distinction between what a woman should be allowed to do versus a man at theological level. Men and women are treated equally in the temple (gurdwara), and everyone eats and prays side-by-side. Both men and women are meant to carry the Kirpan with them as they are responsible for their own physical protection, and should not depend on others. Sikhs are strictly against the caste system and many chose to use Kaur or Singh as a last name to push against the problematic caste system in India. There is only one god (Waheguru) in Sikhism and they are without form or gender, and everyone is equal in the eyes of God. Many Sikh women believe that this absence of assignment of code of conduct for a woman versus a man proves that their religion is historically committed to gender equality. Presently, the culture does not always follow these traditions and equality is often more true in ideals rather than daily practice. According to Kiman Kaur: "It is essential to take into account the diverse Kaur narratives in order to critically understand the violence Sikh women experience due to religious, ethnic, and gender minoritization through enabling more intersectional conversations."

Amrit Sanskar also called Amrit Parchar, Amrit Sanchar, Khande di Pahul, or Khande Batte di Pahul is one of the four Sikh Sanskaars. The Amrit Sanskar is the initiation rite introduced by Guru Gobind Singh when he founded the Khalsa in 1699.

Santhiya or Santhya is the correct pronunciation (ucharan) of Gurbani, taught in the manner of the 10th Sikh Guru, Guru Gobind Singh. It is comparable to the Islamic tajwid. Santhiya is almost always taught via a giani, who then teaches a vidyarthi (student). Educated vidyarthis can also teach other Sikhs santhiya. It involves the precise recitation and flow (rhythm) of the Gurbani that is being recited. Color codes to stop and pause, known as vishraams, are commonly used to dictate the flow and rhythm of the recitation. Gurbani which is recited by a person who has taken santhiya is known as "shudh ucharan"

References

↑ D.K. Kaushik (2000). Cataloguing of Indic Names In AACR. Low Price Publications. ISBN 978-8-1753-6187-4.
1 2 3 4 5 Barrier, Norman Gerald; Dusenbery, Verne A., eds. (1989). The Sikh Diaspora: Migration and the Experience Beyond Punjab (1st ed.). South Asia Books. ISBN 9788170010470.

External links

List of names from SikhNames.com Comprehensive list of Sikh names, their meanings and pronunciation, sorted alphabetically in English or Gurmukhi.

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[1] D.K. Kaushik (2000). Cataloguing of Indic Names In AACR. Low Price Publications. ISBN 978-8-1753-6187-4.

[:03-2] 1 2 3 4 5 Barrier, Norman Gerald; Dusenbery, Verne A., eds. (1989). The Sikh Diaspora: Migration and the Experience Beyond Punjab (1st ed.). South Asia Books. ISBN 9788170010470.

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