Singh

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For a list of people with the surname, see List of people with surname Singh.

Mathabar Singh Thapa, (1843-1845) of the Chhetri Thapa dynasty.
Maharaja Lakshmeshwar Singh of Raj Darbhanga in Bihar
, published in Graphic Magazine, December 1888.

Singh (

Hindu Kshatriya community,[1] it was later mandated in the late 17th century by Guru Gobind Singh (born Gobind Das) for all male Sikhs as well, in part as a rejection of caste-based prejudice[2] and to emulate Rajput naming conventions.[3][4][5][6] As a surname or a middle name, it is now found throughout the world across communities and religious groups, becoming more of a generic, caste-neutral, decorative name.[7][8][9]

Etymology and variations

The word "Singh" is derived from the

IAST: siṃha) meaning "lion", and is used in the sense "hero" or "eminent person".[10]

Several variants of the word are found in other languages:

History

Coin of the Western Kshatrapa ruler Rudrasimha I (178 to 197 CE) who used "Simha" as suffix.

Originally, the Sanskrit word for lion, variously transliterated as Simha or Singh was used as a title by

Kachwahas of Narwar in the 12th century CE, and the Rathores of Marwar after the 17th century,[13] along with Lodhi Rajputs of Bundelkhand.[14]

By the sixteenth century, "Singh" had become a popular surname among Rajputs.[15] It was adopted by the Sikhs in 1699, as per the instructions of Guru Gobind Singh. Singh is used by all baptized male Sikhs, regardless of their geographical or cultural binding; the women use Kaur.[16][17]

In the 18th century, several groups started using the title "Singh". These included the Brahmins, the Kayasthas and the Baniyas of what are now Uttar Pradesh and Bihar. In the 19th century, even the Bengal court peons of the lower castes adopted the title "Singh".[13] Bhumihars, who originally used Brahmin surnames, also started affixing Singh to their names.[18] In Bihar and Jharkhand, the surname came to be associated with power and authority, and was adopted by people of multiple castes, including Brahmin zamindars.[19] Citing Kshatriya status, Ahirs, Yadavs, Kumawat,[20] Kushwaha (Koeri) and Kurmis also use 'Singh' as part of their names.[21]

According to John Biddulph, many Muslim Shins traditionally used the surname "Sing".[22] Some Jains have also adopted the surname in addition to various Hindu castes.[23]

People belonging to several other castes and communities have also used Singh as a title, middle name or a surname; these include non-Sikh Punjabis,

Indian diaspora
.

Usage

"Singh" is generally used as a surname or as a middle name/title (e.g.

Mahendra Singh Dhoni). When used as a middle name, it is generally followed by the caste, clan or family name. To stop the practice of caste system in Sikhism, some Sikhs append "Khalsa" or their native village names to Singh (e.g. Harinder Singh Khalsa).[27]

Originally, a common practice among the Rajput men was to have "Singh" as their last name, while Rajput women had the last name 'Kanwar'. However, now, many Rajput women have Singh in their name (e.g. Prashanti Singh) as well.[28]

Nepal

Singh is a common name in Nepal; the appellation has acquired caste-neutral status due to its wide scale adoption by many members of Nepali society.[7] Some notable examples of Nepalis with the middle name/surname Singh are: Amar Singh Thapa, Ranodip Singh, and Pratap Singh Shah.

Outside South Asia

Singh is a common Hindu name in Guyana.[29] Some Indian immigrants to British Guiana are believed to have adopted surnames traditionally associated with high caste status, including Sharma and Tiwari (Brahmin), as well as Singh (Kshatriya).[30]

A section of around a million adherents of Sikhism that live abroad in

Canadian High Commission in New Delhi stated in letters to its Sikh clients that "the names Kaur and Singh do not qualify for the purpose of immigration to Canada", requiring people with these surnames to adopt new ones. The ban was denounced by the Sikh community, after which the Citizenship and Immigration Canada announced it was dropping the policy, calling the whole issue a misunderstanding based on a "poorly worded" letter.[31]

See also

References

  1. ISBN 9780199771691
    .
  2. ISBN 9781598846591
    . The use of the two names by baptized Sikhs was originally intended to end the prejudice created by names pertaining to the various Hindu castes
  3. ISBN 978-0-19-756693-0
    . Singh was a common name utilised by Rajputs, the Hindu ruling or warrior caste.
  4. ISBN 978-0-19-969930-8
    . The male members were given the surname Singh (lion) and female members were given the surname Kaur (princess), with the intention of creating a parallel system of aristocratic titles in relation to the Rajput hill chiefs of the surrounding areas of Anandpur.
  5. ISBN 978-0-19-566708-0
    . As the term 'Singh' meaning 'lion' was adopted from the Rajputs, so too was the name 'Kaur'
  6. ISBN 978-1-136-85185-8
    . The code of conduct (rahit) expected of all initiates of the Khalsa, as laid down by Guru Gobind Singh and subsequently eloborated, emphasises both the equality of its members and the martial spirit expected of them by awarding the Rajput titles of Singh ('lion') to men and Kaur ('princess') to women, irrespective of caste origin.
  7. ^
    ISBN 978-0-19-909337-3
    . In the process of forming a casteless society, many first generation Nepalis (and Indians) changed their surnames to Singh, which is a neutral and now common surname.
  8. ISBN 978-0-19-908846-1
    . Some individuals often drop their surnames and use generic names such as Kumar, Lal, Singh, or Chowdhary that are not jati specific.
  9. ISBN 9780195633573
    . Going by the usage, Singh is more a title than a surname, cutting across communities and religious groups.
  10. ISBN 978-0-19-508137-4
    .
  11. ^ "Singh Surname Origin, Meaning & Last Name History". forebears.io. Retrieved 2023-11-16.
  12. OCLC 70008421
    .
  13. ^
    OCLC 1326190
    .
  14. ^ "Raja Hirde Shah". Bundela Uprising of 1842
  15. ISBN 978-81-7648-455-8
    . Retrieved 11 January 2013. In those days, "Singh" as a surname was very popular among a famous warrior caste of north India, the Rajputs. Some of the first Sikhs were also Rajputs.
  16. ISBN 81-7023-139-6[page needed
    ]
  17. ISBN 9780521809047
    .
  18. ISBN 9788171692422
    .
  19. ^ Pranava K Chaudhary (2009-02-21). "Using surnames to conceal identity". The Times of India. Retrieved 2013-01-18.
  20. ^ a b Baitade, G. b (1916). Amchi Jata.
  21. ^ Bhavan's Journal, Volume 12, Issues 1-16. 1965. p. 123.
  22. ISBN 9783447056762
    .
  23. ^ Frankel, Francine R. (1990). Dominance and State Power in Modern India. Vol. 2. Oxford University Press. p. 17. The surname, Singh, for example, was appropriated over a period of several centuries of acculturation by different Hindu castes, including lower castes as well as followers of Jainism.
  24. ISBN 978938060710-8
    .
  25. ^
    ISBN 9788170224921
    . Similarly, Koyeris, a backward caste, claim themselves as Kushwaha Kshatriya and Dusadh, another scheduled caste, claim themselves as Gahlout Kshatriya. Some of their members use titles like ' Singh ' and ' Thakur.
  26. ISBN 9789385436420
    . Retrieved 28 July 2016.
  27. ISBN 9788179911020
    .
  28. ISBN 81-7033-273-7
  29. ISBN 978-1-351-52186-4
    .
  30. ISBN 978-1-136-65959-1
    .
  31. ^ San Grewal (2007-07-26). "'Singh' ban denounced". Toronto Star.
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