Singh

{{Short description|Surname originating from Asia}} {{For|a list of people with the surname|List of people with surname Singh}} {{pp-extended|small=yes}} {{pp-pc}} {{Use dmy dates|date=May 2026}} {{Multiple image|perrow=2|total_width=300|caption_align=center | image1 = Depiction of king Rana Sanga.jpg|caption1=Rajput ruler Rana Sangram Singh (1482-1528). | image2 = Guru Gobind Singh creates the Khalsa.jpg|caption2=Creation of the Khalsa by Sikh Guru Gobind Singh, 1699 CE. | image3 = Portrait of mathabar singh thapa.jpg|caption3= Prime Minister of Nepal and Commander-in-Chief of the Nepalese Army, Mukhtiyar Mathabar Singh Thapa, (1843-1845) of the Chhetri Thapa dynasty. | image4 = Maharaja Lakshmeshwar Singh, 1888.jpg|caption4=Maharaja Lakshmeshwar Singh of Raj Darbhanga in Bihar, published in Graphic Magazine, December 1888. }}

'''Singh''' (IPA: {{IPAc-en|ˈ|s|ɪ|ŋ}} {{respell|SING}}) is a title, middle name, or surname that means "lion" in various South Asian and Southeast Asian communities. Traditionally used by the Hindu Kshatriya community,<ref>{{Cite book |last=Hanks |first=Patrick |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=vG7MZ9J6dAgC&pg=RA2-PA354 |title=Dictionary of American Family Names |publisher=Oxford University Press |year=2013 |isbn=9780199771691 |pages=354}}</ref> 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<ref>{{cite book |author=James Minahan |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=abNDLZQ6quYC&pg=PA289 |title=Ethnic Groups of South Asia and the Pacific An Encyclopedia |publisher=ABC-CLIO |year=2012 |isbn=9781598846591 |pages=289 |quote=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}}</ref> and to emulate Rajput naming conventions.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Atwal |first1=Priya |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=LvcTEAAAQBAJ&dq=kaur&pg=PA34 |title=Royals and Rebels: The Rise and Fall of the Sikh Empire |date=15 January 2021 |publisher=Oxford University Press |isbn=978-0-19-756693-0 |page=34 |quote=Singh was a common name utilised by Rajputs, the Hindu ruling or warrior caste.}}</ref><ref name="Oxford Handbook">{{Cite book |last=Singh |first=Pashaura |title=The Oxford Handbook of Sikh Studies |date=1 March 2014 |publisher=OUP Oxford |isbn=978-0-19-969930-8 |editor-last=Singh |editor-first=Pashaura |pages=23 |language=en |chapter=An Overview of Sikh History |quote=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. |editor-last2=Fenech |editor-first2=Louis E. |chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=8I0NAwAAQBAJ&pg=PA23}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last=Jakobsh |first=Doris |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=xY_XAAAAMAAJ |title=Sikhism and History |date=2004 |publisher=Oxford University Press |isbn=978-0-19-566708-0 |editor-last=Singh |editor-first=Pashaura |pages=176 |language=en |chapter=What's in a Name: Circumscribing Sikh Female Nomenclature |quote=As the term 'Singh' meaning 'lion' was adopted from the Rajputs, so too was the name 'Kaur' |editor-last2=Barrier |editor-first2=Norman Gerald}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last=Shackle |first=Christopher |title=The World's Religions |date=14 January 2004 |publisher=Routledge |isbn=978-1-136-85185-8 |editor-last=Hardy |editor-first=Friedhelm |pages=722 |language=en |chapter=Sikhism |quote=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. |editor-last2=Houlden |editor-first2=Leslie |chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=HAg3AgAAQBAJ&pg=PA722}}</ref> 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—similar to names such as Kumar and Lal.<ref name="Adhikari">{{Cite book |last1=Adhikari |first1=Krishna P. |title=Global Nepalis: Religion, Culture, and Community in a New and Old Diaspora |last2=Sapkota |first2=Bhimsen |date=9 June 2018 |publisher=Oxford University Press |isbn=978-0-19-909337-3 |editor-last=Gellner |editor-first=David N. |language=en |chapter=Fiji Nepals: Reviving Connections Lost for Over a Century |quote=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. |editor-last2=Hausner. |editor-first2=Sondra L. |chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=dOF1DwAAQBAJ&dq=singh+casteless&pg=PT128}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last=Deshpande |first=Ashwini |title=The Grammar of Caste: Economic Discrimination in Contemporary India |date=3 August 2011 |publisher=Oxford University Press |isbn=978-0-19-908846-1 |language=en |chapter=Theories of Discrimination and Caste |quote=Some individuals often drop their surnames and use generic names such as Kumar, Lal, Singh, or Chowdhary that are not jati specific. |chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=4vQtDwAAQBAJ&pg=PT39}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |author=Kumar Suresh Singh |author-link=Kumar Suresh Singh |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=bfAMAQAAMAAJ |title=Communities, segments, synonyms, surnames and titles |publisher=Anthropological Survey of India |year=1996 |isbn=9780195633573 |page=32 |quote=Going by the usage, Singh is more a title than a surname, cutting across communities and religious groups.}}</ref>

== Etymology and variations == The word ''Singh'' is derived from the Sanskrit word {{lang|sa|सिंह}} (IAST: {{lang|sa-Latn|siṃha}}) meaning 'lion', and is used to convey 'hero' or 'eminent person'.<ref>{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=vG7MZ9J6dAgC&pg=RA2-PA354 |title=Dictionary of American Family Names |publisher=Oxford University Press, USA |year=2003 |isbn=978-0-19-508137-4 |editor=Patrick Hanks |page=354}}</ref>

Several variants of the word are found in other languages:

* In Meitei (officially called Manipuri), it is written and pronounced as "Singh" ({{langx|mni|{{Script|Mtei|ꯁꯤꯡꯍ}}|}}). It is used as a name suffix (after the given name or middle name) by the Meitei kings of medieval and early modern Manipur, as well as by the vast majority of the menfolk populace of the Meitei Hindu community, in Manipur, Assam, Tripura and Bangladesh.<ref>Constantine, R.. Manipur, Maid of the Mountains. India: Lancers, 1981. p. 37</ref><ref>Chaki-Sircar, Manjusri. Feminism in a Traditional Society: Women of the Manipur Valley. India: Shakti Books, 1984. p. 58</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Singh Title in the Meitei name of Manipur By Okram Kumar |url=http://e-pao.net/epSubPageExtractor.asp?src=manipur.Ethnic_Races_Manipur.Singh_Title_in_the_Meitei_name_of_Manipur_By_Okram_Kumar |access-date=17 August 2022 |website=e-pao.net}}</ref> * In Tibetan, it is written as {{lang|bo|སིང་}} with the same pronunciation. * In Tamil, the word for lion is {{lang|ta-Latn|Singham}} or {{lang|ta-Latn|Singhe}} written as {{lang|ta|சிங்க}}, also derived from Sanskrit. * In Burmese, it is spelled {{lang|my|သီဟ}} ({{lang|my-Latn|thiha}}), derived from the Pali variant {{lang|pi-Latn|siha}}. * In Urdu, it is written as {{lang|ur|سِنگھ}} with the same pronunciation as Hindi. Variations include {{lang|ur-Latn|Simha}} and {{lang|ur-Latn|Sinha}} in Bihar. * In Indonesian, it is written as {{lang|id|Singa}} and it means 'lion'.

== History == [[File:Western Satrap Coin of Rudrasimha I .jpg|thumb|300px|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 Kshatriya warriors in northern parts of India. The earliest recorded examples of names ending with "Simha" are the names of the two sons of Rudraraman, who ruled the Western Satraps in the second century CE. Jayasimha, the first ruler of the Chalukya dynasty to bear the title Simha, ruled around 500 CE. The Vengi branch of the Chalukyas continued using Simha as a last name until the eleventh century. The Rajputs started using Singh in preference to the classical epithet of "Varman". Among the Rajputs, the use of the word Singh came into vogue among the Paramaras of Malwa in 10th century CE, among the Guhilots and the Kachwahas of Narwar in the 12th century CE, and the Rathores of Marwar after the 17th century.<ref name="Qanungo">{{cite book |last=Qanungo |first=Kalika Ranjan |title=Studies in Rajput History |publisher=S. Chand |year=1960 |location=Delhi |pages=138–140 |oclc=1326190}}</ref>

By the sixteenth century, "Singh" had become a popular surname among Rajputs.<ref name="Chander2003">{{cite book |author=Prakash Chander |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=4_Rl5c_v1-kC&pg=PA120 |title=India: Past & Present |date=1 January 2003 |publisher=APH Publishing |isbn=978-81-7648-455-8 |pages=120 |quote=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. |access-date=11 January 2013}}</ref> 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.<ref>[https://books.google.com/books?id=-QR8tAEACAAJ A History of the Sikh People (1469-1988)] by Dr. Gopal Singh {{ISBN|81-7023-139-6}}{{page needed|date=December 2018}}</ref><ref name="Catherine B. Asher, Cynthia Talbot">{{cite book |author1=Catherine B. Asher |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ZvaGuaJIJgoC&q=jat+surname+singh&pg=PA269 |title=India Before Europe |author2=Cynthia Talbot |publisher=Cambridge University Press |year=2006 |isbn=9780521809047 |pages=269}}</ref> Guru Gobind Singh introduced the surname "Singh" for Sikh men to foster equality and unity within the community. This move aimed to eliminate caste distinctions and promote a fearless and righteous identity. By adopting "Singh," Sikh men were encouraged to live as saint-soldiers, embodying courage, justice, and a commitment to serving humanity,<ref>{{cite book |last=Singh |first=Khushwant |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=MD9uAAAAMAAJ |title=A History of the Sikhs: 1469–1838 |date=11 October 2004 |publisher=Oxford University Press |isbn=978-0-19-567308-1 |edition=2nd |page=83 |access-date=6 January 2025}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |last=Gupta |first=Hari Ram |author-link=Hari Ram Gupta |title=History Of The Sikhs Vol I The Sikh Gurus, 1469-1708 |publisher=Munshilal Manohorlal, Pvt Ltd |isbn=978-81-215-0276-4 |page=271}}</ref> According to Pashaura Singh, the Guru gave male Sikhs the name "Singh", which was associated with aristocracy, to imitate the traditions of the Rajput hill chiefs near Anandpur Sahib.<ref name="Oxford Handbook"/>

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".<ref name="Qanungo"/> Bhumihars, who originally used Brahmin surnames, also started affixing Singh to their names.<ref>{{cite book |author=Virendra Prakash Singh |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=tOXZAAAAMAAJ |title=Community And Caste In Tradition |publisher=Commonwealth |year=1992 |isbn=9788171692422 |page=113}}</ref> 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.<ref>{{cite news |author=Pranava K Chaudhary |date=21 February 2009 |title=Using surnames to conceal identity |url=http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/patna/Using-surnames-to-conceal-identity/articleshow/4162892.cms |access-date=18 January 2013 |work=The Times of India}}</ref><ref name="biha">{{cite book |last1=Singh |first1=Santosh |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=SVu8CgAAQBAJ&q=singh+surname&pg=PT228 |title=Ruled or Misruled: Story and Destiny of Bihar |date=2015 |publisher=Bloomsbury Publishing |isbn=9789385436420 |language=en |access-date=28 July 2016}}</ref> Citing Kshatriya status, numerous communities use 'Singh' as part of their names.<ref>{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=te4DAAAAMAAJ |title=Bhavan's Journal, Volume 12, Issues 1-16 |year=1965 |page=123}}</ref> Some Jains have also adopted the surname in addition to various Hindu castes.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Frankel |first=Francine R. |title=Dominance and State Power in Modern India |publisher=Oxford University Press |year=1990 |volume=2 |pages=17 |quote=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.}}</ref>

Many Muslim Shins historically used the surname "Sing", the earlier form of the name, "Simha", was frequently appended to names found in the Gilgit Manuscripts, a corpus of Buddhist texts and the oldest surviving manuscripts in India, discovered in the Gilgit region of Kashmir.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Schmidt |first=Ruth Laila |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=mZzD86umtbAC&dq=muslim+shins&pg=PA11 |title=A Grammar of the Shina Language of Indus Kohistan |publisher=Harrassowitz |year=2008 |isbn=9783447056762 |pages=11}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Gilgit Manuscript |url=https://www.unesco.org/en/memory-world/gilgit-manuscript |website=UNESCO}}</ref>

People belonging to several other castes and communities also started using Singh as a title, middle name or a surname; these include non-Sikh Punjabis, Charans, Yadavs, Gurjars, Brahmins, Marathas, Jats, Kushwahas, Rajpurohits, Kumawats etc. Dalit and other backward groups have also adopted the name, including the Bhils,<ref>{{Cite book |last=Gupta |first=Sanjukta Das |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=VDGIpkJ9BgwC&pg=PA134 |title=Narratives from the Margins: Aspects of Adivasi History in India |date=2012 |publisher=Primus Books |isbn=978938060710-8 |pages=134}}</ref> Koeris,<ref name="HOA">{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=SNw5zVN1V0oC&pg=PA436 |title=History of Anthropological Thought |publisher=Concept Publishing Company |year=1993 |isbn=9788170224921 |editor1=V.S. Upadhyay |place=India |page=436 |quote=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. |editor2=G. Pandey}}</ref> and Dusadhs.<ref name="HOA" /> The name is also found among the Indian diaspora.

== Usage ==

"Singh" is generally used as a surname or as a middle name/title. When used as a middle name, it is generally followed by the caste, clan or family name. To reduce caste discrimination, some Sikhs append "Khalsa" or their native village names to Singh.<ref>{{cite book |author=B. V. Bhanu |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=4bfmnmsBfQ4C&pg=PA1846 |title=People of India: Maharashtra, Part 3 |publisher=Popular Prakashan |others=Contributors Kumar Suresh Singh, B. V. Mehta, Anthropological Survey of India |year=2004 |isbn=9788179911020 |pages=1846}}</ref>

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 as well.<ref>Kolff, Dirk H.A., ''The Rajput of Ancient and Medieval North India: A Warrior-Ascetic''; Folk, Faith and Feudalism, edited by NK Singh and Rajendra Joshi, Institute of Rajasthan Studies, Jaipur, India. Rawat Publications, Jaipur and New Delhi. {{ISBN|81-7033-273-7}}</ref>

=== 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.<ref name= "Adhikari"/> 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.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Danns |first=George K. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=km9QDwAAQBAJ&pg=PT134 |title=Domination and Power in Guyana: Study of the Police in a Third World Context |date=29 September 2017 |publisher=Routledge |isbn=978-1-351-52186-4 |pages=120 |language=en}}</ref> 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).<ref>{{Cite book |last=Smith |first=Raymond T. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ITRpAwAAQBAJ&pg=PA118 |title=The Matrifocal Family: Power, Pluralism and Politics |date=23 April 2014 |publisher=Routledge |isbn=978-1-136-65959-1 |pages=118 |language=en}}</ref>

Around a million adherents of Sikhism that live in Western countries only keep Singh or Kaur as their last name. This has caused problems with immigration applications, especially to Canada.<ref name="TorontoStar1">{{citation |author1-last=Grewal |author1-first=San |title='Singh' ban denounced |date=26 July 2007 <!--04:30--> |website=Toronto Star |url=https://www.thestar.com/news/article/240030 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070825083924/https://www.thestar.com/News/article/240030 |archive-date=25 August 2007}}</ref> For a decade, the 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", with the effect of requiring people with these surnames to adopt another name (such as one historically used in their family).<ref name="TorontoStar1" /> When the World Sikh Organization raised the issue with Citizenship and Immigration Canada in 2007, the department announced a day later that it was dropping the policy and admitted that it had used a "poorly worded" form letter.<ref name="TorontoStar1" /> The department denied that its intent was to ask applicants to change their names, a claim which an immigration lawyer condemned as outrageous and reminiscent of post-colonial Anglicization for administrative convenience.<ref name="TorontoStar1" />

==See also== * List of people with surname Singh * ''Singh v Canada'', a Supreme Court of Canada case on the applicability of Charter rights to refugee claimants * Kaur {{lion-surname}}

== References == {{Reflist}}

Category:Surnames of Indian origin Category:Pakistani names Category:Titles in India Category:Sikh names Category:Punjabi-language surnames Category:Meitei language