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Sikhism, a worldwide religion with roots in India, has rich traditions surrounding the birth of a child. When it comes to Sikh baby names, the tradition of naming a child is one of the three ceremonies of the Life Cycle, along with marriage and funeral. While in mainstream Western culture it's common for expectant parents to have the baby's name picked out long before the birth, traditional Sikh parents use the Sikh Holy Book, the Guru Granth Sahib, to help choose the name after the baby is born.
The first, or given, Sikh baby name is decided soon after the birth either at home or in the Gurdwara (Sikh Temple) by opening the Guru Granth Sahib and reading a random passage (Hukam) on the left page (modern parents can also receive a Cyber-Hukam online). The first letter of this passage will be the first letter of the child's given name. Traditional Sikh name meanings are religion-based, usually meant to describe the virtues of God rather than the child.
Because many Sikh baby names are gender neutral, and out of a tradition that began centuries ago as a protest against the divisive caste system, Sikh boy names consist of a first name followed by the name Singh, meaning lion. In many cases, Singh is used in place of a family surname, a tradition based on the Sikh belief that people should not be classified by lineage or tribe. Some Western Sikhs add a surname after Singh (or, in the case of a female, Kuar), while some drop the Singh and use a given name and surname alone, as is common in Western tradition. These are choices that often apply more to adults than newborns, although Sikh parents can certainly make choices about how traditional or Western their children's names will be as well.
After the first letter of the given Sikh baby name is found, names can be chosen based on meaning and aesthetics, sometimes combining common prefixes and suffixes (for example, one may choose the prefix "Aman," meaning "peace" and combine it with the suffix "-preet," meaning "love" to create a the name Amanpreet, meaning "one who loves peace"). Sikh baby name finders such as the online tool on SikhWomen.com make searching by first initial and prefix simple, and give the Sikh name meaning for each.
Here is a sampling of Sikh boy names and their meanings:
Ajai (or Ajay): Victory, conqueror
Bahadar: Brave one, hero
Devindar: King of kings
Gunkar: Full of excellence
Ikam: United, one
Jaipreet: Victory of love
Mahtab: Light of the moon
Raaj: Power, kingdom
Talib: Seeker of Truth
Yashveer: Brave, glorious
For more information on Sikh baby names and Sikh name meanings, check out these resources:
Naming and Sikh Religion: Culture, Tradition and Global Impact by M S. Ahluwalia
The Life Cycle: Naming a Child, SikhWomen.com
Email This
Sikhism, a worldwide religion with roots in India, has rich traditions surrounding the birth of a child. When it comes to Sikh baby names, the tradition of naming a child is one of the three ceremonies of the Life Cycle, along with marriage and funeral. While in mainstream Western culture it's common for expectant parents to have the baby's name picked out long before the birth, traditional Sikh parents use the Sikh Holy Book, the Guru Granth Sahib, to help choose the name after the baby is born.The first, or given, Sikh baby name is decided soon after the birth either at home or in the Gurdwara (Sikh Temple) by opening the Guru Granth Sahib and reading a random passage (Hukam) on the left page (modern parents can also receive a Cyber-Hukam online). The first letter of this passage will be the first letter of the child's given name. Traditional Sikh name meanings are religion-based, usually meant to describe the virtues of God rather than the child.
Because many Sikh baby names are gender neutral, and out of a tradition that began centuries ago as a protest against the divisive caste system, Sikh boy names consist of a first name followed by the name Singh, meaning lion. In many cases, Singh is used in place of a family surname, a tradition based on the Sikh belief that people should not be classified by lineage or tribe. Some Western Sikhs add a surname after Singh (or, in the case of a female, Kuar), while some drop the Singh and use a given name and surname alone, as is common in Western tradition. These are choices that often apply more to adults than newborns, although Sikh parents can certainly make choices about how traditional or Western their children's names will be as well.
After the first letter of the given Sikh baby name is found, names can be chosen based on meaning and aesthetics, sometimes combining common prefixes and suffixes (for example, one may choose the prefix "Aman," meaning "peace" and combine it with the suffix "-preet," meaning "love" to create a the name Amanpreet, meaning "one who loves peace"). Sikh baby name finders such as the online tool on SikhWomen.com make searching by first initial and prefix simple, and give the Sikh name meaning for each.
Here is a sampling of Sikh boy names and their meanings:
Ajai (or Ajay): Victory, conqueror
Bahadar: Brave one, hero
Devindar: King of kings
Gunkar: Full of excellence
Ikam: United, one
Jaipreet: Victory of love
Mahtab: Light of the moon
Raaj: Power, kingdom
Talib: Seeker of Truth
Yashveer: Brave, glorious
For more information on Sikh baby names and Sikh name meanings, check out these resources:
Naming and Sikh Religion: Culture, Tradition and Global Impact by M S. Ahluwalia
The Life Cycle: Naming a Child, SikhWomen.com