Kaur

Kaur (Punjabi: ਕੌਰ (Gurmukhi), Punjabi: کور (Shahmukhi), English: crown prince) (sometimes spelled as Kour), is a surname given to women of the Sikh faith and some Hindu women.[1] "Kaur" 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." "Kaur" is recognized as “Princess” or "Spiritual Princess".[2]

For other uses, see Kaur (disambiguation).

It goes back to the Sanskrit word "Kumari" meaning girl or daughter, which was abridged to "Kuar" and then changed into "Kaur" by metathesis.[1] Etymologically it is derived from and considered the Punjabi equivalent of the Rajput term Kanwar/Kunwar meaning prince that was used for people of status. According to early sources, Kaur was given to both males and females in Punjab. The appellation appears in the Guru Granth Sahib retaining it's traditional delineated meaning of "prince", whereas in the Dasam Granth it is used to refer to a woman's name.[3][4][5]

Kaur is a common name in the Sikh community. In a tradition that began more than 300 years ago, the name Kaur is given to every baptized female Sikh. Most women born into Sikh families, even if they are never baptized, are also given the name Kaur. Some use Kaur as a middle name, while others use it as their last name.

History

The tenth guru of Sikhs, Guru Gobind Singh, introduced Kaur and Singh when he administered Amrit to both male and female Sikhs; all female Sikhs were asked to use the name Kaur after their forename, and male Sikhs were to use the name Singh.[6]

The adoption of Kaur and Singh as religious surnames was also intended to reduce caste-based prejudice. Because familial last names often signal a person's caste status (or for women who adopted their spouse's surname, the caste of their spouse), substituting Kaur and Singh allowed Sikhs to implement the Sikh religion's rejection of the caste system.[7]

Singh is also used by some non-Sikh women, because 'Singh' can be a surname in several other cultural communities. It is the most common surname used by Sikhs. Sikhs are not required to change their surnames after receiving Amrit, but many choose to do so.

Punjabi Transliteration English translation

ਭੰਡਿ ਜੰਮੀਐ ਭੰਡਿ ਨਿੰਮੀਐ ਭੰਡਿ ਮੰਗਣੁ ਵੀਆਹੁ ॥
ਭੰਡਹੁ ਹੋਵੈ ਦੋਸਤੀ ਭੰਡਹੁ ਚਲੈ ਰਾਹੁ ॥
ਭੰਡੁ ਮੁਆ ਭੰਡੁ ਭਾਲੀਐ ਭੰਡਿ ਹੋਵੈ ਬੰਧਾਨੁ ॥
ਸੋ ਕਿਉ ਮੰਦਾ ਆਖੀਐ ਜਿਤੁ ਜੰਮਹਿ ਰਾਜਾਨ ॥
ਭੰਡਹੁ ਹੀ ਭੰਡੁ ਊਪਜੈ ਭੰਡੈ ਬਾਝੁ ਨ ਕੋਇ ॥

Bẖand jammī▫ai bẖand nimmī▫ai bẖand mangaṇ vī▫āhu.
Bẖand mu▫ā bẖand bẖālī▫ai bẖand hovai banḏẖān.
So ki▫o manḏā ākẖī▫ai jiṯ jamėh rājān.
Bẖandahu hī bẖand ūpjai bẖandai bājẖ na ko▫e.

From woman, man is born; within woman, man is conceived; to a woman he is engaged and married.
Woman becomes his friend; through a woman, the future generations come.
When his woman dies, he seeks another woman; to a woman he is bound.
So why call her bad? From her, kings are born.
From woman, a woman is born; without a woman, there would be no one at all.

See also

References
  1. Hanks, Patrick. Dictionary of American Family Names. Oxford University Press. p. 284. ISBN 9780199771691.
  2. Brodd, Jeffrey (2003). World Religions A Voyage of Discovery. Saint Mary's Press. p. 113. ISBN 9780884897255.
  3. Jakobsh, Doris (1999). Relocating Gender in Sikh History: Transformation, Meaning and Identity. University of British Columbia. pp. 296–300.
  4. McLeod, W.H. (2014). Historical Dictionary of Sikhism. Rowman & Littlefield Publishers. p. 175. ISBN 9781442236011.
  5. Atwal, Priya (2021). Royals and Rebels: The Rise and Fall of the Sikh Empire. Oxford University Press. p. 34. ISBN 9780197566930.
  6. Hawkins, John (2016). The Story of Religion The Rich History of the World's Major Faiths. Arcturus Publishing. p. 302. ISBN 9781784287368.
  7. Cole, Owen (2010). Sikhism - An Introduction: Teach Yourself. John Murray Press. p. 51. ISBN 9781444131017.
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