Sikh Names

Sikh Names

Prabhjot Mahal 09-06-2005, 08:37 PM

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satrisakal evrybody !!!!
i was just thinking who here has got a english name and their sikh ?
i get really annoyed at this especially 1 name kevinjit ! sorry to any1 with this name !

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*Waheguru Satnam*

I'm a person who is learning everyday so im pretty sure a lot of people won't agree with me.

I have an English name with strong and highly recognizable Christian roots.

I have one question can someone not change therer name if there going into a defferent religion.There are white sikhs in Canada, America england etc and they have the re name changed. For example, there is a person in Canada called hari nam singh khalsa. AND previously he was jewish. Havinng his name from a different religion and yet he converted to sikhism was not the right thing. As he felt having a name supporting a different religion and yet he was a sikh. He wanted to make that full commitment. I know IF i was apart of a different religion i would surly change my name because my name is associated with sikhism. this is just my vichar.

Bhul chuk maaf

Actually, I rather like "Kevinjit." And a "Christian Singh" or a "Mohammed Singh" or, say, a "Teriko Kaur" is actually kind of sweet in a cross-cultural way. It implies a multicultural sangat, and that's a lovely thought to me.

I've never really been fond of my given name, the most popular one in its time. It definitely dates me. I'm not sure if I'll go the whole re-naming route though; I tried hyphenating my partner's name to mine and all it did was lead to confusion. Names are not much more than legal constructs, it's WHO you are that's important. Plus, be aware of the ramifications of re-naming in the country/state/province you're in. In the US for instance having too many AKAs will reduce your credit rating.

Khalsa Raj Karega,

The rules about changing one's name when changing religions are determined by the religion itself. In Sikhism, Guru Gobind Singh said that men are to take Singh and women are to take Kaur. Guru Sahib is silent regarding our first name. While some Sikhs do take a traditional Panjabi name upon taking Amrit, this is not mandatory.

Think of common Sikh first names - Balvinder, Kulwinder, Surinder

The "-inder" suffix of the name is an homage to Goddess Indira of the Hindus.

That is not really a gurmat reference, is it? Yet it pervades within our Panth. Do you believe that those names that praise Goddess Indira belong to people that are somehow "less Sikh"?

Or do you believe that Sikhi is in the values that you live and do?

I have had the good fortune to have once been in a business opportunity that put me in touch with many Indian nationals from all about. When they saw my Christian first name and "Kaur" as my last, they all said the same thing.

"Kaur! You are a Sikh!"

Khoji jee mentioned something that is very important to me - respecting my parents. My father has left his body, my mother is alive, healthy and active. Not only did she carry me for 9 months, but she tried for almost 10 years to have me...and then finally did. She praised God for my birth, and gave me a name that reflects exactly that.

Ik Ongkar.

So, if anyone has any concerns as to why I have a very English and very Christian name...perahps you may want to ask Waheguru jee?

Because - HE was there when I received it.

Waheguru ji ka khalsa waheguru ji ki fateh!!!

I just had an experience maybe last week... I was at work ( i work at a grocery store.. part time kindda thing) and these to girls come up to my cash. one Goree and the other indian. So i was talking to them as i put their order through and one of the first words that came out of their mouth was " U are Amritdhari, arent u?" I was amazed.. because from looking at me one could not tell ( well at least i didnt think that one could tell) if i was or was not. Most ppl dont even think of my as indian much less and Sikh. My name tag doesnt show it, its not like a wear a dastaar or anything either. so ya the whole point of my story i guess is that. Sure your name isnt everything right, and your name doesnt make you Sikh, being a Sikh makes you a Sikh right?? BUt then again like for those pepole wh dont have english names, thye do not know how it feels when everyong n your family has a Sikhi name and soo when every people come over its like "WJKK WJKF ! Gagandeep, Sunpreet,Inderjit, Shannon" like it just sounds wierd. And soo i think that pepole without a Sikh name feel maybe a bit different becuase of that ( I cant speak for everyone.. but this is how i personally feel). and i kno that besides taking amrit.. this is something that i have really really wanted to do.
Soo long story short.. people who has English names just dont feel right when they know at heart that they are a Sikh but on the outside they are just anothe " Billy-Joe" like everyone else.

Bhul Chuk Maaf
Waheguru ji ka khalsa waheguru ji ki fateh!!

"Billy Joe Singh." I come from a long line of Southern Americans and that just cracked me up.

I was thinking about this thread today, and was thinking about if I wanted to change my name why not just do it if all that I'm worried about are legal issues? Then I realized that while a white woman named Jogindar would be great in a Sangat, I wonder how other Indians/South Asians would view that. A close friend of mine who is Indian-American intensely dislikes the way Indian-ness is used as a shorthand for "exoticness", how images like Shiva and Krishna are used in pop culture or on television, that type of thing.

I do believe taking the name Kaur is important, but I honestly don't want anyone thinking I am mindlessly co-opting their culture if I take on a name associated with South Asians and use it in public. OTOH I like my handle here better than my chosen name, and I *am* a Sikh, if gori. It's confusing. Yet another question to let Waheguruji answer.

LOL!!! I hope the Land of the Five Rivers doesn't have a Tallahatchie Bridge...

imho..people who convert to Sikhe and keep their old names...either in full or abbreviated forms are better than those born "sikhs" who have left Sikhe..but refuse to drop the sikh name. Some sikhs converted to christianity still keep on the same sikh name to confuse other sikhs and convert them covertly.


But then this same 'argument" may apply to to those who converted to sikhe and kept their old name...as someone told me..but you see a "christian name" doesnt always convey religion..wheras in sikhe the singh/kaur is usually meant to convey religious leanings..

name ?? whats in a name ?? a rose by any other is till a rose ??..

Jarnail Singh Gyani Arshi

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igAwnI jrnYl isMG iF`lo "ArSI" mlySIAw

I am surprised that you get annoyed just because a person has some sort of a name that is not traditional. But the beauty of this person is that he still maintains the name Singh. Most of those living in Punjab and elsewhere have discarded the name Singh after their name as they fancy calling themselves Prabhjot Mahal. Why are we so embarrassed to have the name Singh after our name?. is a village or a "got" after our name more valuable?

Shame on all these Sikhs. Be proud of what Sri Guru Gobind Singh Ji has given us.

Satwant