Kaur

The shared names Singh, meaning ‘lion’, and Kaur, commonly translated as ‘princess’, also express equality. They shift attention away from family names that might reveal caste or inherited status towards a shared Sikh identity. Women as well as men can receive initiation into the Khalsa, showing that religious commitment is not restricted by gender.

The name Kaur offers another expression of dignity and independence. Sikh women can use it rather than adopt a father’s or husband’s surname. It expresses respect for women as people with their own identity, not simply through their relationship to a man.