Using Family Names

[Guest peacemaker]

Q: Some Sikhs still use Gill, Sandhu and Sidhu etc. as their last name and they treat Singh as their middle name, why is that?

A: Those Sikhs are not completely following the Guru. Guru specifically said to use Singh as your last name. Those Sikhs are much interested in preserving their caste. A real Sikh will only use Singh or Kaur as his or her last name.

No, I don't think that is right to say, sorry. I treat Singh as my middle name and whatever my last name is, when asked by someone or filling out an application, I will tell them. This doesn't mean I am not following sikhi and only care about "preserving" my caste.

[Guest G.Kaur]

Q: Some Sikhs still use Gill, Sandhu and Sidhu etc. as their last name and they treat Singh as their middle name, why is that?

A: Those Sikhs are not completely following the Guru. Guru specifically said to use Singh as your last name. Those Sikhs are much interested in preserving their caste. A real Sikh will only use Singh or Kaur as his or her last name.

No, I don't think that is right to say, sorry. I treat Singh as my middle name and whatever my last name is, when asked by someone or filling out an application, I will tell them. This doesn't mean I am not following sikhi and only care about "preserving" my caste.

I didn't write it. It's an e-mail I received today.

[Guest peacemaker]

You didn't say who wrote it, so I just assumed it was you.

[Punjabi_Link]

So Guru Gobind Singh Ji wanted to get rid of caste system by telling Sikhs to drop their family name and change it to singh (for the guys) and kaur (for the girls). But the thing is that SINGH is a caste name too. Singh is a Rajput (caste) name!

There much be another reason why males suppose to have Singh as their last name. I am not buying into this whole "getting rid of caste system" argument here.

[OhTwadi]

.

[I humbly bow]

well my uncle spent 2 years trying to get a job in a sikh solicitors firm, and he writes his name as singh but they always asked him what his family name was, and when he told them they wouldn't give him the job becuase it's a lower caste name! and this was only about 5 years ago in England aswell!

he works in a gora solicitors firm now.

[Guroo Guroo Jaap]

I am going 2 change my last name 2 Khalsa wen i take Amrit, i dont wanna carry on my family name as my family members are proper messed up and really take da pi$$ outta Sikhi and everythin it stands 4 and they keep their 2nd name to show off their caste. But i think Rajdeep Singh Khalsa sounds nice = ]

AKAAAAAAAAAAAAL

[ghorandhar]

Rather than changing surnames, the best way to tackle the problem is to keep our surnames and marry out of caste, make it a social norm that Amritdharis marry out of caste. Maybe other will then also follow. Singh or Kaur as a surname will still not stop the problem, people are to clever, all they have to do is go to your pind and find out what caste you are. And people are so sad and obsessed with caste, they will do these things.

In my opinion having surnames is not something which should be frowned upon, we see in gurbani surnames being used, like: Bhallai amardas gun teri, tere upma tohi ban ayai. And also: Bhetai Sodhi patshah Ramdas satguru khahvai

I think keeping surnames and challenging society directly by having a Sandhu marry a Bhogal or Bhatia for example, will just show society that these people do not give a damn. It’s a direct challenge rather than hiding from the issue. In India the problem will always exist unless this direct challenge is taken. Other than professionals of the following groups, the occupation of the rest, indicate their castes for example: Jats are farmers, Takhan do woodwork, bhapa have shops etc. In the future, maybe Sikhs in countries outside of India will not have problems with caste when it comes to marriage, but with people marrying out of Religion, hence the problem will fade for Sikhs outside of India.

I also think Khalsa was the name given to the Panth and not an individual. I’m not attacking people for changing their names to Khalsa, it’s just my opinion. Individually we were called Singh and Kaur. I think these names have a more of a deeper meaning than mere fighting caste systems, but are actually virtues.

[guptveer1469]

forget the whole family name thingy.

its just a reason for us to be different, and seperate form each other.

sikhs have 1 family name and that being singh/kaur. which is something we all have in common, which brings us closer together.

make Singh/ Kaur your middle name. family last name is important because many Hindu or Guyaeness have Singh last name too.

it seems many people changed their surname from family name to singh... which no only sikhs but rajputs also use.. its better to have name + kaur/singh + khalsa

family name khalsa is better than

and agree 101% with ghorandhar