:Singh

The word "Singh" is derived from the Sanskrit word सिंह (IAST: siṃha) meaning "lion", and is used to convey a "hero" or "eminent person".{{cite book |editor=Patrick Hanks |title=Dictionary of American Family Names |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=vG7MZ9J6dAgC&pg=RA2-PA354 |year=2003 |publisher=Oxford University Press, USA |isbn=978-0-19-508137-4 |page=354 }}

Several variants of the word are found in other languages:

• In Tibetan, it is written as སིང་ with the same pronunciation (Sing).
• In Tamil, the word for lion is Singham or Singhe written as சிங்க, also derived from Sanskrit.
• In Burmese, it is spelled သီဟ (thiha), derived from the Pali variant siha.
• In Urdu, it is written as {{nq|سِنگھ}} with the same pronunciation as Hindi. Variations include Simha and Sinha in Bihar.
• In Indonesian, it is written as Singa and it means lion.

File:Western Satrap Coin of Rudrasimha I .jpg (178 to 197 CE) who used "Simha" as suffix.]]

Originally, the Sanskrit word for lion, variously transliterated as Simha or Singh, was used as a title by Kshatriya warriors in northern parts of India. The earliest recorded examples of names ending with "Simha" are the names of the two sons of Rudraraman, who ruled the Western Satraps in the second century CE. Jayasimha, the first ruler of the Chalukya dynasty to bear the title Simha, ruled around 500 CE. The Vengi branch of the Chalukyas continued using Simha as a last name until the eleventh century. The Rajputs started using Singh in preference to the classical epithet of "Varman". Among the Rajputs, the use of the word Singh came into vogue among the Paramaras of Malwa in 10th century CE, among the Guhilots and the Kachwahas of Narwar in the 12th century CE, and the Rathores of Marwar after the 17th century.{{cite book|last=Qanungo|first=Kalika Ranjan|title=Studies in Rajput History|publisher=S. Chand|location=Delhi|year=1960|oclc=1326190|pages=138–140}}

By the sixteenth century, "Singh" had become a popular surname among Rajputs.{{cite book|author=Prakash Chander|title=India: Past & Present|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=4_Rl5c_v1-kC&pg=PA120|access-date=11 January 2013|date=1 January 2003|publisher=APH Publishing|isbn=978-81-7648-455-8|pages=120 |quote=In those days, "Singh" as a surname was very popular among a famous warrior caste of north India, the Rajputs. Some of the first Sikhs were also Rajputs.}} It was adopted by the Sikhs in 1699, as per the instructions of Guru Gobind Singh. Singh is used by all baptized male Sikhs, regardless of their geographical or cultural binding; the women use Kaur.[https://books.google.com/books?id=-QR8tAEACAAJ A History of the Sikh People (1469-1988)] by Dr. Gopal Singh {{ISBN|81-7023-139-6}}{{page needed|date=December 2018}}{{cite book | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ZvaGuaJIJgoC&q=jat+surname+singh&pg=PA269 | title=India Before Europe | publisher=Cambridge University Press |author1=Catherine B. Asher |author2=Cynthia Talbot | year=2006 | pages=269 | isbn=9780521809047}} Guru Gobind Singh introduced the surname "Singh" for Sikh men to foster equality and unity within the community. This move aimed to eliminate caste distinctions and promote a fearless and righteous identity. By adopting "Singh," Sikh men were encouraged to live as saint-soldiers, embodying courage, justice, and a commitment to serving humanity,{{rp|121–126}}{{cite book|last=Singh|first=Khushwant|title=A History of the Sikhs: 1469–1838|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=MD9uAAAAMAAJ|access-date=6 January 2025|edition=2nd|date=11 October 2004|publisher=Oxford University Press|isbn=978-0-19-567308-1|page=83}}{{cite book|title=History Of The Sikhs Vol I The Sikh Gurus, 1469-1708|publisher=Munshilal Manohorlal, Pvt Ltd|first= Hari Ram |last=Gupta|author-link= Hari Ram Gupta|page=271|isbn=978-81-215-0276-4}} According to Pashaura Singh, the Guru gave male Sikhs the name "Singh", which was associated with aristocracy, to imitate the traditions of the Rajput hill chiefs near Anandpur Sahib.

In the 18th century, several groups started using the title "Singh". These included the Brahmins, the Kayasthas and the Baniyas of what are now Uttar Pradesh and Bihar. In the 19th century, even the Bengal court peons of the lower castes adopted the title "Singh". Bhumihars, who originally used Brahmin surnames, also started affixing Singh to their names.{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=tOXZAAAAMAAJ |title=Community And Caste In Tradition |year=1992 |author=Virendra Prakash Singh |publisher=Commonwealth |page=113 |isbn=9788171692422 }} In Bihar and Jharkhand, the surname came to be associated with power and authority, and was adopted by people of multiple castes, including Brahmin zamindars.{{cite news | url = http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/patna/Using-surnames-to-conceal-identity/articleshow/4162892.cms | author = Pranava K Chaudhary | title = Using surnames to conceal identity | work = The Times of India | date = 2009-02-21 | access-date = 2013-01-18 }}{{cite book|last1=Singh|first1=Santosh|title=Ruled or Misruled: Story and Destiny of Bihar|date=2015|publisher=Bloomsbury Publishing|isbn=9789385436420|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=SVu8CgAAQBAJ&q=singh+surname&pg=PT228|access-date=28 July 2016|language=en}} Citing Kshatriya status, numerous communities use 'Singh' as part of their names.{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=te4DAAAAMAAJ |title=Bhavan's Journal, Volume 12, Issues 1-16 |year=1965 |page=123 }} Some Jains have also adopted the surname in addition to various Hindu castes.{{Cite book |last=Frankel |first=Francine R. |title=Dominance and State Power in Modern India |publisher=Oxford University Press |year=1990 |volume=2 |pages=17 |quote=The surname, Singh, for example, was appropriated over a period of several centuries of acculturation by different Hindu castes, including lower castes as well as followers of Jainism.}}

Many Muslim Shins historically used the surname "Sing", the earlier form of the name, "Simha", was frequently appended to names found in the Gilgit Manuscripts, a corpus of Buddhist texts and the oldest surviving manuscripts in India, discovered in the Gilgit region of Kashmir.{{Cite book |last=Schmidt |first=Ruth Laila |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=mZzD86umtbAC&dq=muslim+shins&pg=PA11 |title=A Grammar of the Shina Language of Indus Kohistan |publisher=Harrassowitz |year=2008 |isbn=9783447056762 |pages=11}}{{Cite web |title=Gilgit Manuscript |url=https://www.unesco.org/en/memory-world/gilgit-manuscript |website=UNESCO}}

People belonging to several other castes and communities also started using Singh as a title, middle name or a surname; these include non-Sikh Punjabis, Charans, Yadavs, Gurjars, Brahmins, Marathas, Jats, Kushwahas, Rajpurohits, Kumawats etc. Dalit and other backward groups have also adopted the name, including the Bhils,{{Cite book |last=Gupta |first=Sanjukta Das |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=VDGIpkJ9BgwC&pg=PA134 |title=Narratives from the Margins: Aspects of Adivasi History in India |date=2012 |publisher=Primus Books |isbn=978938060710-8 |pages=134}} Koeris,{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=SNw5zVN1V0oC&pg=PA436 |title=History of Anthropological Thought |publisher=Concept Publishing Company |year=1993 |isbn=9788170224921 |editor1=V.S. Upadhyay |place=India |page=436 |quote=Similarly, Koyeris, a backward caste, claim themselves as Kushwaha Kshatriya and Dusadh, another scheduled caste, claim themselves as Gahlout Kshatriya. Some of their members use titles like ' Singh ' and ' Thakur. |editor2=G. Pandey}} and Dusadhs. The name is also found among the Indian diaspora.

"Singh" is generally used as a surname or as a middle name/title. When used as a middle name, it is generally followed by the caste, clan or family name. To reduce caste discrimination, some Sikhs append "Khalsa" or their native village names to Singh.{{cite book | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=4bfmnmsBfQ4C&pg=PA1846 | title=People of India: Maharashtra, Part 3 | publisher=Popular Prakashan | author=B. V. Bhanu | others=Contributors Kumar Suresh Singh, B. V. Mehta, Anthropological Survey of India | year=2004 | pages=1846 | isbn=9788179911020}}

Originally, a common practice among the Rajput men was to have "Singh" as their last name, while Rajput women had the last name 'Kanwar'. However, now, many Rajput women have Singh in their name as well.Kolff, Dirk H.A., The Rajput of Ancient and Medieval North India: A Warrior-Ascetic; Folk, Faith and Feudalism, edited by NK Singh and Rajendra Joshi, Institute of Rajasthan Studies, Jaipur, India. Rawat Publications, Jaipur and New Delhi. {{ISBN|81-7033-273-7}}

Singh is a common name in Nepal; the appellation has acquired caste-neutral status due to its wide scale adoption by many members of Nepali society. Some notable examples of Nepalis with the middle name/surname Singh are:

Amar Singh Thapa, Ranodip Singh, and Pratap Singh Shah.

Singh is a common Hindu name in Guyana.{{Cite book |last=Danns |first=George K. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=km9QDwAAQBAJ&pg=PT134 |title=Domination and Power in Guyana: Study of the Police in a Third World Context |date=2017-09-29 |publisher=Routledge |isbn=978-1-351-52186-4 |pages=120 |language=en}} Some Indian immigrants to British Guiana are believed to have adopted surnames traditionally associated with high caste status, including Sharma and Tiwari (Brahmin), as well as Singh (Kshatriya).{{Cite book |last=Smith |first=Raymond T. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ITRpAwAAQBAJ&pg=PA118 |title=The Matrifocal Family: Power, Pluralism and Politics |date=2014-04-23 |publisher=Routledge |isbn=978-1-136-65959-1 |pages=118 |language=en}}

A section of around a million adherents of Sikhism that live abroad in Western countries only keep Singh or Kaur as their last name. This has caused legal problems in immigration procedures, especially in Canada. For a decade, the Canadian High Commission in New Delhi stated in letters to its Sikh clients that "the names Kaur and Singh do not qualify for the purpose of immigration to Canada", requiring people with these surnames to adopt new ones. The ban was denounced by the Sikh community, after which the Citizenship and Immigration Canada announced it was dropping the policy, calling the whole issue a misunderstanding based on a "poorly worded" letter.{{cite web|url=https://www.thestar.com/news/article/240030|title='Singh' ban denounced |work= Toronto Star |author=San Grewal |date=2007-07-26}}

• List of people with surname Singh
• Singh v Canada, a Supreme Court of Canada case on the applicability of Charter rights to refugee claimants
• Sinha
• Kaur

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Category:Surnames of Indian origin

Category:Pakistani names

Category:Titles in India

Category:Sikh names

Category:Punjabi-language surnames