Sikh Baby Names: Meanings, Singh & Kaur, and the Naam Karan Ceremony

Updated October 2026 · Modern Baby Names

Sikh names are among the most meaningful in the world, and among the most distinctive in how they work. A single given name such as Harpreet, Simran or Navjot can belong to a son or a daughter; the surname Singh or Kaur tells you which. Many families still choose the first letter of the name from a verse of the Guru Granth Sahib, read aloud at the gurdwara. This guide explains the Naam Karan ceremony, why most Sikh names are unisex, the building blocks (Gur-, Har-, -preet, -jeet, -inder, -deep and more) that make up thousands of names, and the meaning of Singh and Kaur, with hundreds of examples you can explore.

The Naam Karan: how a Sikh baby is named

Naam Karan simply means "name-giving". In established Sikh practice, once the mother and baby are well enough, the family goes to the gurdwara (or invites the congregation home) where the Guru Granth Sahib is present. Prayers and hymns of thanks are offered, and then the Guru Granth Sahib is opened at random for a hukamnama, also called the vaak or hukam: the Guru's command or guidance for that moment. The hymn is read aloud.

The first letter of the first word of that hymn becomes the first letter of the child's name. If the hukamnama begins with the Gurmukhi letter for "H", the family might choose Harnoor, Hargun, Harjot or Harkirat; if it begins with "S", perhaps Sehaj, Sukhman or Simranjeet. The name is announced to the sangat (congregation), who usually respond with the jaikara "Jo bole so nihal, Sat Sri Akal". Karah prashad, the sweet offering, is shared with everyone present. The Sikh code of conduct, the Sikh Rehat Maryada, describes this procedure and also says that a boy's name should be followed by Singh and a girl's by Kaur.

Practice varies from family to family and gurdwara to gurdwara. Some families keep a shortlist for every letter so they are ready on the day; others let the granthi or an elder suggest a name on the spot. Many diaspora families also take into account how the name will sound in English, a point we return to below. Because the letter comes from Gurmukhi, the Punjabi script, it does not always map neatly onto one English letter: a single Gurmukhi letter may be written as "V" or "W" in English (as in Jasvinder and Jaswinder), and the vowel-carrier letter at the start of names like Ekam, Ikjot, Onkar and Amrit covers several English vowels.

Why most Sikh names are unisex

Look at the names of any Sikh family and you will notice that brothers and sisters, husbands and wives, can share the same given name. Gurpreet, Manpreet, Jaspreet, Hardeep, Sandeep, Amandeep, Navjot and Kamaljeet are all given to both boys and girls. This is not an accident. Most Sikh names are built from spiritual words such as love, light, victory, peace or God's praise, and these qualities do not belong to one sex. Sikh teaching emphasises the equality of men and women, and the Khalsa surnames do the work that gendered first names do in other cultures: Gurpreet Singh is a man, Gurpreet Kaur a woman.

That said, usage has tendencies. Names ending in -leen, such as Harleen, Jasleen and Prabhleen, are used mostly for girls, as are Nimrat, Sukhmani and Bani. Names ending in -veer, -bir or -pal, like Gurveer, Sukhbir and Harpal, lean towards boys. Some names that were once shared have drifted to one side in a particular generation or region, so if it matters to you, ask relatives how a name is used in your own community.

The building blocks of Sikh names

A huge share of Sikh names are compounds: a first element that names God, the Guru or a virtue, joined to a second element that describes a quality or relationship. Once you know the pieces, you can read almost any Sikh name, and you can see why there are so many of them. For more Punjabi names beyond the strictly religious, see our Punjabi baby names collection.

Gur- (the Guru)

Gur is "Guru", the enlightener. Gurpreet is "love of the Guru", Gurjot "light of the Guru", Gurleen "absorbed in the Guru", Gurmeet "friend of the Guru", Gursimran "remembering the Guru in meditation", and Gurnoor "light of the Guru" with the Persian-Arabic noor. Names like Gurdas, Gursevak and Gursewak mean "servant of the Guru", an ideal of humble service. Gurmukh, "one who faces the Guru", is a term from Gurbani itself.

Har- and Prabh- (God)

Har (from Hari) and Prabh ("Lord") both refer to God. Harpreet is "love of God", Harjot "light of God", Harsimran "meditating on God", Harkiran "ray of God's light" and Harmeet "friend of God". With Prabh you get Prabhjot, Prabhleen, Prabhnoor and Prabhsimran. Harminder is linked to Harmandir, "temple of God", the formal name of the Golden Temple in Amritsar, Sri Harmandir Sahib.

-preet (love)

Preet means love, and Preet is a name on its own. It finishes dozens of compounds: Manpreet "love of the heart", Jaspreet "love of God's praise", Navpreet "new love", Sarbpreet "love for all", Sehajpreet "love for spiritual poise", and Anmolpreet "priceless love".

-jeet / -jit (victory)

Jeet or jit means victory or conquering, usually in a spiritual sense. Manjeet is "conqueror of the mind", Sarabjeet "conqueror of all", Simranjeet "victory through remembering God" and Sukhjeet "victory of peace". The two spellings are interchangeable: Charanjeet and Charanjit, Inderjeet and Inderjit, Kamaljeet and Kamaljit.

-inder (lord)

-inder comes from the Sanskrit Indra, but in Punjabi names it has long been used simply to mean "lord" or "chief". Harinder is "Lord God", Satinder "lord of truth", Sukhwinder "lord of peace", Parminder "supreme lord" and Tejinder "radiance of God". In names like Jaswinder, Balwinder and Kulwinder, a "w" or "v" sound links the two parts. These names were extremely common for Sikhs born in the mid-twentieth century and are used for both sexes.

-deep (lamp) and -jot (light)

Deep is a lamp, and jot a flame or light. Hardeep and Prabhdeep are "lamp of God", Mandeep "lamp of the mind", Gagandeep "lamp of the sky", Sukhdeep "lamp of peace and happiness" and Arshdeep "lamp of the heavens". With jot: Navjot "new light", Jagjot "light of the world", Manjot "light of the mind" and Ekamjot "light of the One God".

-leen, -meet, -veer and -pal

-leen means absorbed or merged, as in deep devotion: Japleen, Livleen, Sehajleen, Tavleen ("absorbed in You") and Meharleen ("absorbed in God's grace"). -meet is friend: Jagmeet, Manmeet, Jasmeet. -veer, -vir and -bir mean brave: Harveer, Kulvir, Tejbir, Ranbir. -pal means protector or protected: Jaspal, Amritpal, Inderpal, Pritpal.

Singh and Kaur

At Vaisakhi in 1699, at Anandpur Sahib, Guru Gobind Singh, the tenth Guru, founded the Khalsa, the community of initiated Sikhs. Initiated men took the name Singh, "lion", and women the name Kaur, usually translated "princess". The Guru himself, born Gobind Rai, became Gobind Singh. These names are commonly explained as a deliberate rejection of caste: in a society where a surname announced your caste and ancestry, giving every Sikh man the same name and every Sikh woman the same name declared them equals. Kaur also gave women an identity of their own, so a Sikh woman does not need to take her husband's or father's name to be complete.

Today almost every Sikh carries Singh or Kaur, whether as a middle name or as a surname. Many families also use a family or village name after it (for example "Harpreet Kaur Sandhu"), while others, by conviction, use only Singh or Kaur. In some countries immigration and passport systems have struggled with this, which is why you will see different conventions in the diaspora. Note that Singh is also used by some non-Sikh communities in India, so the surname alone does not always mean the bearer is Sikh. For a broader overview, see our main Sikh baby names hub.

Names from the Mool Mantar and Gurbani

A growing number of parents choose names directly from scripture. The Mool Mantar, the opening verse of the Guru Granth Sahib, describes God in a series of words that have all become names. It opens with Ik Onkar, "One Creator", which gives Onkar, Ekam, Eknoor and Ikjot. It continues with Sat Naam, "whose Name is Truth" (Satnam), Karta Purakh, the Creator (compare Kartar), Nirbhau, without fear (Nirbhai), Akal Murat, the timeless form (Akal or Akaal), and Ajooni, beyond birth (Ajooni).

Other names come from key Sikh concepts. Simran is remembrance of God through meditation. Sehaj (also spelled Sahaj) is spiritual poise or natural ease. Bani and Gurbani refer to the Guru's sacred word, and Gurshabad to the Guru's hymn. Kirat and Keerat recall kirat karni, earning an honest living, one of the three principles taught by Guru Nanak alongside remembering God and sharing with others. Nimrat means humility, Santokh contentment, and Sukhmani is the name of the Sukhmani Sahib, a long hymn by Guru Arjan that many Sikhs recite daily. Fateh, "victory", appears in the Sikh greeting Waheguru ji ka Khalsa, Waheguru ji ki Fateh.

Names from Sikh history

Many families honour figures from the Sikh past. Nanak is the name of Guru Nanak Dev (1469–1539), founder of Sikhism and the first Guru. Angad honours Guru Angad Dev, the second Guru, who was born Lehna; Guru Nanak renamed him Angad, understood as "part of my own body". Arjan recalls Guru Arjan Dev, the fifth Guru, who compiled the Adi Granth and is remembered as the first Sikh martyr. Gobind honours Guru Gobind Singh.

The four sons of Guru Gobind Singh, the Char Sahibzade, are remembered every December; two of their names appear here as Ajit (Sahibzada Ajit Singh, the eldest) and Fateh (Fateh Singh, the youngest, martyred as a child). Sundari recalls Mata Sundari, a wife of Guru Gobind Singh who guided the community for decades after 1708. Gurdas honours Bhai Gurdas, the scholar who served as scribe for the first edition of the Adi Granth. Ranjit recalls Maharaja Ranjit Singh, the "Lion of Punjab", who ruled from Lahore in the early nineteenth century, and Udham recalls the revolutionary Udham Singh. Kabir, the fifteenth-century poet-saint whose hymns are included in the Guru Granth Sahib, is also a well-loved choice.

Some families feel that the names of the Gurus themselves should be used with great care, or only as part of a compound, while others are glad to give them. If you are unsure, it is worth talking to your granthi or elders.

Popular Sikh girls' names

Any unisex name can be given to a daughter with Kaur, but these names are used mainly or often for girls. Harleen, Jasleen, Gurleen, Prabhleen and Manleen are modern favourites; Ajooni, Nimrat, Bani and Sukhmani have grown in popularity as scripture-based names. For a wider selection, browse girl names A–Z.

Popular Sikh boys' names

Likewise any unisex name works for a son with Singh, but these names are used mainly for boys. Many draw on courage and strength, ideals strongly associated with the Khalsa: Jodh "warrior", Himmat "courage", Sherdil "lion-hearted", Shamsher "sword", Bahadur "brave". Others are devotional, like Gurbachan, Gurnam and Jaskaran. For more, see boy names A–Z.

Spelling and pronunciation

Because Sikh names are written in Gurmukhi and transliterated into English, there is no single correct spelling. Common variations include jeet/jit (Baljeet, Baljit), veer/vir/bir (Dalveer, Dalvir, Dalbir), vinder/winder (Jasvinder, Jaswinder), deep/dip (Kuldeep, Kuldip), Sehaj/Sahaj, and Prabh/Prab (Prabhjot, Prabjot). Kamal and Kanwal both mean lotus, so Kamaldeep and Kanwaldeep are close cousins.

A few tips for families outside Punjab:

• The "a" in Har-, Man- and Jas- is short, close to the "u" in "hut".
• "Preet" rhymes with "street"; "jot" sounds like "jote" with a long o.
• The "bh" in Prabhjot is an aspirated sound that English speakers often simplify to "Prab-jot", which is acceptable in everyday use.
• Short names such as Ekam, Sehaj, Fateh, Bani and Kirat travel easily across languages, which partly explains their recent popularity in the diaspora.

Many Sikh names share roots with Sanskrit vocabulary also used by Hindu families; see our Sanskrit baby names and Hindu baby names pages for that wider family.

Frequently asked questions

How is a Sikh baby name chosen?

In the Naam Karan ceremony, the Guru Granth Sahib is opened at random and a hymn (the hukamnama) is read. The first letter of that hymn's first word is used as the first letter of the child's name, and the name is then announced to the congregation. Boys receive Singh and girls Kaur.

Are Sikh names unisex?

Most of them are. Names like Harpreet, Navjot, Simran and Gurmeet are given to both boys and girls, with Singh or Kaur showing gender. Some endings lean one way: -leen is mainly for girls, while -veer and -bir are mainly for boys.

What do Singh and Kaur mean?

Singh means "lion" and Kaur is usually translated "princess". Guru Gobind Singh gave these names to the Khalsa in 1699, widely understood as a way of removing caste distinctions and affirming equality.

What does "preet" mean in Sikh names?

Preet means love. In compounds it usually means love of God or of a virtue: Gurpreet is "love of the Guru", Harpreet "love of God" and Manpreet "love of the heart".

Can a Sikh baby be named after a Guru?

Some families do give names such as Nanak, Angad, Arjan or Gobind, while others prefer to avoid using a Guru's name on its own out of respect. Customs differ, so many parents consult their granthi or elders.

What are some modern Sikh names?

Short, scripture-inspired names are popular, such as Ekam, Sehaj, Ajooni, Nimrat, Fateh, Bani, Eknoor and Gurnoor.