Kaur is a name used by Sikh women as either a middle or last name. The tenth guru of Sikhs, Guru Gobind Singh introduced Kaur and Singh, when he administered Amrit (baptism) to both male and female Sikhs. All female Sikhs were asked to use the name Kaur after their forename and male Sikhs were to use the name Singh. (Since 'Kaur' means "Princess", the name acts as a symbol of equality among men and women.) This custom further confirmed the equality of both genders as was the tradition set by the founder of Sikhism, Shri Guru Nanak Dev Ji. It was intended to give women a sense of self-respect and warrior ethos. Singh is also used by some non-Sikh women because Singh can be a last name for several other communities. It is the most common last name used by Sikhs. It is not mandatory to be baptized to include Kaur and Singh in the name.
Kaur provides Sikh women with a status equal to all men. This was also intended to reduce the prejudice created by caste-typing based on the family name. Prejudice based on caste was still rampant during Guru Gobind's time (17th century). This particularly affected women who were expected to take their husband's family name upon marriage. The British required women to take on their husbands' names.
Sikh principles believe that all men and women are completely equal. Therefore, a woman is crowned with great responsibility and can lead her own life as an individual, equal to men. She does not need a man's title to raise her own status. Saying this would go against the principles stated in the Sri Guru Granth Sahib, the religious text of Sikhism.
Guru Nanak Dev Ji states:
From woman, man is born; within woman, man is conceived; to woman he is engaged and married.
Woman becomes his friend; through woman, the future generations come.
When his woman dies, he seeks another woman; to woman he is bound.
So why call her inferior? From her, kings are born.
From woman, woman is born; without woman, there would be no one at all.!
Kaur is my identity
