Singh

उत्पत्ति और इतिहास

Singh comes from the Sanskrit 'siṃha', meaning 'lion'. It was adopted as a surname by Rajputs (warrior caste) across North India and became obligatory for Sikh males after Guru Gobind Singh decreed it in 1699 to dissolve caste hierarchy within the Khalsa brotherhood. Today it is used across Rajput, Sikh, Jat, and other communities in Punjab, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, and Bihar.