Sikh names
Family names
Family names
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In Sikhism, women don't change their surnames after marriage \- this is due to the fact that each partner keeps *Singh* and *[Kaur](/wiki/Kaur "Kaur")* respectively, who use their preferred names). Again, Punjabi culture generally contradicts this as women are expected to take their husband's family name. Their daughters would then generally have a given name, as well as the Khalsa name and their father's last name, which is usually the name of the father's village; for example, a girl with the name Harjeet, whose father's last name is Aulakh, would then become Harjeet Kaur Aulakh (meaning *"Harjeet, princess of Aulakh"*). In spite that this system is not permitted for Sikhs as it reinforces both tribalism and the patriarchy, it is the most widely used naming system amongst non\-initiated Sikhs (and still prevalent among initiated Sikhs). Sikh girls take on last name of *Singh*, a practice more common in larger cities. 

Many Sikhs use the sole *Singh* and *[Kaur](/wiki/Kaur "Kaur")* (without any other family name). Initiation is not necessary to use these Sikh last names. Some believers maintain that this practice of naming without using the word *Singh* or *Kaur* is *manmat* (Against the will of the Guru) and is prohibited in the [Rehat Maryada](/wiki/Rehat_Maryada "Rehat Maryada") (The way of living of Sikhs).

### Caste

Many Sikhs append the name of their sub\-caste (known as a *got* in Punjabi and *[gotra](/wiki/Gotra "Gotra")* in Hindi) as their surname. A *got* is an exogamous grouping within a particular caste (known as a *zat* in Punjabi and *[jati](/wiki/J%C4%81ti "Jāti")* in Hindi). A *zat* is an endogamous caste grouping, which contains *gots* under it. Some Sikhs are against the usage of *got* names as surnames because they think it promotes the [caste system](/wiki/Caste "Caste") and the discrimination that comes from it, which is against Sikh doctrines. Sikhs tend to marry someone belonging to a different *got* as themself whilst belonging to the same *zat*. Since the second\-half of the 20th century, some Sikhs from socially and economically\-disadvantaged castes have adopted the gotra names of privileged castes as their surnames in an attempt to hide their original caste\-background and seek upward social mobility.


How do Sikh girls take on a last name?