The tenth Sikh Guru, Guru Gobind Singh, created the unique identity of the Sikhs and also gave all Sikh men one last name - Singh - and all Sikh women another - Kaur. The reason for doing so is strongly rooted in the culture of South Asia. In that time period’s caste-ridden society and even today, someone’s last/family name signifies their social status and caste. Guru Gobind Singh wanted to remove these barriers between people, and create an egalitarian society. The word “Singh” means “Lion” and the word “Kaur” denotes “Princess.” Over time, many Sikh families have reverted to using their family name, but have maintained Singh and Kaur as middle names.