Men were instructed to adopt the last name Singh, meaning lion, and women were encouraged to use Kaur, meaning princess. The use of Kaur, as opposed to adopting family names in marriage, promotes women as individuals with value and identities existing independently of their relationships with men.
https://www.wearesikhs.org/6_why_do_so_many_sikhs_have_the_last_name_singh_or_kaur

