my name is darshleen kaur. my mom chose my name, darshleen - it means to be immersed in the presence of waheguru (the term sikhs use for god). it's a sikh punjabi name. kaur is my last name. my guru, guru gobind singh ji, gave me my last name. it means a lionness, a princess.
Thank you for speaking about this. It’s so important not just for those who have struggled to homogenize themselves for “mainstream consumption” but also for people like me with more “traditional” (read: easy to pronounce without much thinking or intentionality) names to understand the importance of not contributing to that dilution with our own discomfort. 🙏🏻
i remember when i first met you, that you asked me how to pronounce my name and asked me if you had got it right. thank you for that special, standard-setting moment ♥️
Words of power, written so eloquently, that this world needs to hear ✨
thank you 🙏🏽 so many people have said a part of them heal through this piece, and that's all the encouragement I need to keep writing!
my name is darshleen kaur. my mom chose my name, darshleen - it means to be immersed in the presence of waheguru (the term sikhs use for god). it's a sikh punjabi name. kaur is my last name. my guru, guru gobind singh ji, gave me my last name. it means a lionness, a princess.
I love how you own your full name, and introduce yourself. what regal roots 🤎
The section on, “Who Decides What’s Too Difficult” has me sobbing. Needed this today.
it was a heavy section to write, but so true. we're in this journey of reclamation together ✨
Thank you for speaking about this. It’s so important not just for those who have struggled to homogenize themselves for “mainstream consumption” but also for people like me with more “traditional” (read: easy to pronounce without much thinking or intentionality) names to understand the importance of not contributing to that dilution with our own discomfort. 🙏🏻
i remember when i first met you, that you asked me how to pronounce my name and asked me if you had got it right. thank you for that special, standard-setting moment ♥️
I asked my friends how their names have been shortened, twisted, or anglicised over the years. Here are some of the worst attempts:
Anchal → Anchor
Munpreet → Moonprint
Pawan → Puffin
Baban → Baboon
Gurpreet → Gurptrude
Japneet → Janet
Komal → Camel
Talimka → Taliban-ka
Amitpal → Armpit-pal
Navjot → Navajo
Jagpreet → Jeffrey
It’s easy to laugh along when someone butchers your name — but what’s the cost?
Each slip up, each shortcut, each small surrender carries the same quiet message: you’re easier to accept when you lose parts of your story.