Sinha

2021-07-13T08:06:48Z

2402:E280:3E1D:70D:1DCA:EE36:7E55:78AC: /* Notable persons with the surname Sinha */

{{short description|Family name in the Indian subcontinent}}
{{For|the list of people with surnames of "Sinha"|Sinha (surname)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=December 2020}}

'''Sinha''' is a Sanskrit term which originates in the [[Indian subcontinent]] and is common in [[India]], [[Sri Lanka]], [[Bangladesh]] and [[Pakistan]], covering [[South Asia]]. It comes from a [[Sanskrit]] word meaning "[[Asiatic lion|lion]]" or "brave person".<ref>{{cite book|title=Twenty-six Ways of Looking at a BlackBerry: How to Let Writing Release the Creativity of Your Brand|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=8f66aoAfcQQC|author=John Simmons|publisher=A&C Black|page=173|accessdate=1 April 2009|isbn = 9781408105962|date = 1 April 2009}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|title=Ceylon's Foreign Policy Under the Bandaranaikes (1956-65): A Political Analysis|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=IesBAAAAMAAJ|author=Dhirendra Mohan Prasad|publisher=S. Chand|year=1973|page=217}}</ref>

==Usage==

===<span lang="ml" dir="ltr">Indian</span> subcontinent===
In India, Sinha is used as a surname by the [[Bengali Kayastha]]s (also spelt ''Singha'') and the Ambastha [[Kayastha]]s of [[Bihar]].<ref>{{cite book|title=India International Centre Quarterly|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=p3pDAAAAYAAJ|publisher=India International Centre|year=2001|page=210|quote=In spite of the ubiquitous presence of the surname Singh/Sinha which itself is associated with a lion symbolic of power and status, we have a whole range of surnames particularly in Kashmir, Gujarat, Maharashtra}}</ref><ref name="Kumar">{{cite book | first=Ashwani |last=Kumar | year =2008|title=Community Warriors: State, Peasants and Caste Armies in Bihar|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=num2I4NFGqIC&pg=PA195|publisher=University of California Press|isbn=978-1-84331-709-8|page=195}}</ref><ref name="Inden">{{cite book | first=Ronald B. |last=Inden | year =1976|title=Marriage and Rank in Bengali Culture: A History of Caste and Clan in Middle Period Bengal|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=P8b9A7J_v-UC&pg=PA40|publisher=University of California Press|isbn=978-0-52002-569-1|page=40}}</ref>

In Sri Lanka, the term 'Sinha' (or Siha / Sinhe / Singhe / Singha / Singho) have commonly been used by the [[Sinhalese people|Sinhalese]] (or [[Sinhalese people|Sinhala]]). When it comes to the term 'Sinhala' itself, the first part of the word, 'Sinha' stands for [[lion]] while 'la' or 'le' stands for [[blood]], giving the meaning 'Lion's blood'.<ref>{{cite book|title=Spirit Versus Scalpel: Traditional Healing and Modern Psychotherapy|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=khm6A1Z2Ln8C|author1=Leonore Loeb Adler|author2=B. Runi Mukherji|publisher=Greenwood Publishing Group|year=1995|page=96|isbn = 9780897894067}}</ref>
The word Simhmam (or Singam / Singham / Singhai / Singai) is the [[Sri Lankan Tamil]] derivative. In northeast India, Sinha's held high positions as advisors during the times of the Mughal Empire. In northern and middle part of India as well as southern India Sinhraj/Sinharaj/Sinharaja or Rajasinha is also used, having the meaning Lion/Leo king.<ref>{{cite book|title=The Cyclopædia of India and of Eastern and Southern Asia: Commercial, Industrial and Scientific, Products of the Mineral, Vegetable, and Animal Kingdoms, Useful Arts and Manufactures|url=https://archive.org/details/cyclopindiaeast03balfuoft|author=Edward Balfour|publisher=B. Quaritch|year=1885|page=[https://archive.org/details/cyclopindiaeast03balfuoft/page/659 659]–660}}</ref>

The more common surname [[Singh]] in India has the same root. [[Jayasinghe]] and other surnames like 'Wijesinghe', 'Weerasingha', 'Edirisinghe', 'Singaiariyan' in Sri Lanka may also share this root.

===Brazil===
Sinha is also an unrelated name found in [[Brazil]]. Sinha moca is a Brazilian colloquialism that may be translated "miss" or "missy".<ref>{{cite book|title=Iaiá Garcia|author=Machado de Assis|publisher=University Press of Kentucky}}</ref>
==Notable persons with the surname Sinha==
* [[Tapan Sinha]], Indian film director, who worked both in [[Cinema of West Bengal|Bengali]] and [[Hindi cinema]]
* [[Manoj Sinha]], 2nd Lieutenant Governor of Jammu and Kashmir
* [[Mala Sinha]], Indian film actress
* [[Kaliprasanna Sinha]], Bengali language author, playwright, and philanthropist
* [[Bikash Sinha]], Indian scientist
* [[Lord Satyendra Prasanna Sinha]], first Governor of Bihar and Orissa, first Indian Advocate-General of Bengal, first Indian to become a member of the Viceroy's executive Council and the first Indian to become a member of the British ministry
* [[Paul Sinha]], British quiz player and comedian
* [[Vidya Sinha]], Indian film actress
* [[Shatrughan Sinha]], Indian film actor and politician
* [[Sonakshi Sinha]], Indian film actress
* [[Shumona Sinha]], Indian writer
* [[Surajit Chandra Sinha]], Indian anthropologist
* [[Anubhav Sinha]], Indian film director
* [[Anugrah Narayan Sinha]], [[Deputy Chief Minister of Bihar]]
* [[P. B. Illangasinghe]], Sri Lankan notary public, wrote the initial version of [[Sri Lanka Matha|Sri Lankan national anthem]]
* [[Susanthika Jayasinghe]], Sri Lankan athlete who won the Olympic silver medal for the 200m event
* [[Martin Wickramasinghe]], Sri Lankan novelist who authored the greatest Sinhalese novel [[Viragaya]].''[[Viragaya]]''
* [[Ranil Wickremesinghe]], Sri Lankan politician, prime minister of Sri Lanka four times

==Places named after Sinha==
* [[Sri Lanka|Sinhalaya]], name of the Kingdom of [[Sri Lanka]] before the invasion period in 1505 and after the independence from 1948 to 1950s
* [[Sigiriya]], fortress in Sri Lanka; its short name derives from 'Sinha Giriya' meaning "The rocky place of lions"
* [[Singapore]], named from 'Singa Pura' / 'Sinha Pure' which means Lion City in Sanskrit, before 1819

==See also==
* [[Singh]]

==References==
{{reflist}}

[[Category:Surnames]]
[[Category:Indian surnames]]

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Sinha