In Sikh tradition, what ceremony gives a newborn a name at the gurdwara?

In Sikh tradition, Naam Karan is the ceremony that gives a newborn a name at the gurdwara.

Naam Karan, also written Nam Karan, is a Sikh naming ceremony. The family brings the child to a gurdwara, where prayers are recited and the Guru Granth Sahib is opened at random. The first letter of the selected hymn’s opening word traditionally guides the child’s name.

Sikh names commonly use a shared gender-associated ending: Singh for men and Kaur for women. The ceremony connects the child’s identity with the Sikh community and with scripture rather than treating naming as only a private family decision.

Naam Karan should not be confused with Anand Karaj, the Sikh marriage ceremony, or Amrit Sanchar, the initiation ceremony associated with the Khalsa. Spellings and local details can differ, but the naming function remains central.