On an Everest trek you'll meet many people called Lhakpa, Pemba or Dawa, and almost everyone with the surname Sherpa. There's a simple reason.
Quick answer: many Sherpas are named after the day of the week they were born, each linked to a celestial body: Nima (Sunday, Sun), Dawa (Monday, Moon), Mingma (Tuesday, Mars), Lhakpa (Wednesday, Mercury), Phurba (Thursday, Jupiter), Pasang (Friday, Venus) and Pemba (Saturday, Saturn). "Sherpa" itself is the name of the ethnic group.
The day names
| Day | Name | Linked to |
|---|---|---|
| Sunday | Nima | Sun |
| Monday | Dawa | Moon |
| Tuesday | Mingma | Mars |
| Wednesday | Lhakpa | Mercury |
| Thursday | Phurba | Jupiter |
| Friday | Pasang | Venus |
| Saturday | Pemba | Saturn |
Other names
Names may also refer to birth order or be given by a lama, and many people combine two names, such as Ang (young) or Tenzing. Famous examples include Tenzing Norgay, Kami Rita Sherpa and Lhakpa Sherpa.
"Sherpa" as a surname
Sherpa means "people from the east" and refers to the ethnic group of the Everest region. It is not a job title, although many Sherpas work as climbers and guides.
See our Sherpa culture guide.