We believe that this 'name' is recorded as Subhan, Sukbhan, and Sukbans, and is Sikh. It is believed to mean 'happy family', and like most if not all Sikh names, is designed to provide a feeling of well being and tranquilty. Having said that we approach (sur)names from the Indian sub-continent with extreme caution. Many of the spellings which are now popular in the West, are often not to be found in their homelands in Sanskript, or if they are, it is rarely in what might be described as a Western or English form. Researchers have a similar problem with Irish and Scottish surnames of Gaelic origin, in that their modern 'anglicised' equivalents often bear little resemblance to their original spelling or meaning. Most people of Indian birth irrespective of their religion, are of Sanskript origin, although each region and country within the Sub Continent has its own individual accent, spelling and pronunciation. Furthermore hereditary 'surnames' as they are known and have existed in the west since the 13th century, are of relatively recent introduction in Eastern countries. it may be true to say that they probably would not exist at all were it not for the requirements of modern communications, specifically the telephone, which has created the need for quickly identifiable surnames.