Origin of the Name "Dalai Lama"

In Mongolian, "Dalai" means "ocean" and "Lama" is equivalent to the Tibetan word "guru." So "Dalai Lama" is commonly translated to mean "spiritual teacher". The actual title was first given to Sonam Gyatso, the 3rd Dalai Lama, by the Mongolian ruler Altan Khan in 1578. Although Sonam Gyatso was the first Lama to hold the name of the "Dalai Lama," he actually became known as the 3rrd Dalai Lama because he was the third member of his lineage.