Category Archives: Parsi Names

Rostam

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  • Origin: Persian رستم
  • Meaning: unknown
  • Gender: Male

Rostam is an ancient Persian name that likely descends from Old Persian or Sogdian roots. Its meaning is debated, but the most popular theory is that it derives from *rautas-taxma “strong like a river.”

The name is immortalized in Ferdowsi’s 10th-century Persian epic, the Shahnameh, where Rostam is the towering national hero described as:

  • a mighty warrior of the kingdom of Zabul.
  • tamer of the legendary horse Rakhsh.
  • defender of Iran against its enemies
  • and the tragic father of Sohrab in one of the most famous father-son duels in world literature.

Because of this epic, Rostam is to Persian culture what Hercules is to the Greek tradition.

Rostam has been a popular masculine name across Iran, Afghanistan, Tajikistan, and Central Asia for over a thousand years. It also appears as Rustam in many languages of the region—Azerbaijani, Uzbek, Pashto, and even in parts of the Caucasus and South Asia.

International Variations

  • Rüstəm (Azeri)
  • Rustam Рустам, رستم (Chechen, Kazakh, Kyrgyz, Indonesian, Pashto, Tajik, Urdu, Uyghur, Uzbek)
  • Rostom როსტომ (Georgian)
  • Rustem Рустем (Russian)
  • Rustan, Rusten (Scandinavian)
  • Röstäm Рөстәм (Tatar)
  • Rüstem (Turkish)

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Tahmina, Tahmineh

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  • Origin: Persian تهمینه (Persian); Таҳмина (Tajik); তাহমিনা
  • Meaning: “potent; strong; powerful.”
  • Gender: Female

The name is derived from the Farsi تهم (tahm), meaning, “potent; strong; powerful.”

It’s a Persian female name with deep roots. It is the name of the wife of Rostam and the mother of Sohrab in the 10th-century Persian epic, Shahnameh.

Its usage has spread to South-Asia, Pakistan and Bangladesh, as well as throughout Central Asia.

Between 1996-2002, it appeared in the U.K’s Top 500 Most Popular Female Names, peaking at #641 in 1999.

Notable bearer include Tajik actress, Tahmina Rajabova (b. 1982) and Iranian film director, Tahmineh Milani (b. 1960).

Other forms include:

  • Tahmina, Takhmina, Taxmina Тахмина, تهیمینه / تهمینه (Avar, Baloch, Bashkir, Chechen, Circassian, Kazakh, Kurdish, Kyrgyz, Ossetian, Pashto, Tatar, Turkmen, Uzbek)
  • Təhminə (Azeri)
  • Tahmina, Tamina (Bosnian)
  • Tahmine (Turkish)

A rare Bosnian masculine form is Tahmin/Tamin.

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Armita

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  • Origin: Persian آرمیتا
  • Meaning: “holy devotion; creative harmony.”
  • Gender: feminine
  • Pronunciation: ar-MEE-tah

The name is derived from the Avestan Ārmaiti which refers to “holy devotion” or “divine creativity.”

In Zoroastrianism, Spenta Armaiti is one of the Amesha Spentas, which emanate from the Ahura Mazda. Later, Spenta Armaiti came to be personified as a divine female being, representing motherly and wifely devotion as well as the earth, she was synchronized with the Armenian goddess Sandaramet.

In the Zoroastrian calendar, the 5th day of the 12th month, which is called Sepandārmazgān, is her holiest day and a festival in honour of women and love was held in her honour.

Armita is used as a female give-name among Persians of all faiths and has been used in India & Pakistan.

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Chobin, Zubin

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  • Origin: Persian چوبین
  • Meaning: “javelin-like; spear-like.”
  • Gender: masculine

Chobin was the byname of a 6th-century Sassanian general named Bahram Chobin, so-called due to his tall and thin appearance (hence, “spear-like”). His exploits appear in the 10th-century Persian epic, Shahnameh.

Zubin is the Parsi form.

Other forms include:

  • Chubin چوبین (Old Persian)
  • Zhubin ژوبين

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