Rostam

Sohrab

Persian · “From Old Persian or Middle Persian, possibly meaning "red water" or "brilliant red" (from "sūr" meaning red/brilliant and "āb" meaning water). Sohrab is the tragic son of Rostam in the Shahnameh — a young hero of extraordinary bravery who travels to find his father, only to meet him in single combat, where neither recognizes the other until Sohrab is mortally wounded.”

Kaveh

Persian · “From Avestan "Kavi" or Old Persian "Kāva", relating to the ancient priestly-royal caste of seers in Iranian tradition. In the Shahnameh, Kaveh the Blacksmith is the heroic commoner who rises against the serpent tyrant Zahhak and whose leather apron, raised as a standard, becomes the legendary Derafsh Kaviani — the royal banner of Persia for over a thousand years.”

Tahmineh

Persian · “From Persian "Tahmineh", possibly derived from Middle Persian elements meaning "strong" or "the mighty one". In the Shahnameh, Tahmineh is the daughter of the King of Samangan who seeks out the hero Rostam to bear his child, and becomes the mother of the tragic Sohrab — a woman who acts with agency and desire in a world that rarely allows women either.”

Zal

Persian · “From the Persian "Zāl", meaning the white-haired or albino one — Zal was born with snow-white hair, considered an ill omen in ancient Iran, which caused his father Sam to abandon him on a mountaintop, where the mythical bird Simurgh raised him. Zal becomes a great hero and the father of the legendary Rostam, his unusual appearance a marker of the extraordinary destiny that sets him apart from ordinary men.”

Siavash

“From Avestan "Syāvarshān" or Middle Persian "Syāwaxsh", meaning "owner of the black stallion" or "black stallion" — combining "siyāh" (black) and "asp" (horse). Siavash is one of the most beloved and tragic figures in the Shahnameh: a prince of exceptional purity and beauty who is falsely accused by his stepmother and seeks exile, only to be murdered in a foreign land.”

Parveen

“From Persian "Parvīn", the Persian name for the Pleiades star cluster — the seven sisters of Greek mythology, called "Soraya" or "Parveen" in Persian astronomical tradition. The Pleiades were associated with beauty, music, and the spring rains that bring fertility to the earth, making this a name of celestial, poetic beauty.”

Fereydun

“From Old Iranian "Thraetaona" or Avestan "Θraētaona", a name of ancient mythological resonance connected to the concept of the threefold power of the universe. Fereydun is the heroic king of the Shahnameh who slays the serpent-tyrant Zahhak with the divine club (gorz), divides his kingdom between his three sons, and whose story echoes the most ancient Indo-Iranian mythological patterns.”

Farhad

“From Old Persian or Middle Persian, meaning "happy" or "joyful prosperity", related to Persian "farr" (divine glory or royal splendor). Farhad is the stonecutter who falls hopelessly in love with Shirin in the Persian epic Khosrow and Shirin by Nizami Ganjavi — his unrequited devotion, expressed through carving a milk canal through a mountain, became the archetype of self-destructive romantic obsession.”

Tahmineh

“From Persian "Tahmineh", possibly derived from Middle Persian elements meaning "strong" or "the mighty one". In the Shahnameh, Tahmineh is the daughter of the King of Samangan who seeks out the hero Rostam to bear his child, and becomes the mother of the tragic Sohrab — a woman who acts with agency and desire in a world that rarely allows women either.”

Shahram

“From Old Persian and Middle Persian "shāh" (king) and "rām" (peaceful, tranquil, happy), meaning "peaceful king" or "king of peace". The name Rām is also associated with the Zoroastrian deity of joy and peace, giving the name a spiritual resonance in Persian tradition.”