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.”

Bahram

“From Avestan "Verethragna", the Zoroastrian deity of victory and the personification of martial triumph, whose name passed through Middle Persian as "Wahram" and then "Bahram". Bahram is a name of kings and heroes in the Shahnameh, most notably Bahram Gur, the legendary Sassanid king celebrated for his hunting prowess and love of poetry.”

Firdaus

“From the Persian "firdaws" meaning paradise or garden of paradise, derived from Old Iranian or possibly Avestan roots — the word passed into Arabic and then into the English word "paradise" via Greek "paradeisos". Firdausi (Abu'l-Qasim Ferdowsi) was the great 10th–11th century Persian epic poet who composed the Shahnameh, spending thirty years on his masterwork.”

Zal

“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.”

Jasper

“Jasper is a masculine given name of Persian origin, derived from the Old Persian yashp meaning "treasurer." It became widely used in medieval Europe through the tradition of naming one of the Three Wise Men Jasper (or Caspar). The name has no etymological connection to the gemstone jasper, which derives from a different root.”

Mirza

“From Persian "Mirzā", a contraction of "Amīrzādeh" meaning "born of a prince" or "son of a prince/lord" — from "amir" (prince) and "zādeh" (born of, son of). The title Mirza was used across the Persian, Mughal, and Ottoman empires as an honorific for men of noble birth and later as a mark of education and gentility even among the non-noble.”

Scheherazade

“From Persian "Shahrazad", compounded from "shahr" (city) and "azad" (free, noble-born), meaning "city-born" or "of noble urban lineage". Some scholars derive "shahr" from Old Persian meaning "wide kingdom", giving the meaning "of the wide realm". Shahrazad is the iconic frame narrator of One Thousand and One Nights, who saves her life by telling stories night after night.”