Rostam

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Origin: Persian

Meaning: although the meaning is uncertain, I've seen it listed as meaning "tall" or "strong", or a combination of Raodh meaning "growth, reap, developed", and Takhma meaning "brave".

In Persian mythology, Rostam is the son of Zal and Rudaba, a princess of Kabul. He's a legendary hero, the champion of champions, and the hero of the Persian epic Shahnameh (meaning The Book of Kings). According to legend, his mother Rudaba had a prolonged labor because of his size and Zal was sure she was going to die. He summoned a simurgh (a mythical bird in Iran sometimes equated with a phoenix or griffin) which instructed him how to perform a Rostamzad (the Persian equivalent of a C-section), saving the lives of both mother and child.

Rostam also accidentally kills his own son, Sohrab, unaware of his identity until after fatally wounding and killing him in battle.



Variants:

• Rustam (Arabic, Uzbek, Azerbaijani, Tajik)
• Rostom (Georgian)

• Rüstem (Turkish)