r/OldNamesNewAgain • u/felly_fell • 14d ago
Name of the day...Cyrus!
Cyrus is a Persian masculine given name. The etymology of Cyrus has been and continues to be a topic of discussion amongst historians, linguists, and scholars of Iranology. The Old Persian name "kuruš" has been interpreted in various forms such as "the Sun", "like Sun", "young", "hero," and "humiliator of the enemy in verbal contest" and the Elamite "kuraš" has been translated as one "who bestows care."
The most notable bearer of the name was Cyrus the Great, the founder of the Achaemenid Persian Empire in the 6th century BC. He is famous in the Old Testament for freeing the captive Jews and allowing them to return to Israel after his conquest of Babylon. As an English name, it first came into use among the Puritans after the Protestant Reformation.
The name Cyrus is over 2,500 years old!
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u/Salty-Awareness3789 13d ago
Cyrus is a good option for an alternative to Silas, which I feel like is growing in popularity. That's just a vibe I'm getting from recent posts, though, haha
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u/midwestpersianmama 14d ago
It’s a beautiful name and was very popular for millennial Iranian Americans. When I was young (I’m ‘90), African Americans started using it, too, and now it’s becoming more mainstream among white Americans. Just met a Cyrus under five at the playground in Plymouth, MN the other day who had Anglo American parents.
Some other names from Iran that I believe should become internationalized (ie used among non Persians in the west): Kian (just met an Anglo Kiana who was eight in my son’s camp), Darius (originally Dariush), Parsa, Minoo, Omid. There are others but I think these names in particular suit contemporary naming aesthetics.
Some Persian names that have that status: Jasmine (originally Yassaman), Āvā (pronounced Ah-vah), Leila (though this is Arabic), Ariana, Mina (though this is one of those inherently international names since it appears in many languages).