Rustem means “great hero”. It comes from Persian. It is documented as a boy's name in Uyghur, Kazakh, Azerbaijani and Bashkir and also used in Turkish and Turkmen.
- Rustem is a name of Persian origin.
- It is recorded for Turkish, Uyghur, Kazakh, Azerbaijani, Turkmen and Bashkir.
- 2 syllables (counted from the spelling) and 6 letters.
What does Rustem mean?
Rüstəm (Рөстәм) is a boy's name listed on Wiktionary as a given name in Azerbaijani and Bashkir. Wiktionary traces the name to Classical Persian رستم (‘great hero’). That word means “great hero”.[1,3,4,5]
Rustem in Turkish, Uyghur, Kazakh, Azerbaijani, Turkmen and Bashkir
What does Rustem mean in Turkish?
In Turkish the name is written Rüstem. It is recorded as a boy's name.
What does Rustem mean in Uyghur?
In Uyghur the name is written رۇستەم and Rustem (ULY transliteration). Here it is glossed as “legendary Persian hero; figuratively: hero, champion; secret”[5]. It is recorded as a boy's name.[5]
What does Rustem mean in Kazakh?
In Kazakh the name is written Рүстем, Rustem (common romanization) and Rüstem (Wiktionary romanization). It is recorded as a boy's name.[3,6]
What does Rustem mean in Azerbaijani?
In Azerbaijani the name is written Rüstəm. Here it is glossed as “great hero”[1,2]. It is recorded as a boy's name.[1]
What does Rustem mean in Turkmen?
In Turkmen the name is written Rüstem. It is recorded as a boy's name.
Where does the name Rustem come from?
Persian, borrowing. Wiktionary traces the name to Persian رستم (‘great hero’).[4]✓ Documented
Classical Persian, borrowing. Wiktionary traces the name to Classical Persian رستم (‘great hero’).[1]✓ Documented
Persian, borrowing. The Dictionary of Uyghur Names gives the origin as Persian.[5]✓ Documented
Classical Persian and Middle Persian and Persian, borrowing. Borrowed from Classical Persian رُسْتَم (rustam), from Middle Persian [script needed] (lwtsthm /rōdstahm/).[3]Likely
Which languages use the name Rustem?
Rustem is used as a given name in Turkish, Uyghur, Kazakh, Azerbaijani, Turkmen and Bashkir. Its origin is Persian, Classical Persian and Classical Persian and Middle Persian and Persian. The table shows for each language whether the use is documented by a cited source or comes from our editorial research.
Rustem across Turkic languages
| Language | Spelling | Gender | Meaning in this language | Label |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Turkish | RüstemLatin | Boy | — | Editorial |
| Uyghur | رۇستەمArabic script | Boy | “legendary Persian hero; figuratively: hero, champion; secret” | Documented[5] |
| Kazakh | РүстемCyrillic | Boy | — | Documented[3,6] |
| Azerbaijani | RüstəmLatin | Boy | “great hero” | Documented[1] |
| Turkmen | RüstemLatin | Boy | — | Editorial |
| Bashkir | РөстәмCyrillic | Boy | “great hero” | Documented[4] |
Similar spellings in different languages do not prove a shared origin: two languages can arrive at the same sound from different words. The origin section above states what the sources say.
Spelling variations of Rustem
Forms are shown as recorded, in their original script. Romanizations and rule-based conversions are labelled with their system and are not presented as attested spellings.
| Form | Language | Script | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Рүстем[3,6] | Kazakh | Cyrillic | Native spelling |
| Rustem[6] | Latin spelling | Latin | Variant |
| Rüstem | Turkish | Latin | Native spelling |
| رۇستەم[5] | Uyghur | Arabic script | Native spelling |
| Rustem[5] | Uyghur | Latin | Romanization (ULY transliteration) |
| Rustem | Kazakh | Latin | Romanization (common romanization) |
| Rüstem[3] | Kazakh | Latin | Romanization (Wiktionary romanization) |
| Rüstəm[1] | Azerbaijani | Latin | Native spelling |
| Rüstem | Turkmen | Latin | Native spelling |
| Рөстәм[4] | Bashkir | Cyrillic | Native spelling |
| Rüstäm[4] | Bashkir | Latin | Romanization (Wiktionary romanization) |
Sibling names for Rustem
Names recorded for the same languages that start with a different letter, so two children are not mixed up. Names that share a meaning theme or an element with Rustem rank first. Siblings do not have to match; these are only ideas.
- OmarBoy“life, long-lived”same language (kazakh)
- AshekeiBoy“ornament, adornment”same language (kazakh)
- MügeGirl“mouse”same language (turkish)
- AlparBoy“brave hero”same language (turkish, kazakh)
- YağmurUnisex“rain”same language (turkish)
- KorikBoy“beauty”same language (kazakh)
- ArsanBoy“of good reputation”same language (turkish)
- YulbarsBoy“tiger”same language (bashkir)
Common questions about Rustem
What does the name Rustem mean?
Rustem means “great hero”. It comes from Persian. It is documented as a boy's name in Uyghur, Kazakh, Azerbaijani and Bashkir and also used in Turkish and Turkmen.
Is Rustem a girl's or a boy's name?
Rustem is recorded as a boy's name. By language: Turkish: boys; Uyghur: boys; Kazakh: boys; Azerbaijani: boys; Turkmen: boys; Bashkir: boys.
Where does Rustem come from?
Rustem is of Persian, Classical Persian and Classical Persian and Middle Persian and Persian origin according to our origin records. Read the origin section above for the sources.
Which languages use Rustem?
Rustem is recorded for Turkish, Uyghur, Kazakh, Azerbaijani, Turkmen and Bashkir. The table shows each language's spelling, gender and evidence label, and a language is listed only when our data records the name for it.
How is Rustem spelled in other scripts?
Recorded spellings: Рүстем (Cyrillic), Rustem (Latin), Rüstem (Latin), رۇستەم (Arabic script), Rüstəm (Latin), Рөстәм (Cyrillic). Romanizations and rule-based conversions are labelled as such in the spelling table.
How many syllables does Rustem have?
Rustem has 2 syllables by our approximate count of vowel groups in the spelling, and 6 letters. Pronunciation can differ by language.
Sources
Numbers in the text point to these sources. The descriptions on this page are written by a fixed template filled only with the stored source facts; source texts are not copied.
- Wiktionary contributors. Wiktionary entry “Rüstəm”. Wikimedia Foundation, revision 93609047. Accessed 2026-10-28. Licence: CC BY-SA 4.0.
Supports: etymology states: Borrowed from Classical Persian رستم (rustam); classified as a male given name in the Azerbaijani section; listed as a male given name in the Azerbaijani section; headword of the Azerbaijani given-name entry
- Wiktionary contributors. Wiktionary entry “رستم”. Wikimedia Foundation, revision 92040533. Accessed 2026-10-28. Licence: CC BY-SA 4.0.
Supports: Persian رستم ‘great hero’
- Wiktionary contributors. Wiktionary entry “Рүстем”. Wikimedia Foundation, revision 93629655. Accessed 2026-10-28. Licence: CC BY-SA 4.0.
Supports: classified as Kazakh given names, Kazakh male given names; listed as a Kazakh given name; etymology: Borrowed from Classical Persian رُسْتَم (rustam), from Middle Persian [script needed] (lwtsthm /rōdstahm/).; Kazakh given-name entry Рүстем (+1 more)
- Wiktionary contributors. Wiktionary entry “Рөстәм”. Wikimedia Foundation, revision 88380938. Accessed 2026-10-28. Licence: CC BY-SA 4.0.
Supports: classified as a male given name in the Bashkir section; etymology states: From Persian رستم (rostam); listed as a male given name in the Bashkir section; headword of the Bashkir given-name entry (+1 more)
- Uyghur Language. Dictionary of Uyghur Names. Uyghur Language (GitHub: uyghur-language/names), revision 075ed994f116b4b9e06c7d013b4fb880db679883. Accessed 2026-10-28. Licence: MIT License.
Supports: entry in the Dictionary of Uyghur Names; Uyghur gloss: رىۋايەتلەردىكى پارس قەھرىمانى. مەجازى مەنىسى: (1) باھادىر، قەھرىمان، (2) مەخپىي; listed as a Uyghur given name (masculine); origin: Persian (+2 more)
- Rustem Yeshpanov. KazPER Kazakh person-name list. Accessed 2026-10-28. Licence: CC BY 4.0.
Supports: listed in KazPER; KazPER lists Рүстем; KazPER English spelling Rustem
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