Cyrus (

Persian Persian may refer to: * People and things from Iran, historically called ''Persia'' in the English language ** Persians, the majority ethnic group in Iran, not to be conflated with the Iranic peoples ** Persian language, an Iranian language of the ...

: کوروش) is a male given name. It is the given name of a number of

Persian kings This is a list of monarchs of Persia (or monarchs of the Iranic peoples, in present-day Iran), which are known by the royal title Shah or Shahanshah. This list starts from the establishment of the Medes around 671 BCE until the deposition of the ...

. Most notably it refers to Cyrus the Great ( BC). Cyrus is also the name of

Cyrus I of Anshan Cyrus I (Old Persian: ''Kuruš'') or Cyrus I of Anshan or Cyrus I of Persia, was King of Anshan in Persia from to 580 BC or, according to others, from to 600 BC. Cyrus I of Anshan is the grandfather of Cyrus the Great, also known as Cyrus II. ...

( BC), King of Persia and the grandfather of Cyrus the Great; and Cyrus the Younger (died 401 BC), brother to the Persian King

Artaxerxes II of Persia Arses ( grc-gre, Ἄρσης; 445 – 359/8 BC), known by his regnal name Artaxerxes II ( peo, 𐎠𐎼𐎫𐎧𐏁𐏂 ; grc-gre, Ἀρταξέρξης), was King of Kings of the Achaemenid Empire from 405/4 BC to 358 BC. He was the son and suc ...

Etymology

Cyrus, as a word in English, is the

Latin Latin (, or , ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally a dialect spoken in the lower Tiber area (then known as Latium) around present-day Rome, but through the power of the ...

ized form of the

Greek Greek may refer to: Greece Anything of, from, or related to Greece, a country in Southern Europe: *Greeks, an ethnic group. *Greek language, a branch of the Indo-European language family. **Proto-Greek language, the assumed last common ancestor ...

Κῦρος, ''Kȳros'', from Old Persian ''Kūruš''. According to the inscriptions the name is reflected in

Elamite Elamite, also known as Hatamtite and formerly as Susian, is an extinct language that was spoken by the ancient Elamites. It was used in what is now southwestern Iran from 2600 BC to 330 BC. Elamite works disappear from the archeological record ...

''Kuraš'', Babylonian ''Ku(r)-raš/-ra-áš'' and

Imperial Aramaic Imperial Aramaic is a linguistic term, coined by modern scholars in order to designate a specific historical variety of Aramaic language. The term is polysemic, with two distinctive meanings, wider (sociolinguistic) and narrower ( dialectologi ...

''kwrš''. The modern Persian form of the name is '' Kūroš''. The etymology of Cyrus has been and continues to be a topic of discussion amongst historians, linguists, and scholars of

Iranology Iranian studies ( fa, ايران‌شناسی '), also referred to as Iranology and Iranistics, is an interdisciplinary field dealing with the research and study of the civilization, history, literature, art and culture of Iranian peoples. It ...

. 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 name has appeared on many monuments and inscriptions in Old Persian. There is also the record of a small inscription in Morghab (southwestern Iran) on which there is the sentence (''adam kūruš xšāyaθiya haxāmanišiya'') in Old Persian meaning (''I am Cyrus the Achaemenian King''). After a questionable proposal by the German linguist F. H. Weissbach that Darius the Great was the first to inscribe in

, it had previously been concluded by some scholars that the inscription in Morghab refers to Cyrus the Younger. This proposal was the result of a false interpretation of a passage in paragraph 70 of Behistun inscription by Darius the Great. Based on many arguments, the accepted theory among modern scholars is that the inscription does belong to Cyrus the Great. There are interpretations of name of Cyrus by classical authors identifying with or referring to the Persian word for “Sun”. The Historian

Plutarch Plutarch (; grc-gre, Πλούταρχος, ''Ploútarchos''; ; – after AD 119) was a Greek Middle Platonist philosopher, historian, biographer, essayist, and priest at the Temple of Apollo in Delphi. He is known primarily for hi ...

(46 - 120) states that "the sun, which, in the

Persian language Persian (), also known by its endonym Farsi (, ', ), is a Western Iranian language belonging to the Iranian branch of the Indo-Iranian subdivision of the Indo-European languages. Persian is a pluricentric language predominantly spoken a ...

, is called Cyrus". Also the Physician

Ctesias Ctesias (; grc-gre, Κτησίας; fl. fifth century BC), also known as Ctesias of Cnidus, was a Greek physician and historian from the town of Cnidus in Caria, then part of the Achaemenid Empire. Historical events Ctesias, who lived in the fi ...

who served in the court of the Persian king

writes in his book ''Persica'' as summarized by

Photios Photios I ( el, Φώτιος, ''Phōtios''; c. 810/820 – 6 February 893), also spelled PhotiusFr. Justin Taylor, essay "Canon Law in the Age of the Fathers" (published in Jordan Hite, T.O.R., & Daniel J. Ward, O.S.B., "Readings, Cases, Materia ...

that the name Cyrus is from Persian word "Khur" (the sun).Epitome of

' Persic
52
These are, however, not accepted by modern scholars. Regarding the etymology of Old Persian ''kuruš'', linguists have proposed various etymologies based on Iranian languages as well as non-

Indo-European The Indo-European languages are a language family native to the overwhelming majority of Europe, the Iranian plateau, and the northern Indian subcontinent. Some European languages of this family, English, French, Portuguese, Russian, Dutc ...

ones. According to Tavernier, the name ''kuraš'', attested in Elamite texts, is likely "the original form" as there is no Elamite or Babylonian spelling ''ku-ru-uš'' in the transcriptions of Old Persian ''ku-u-r(u)-u-š''. That is, according to Tavernier, ''kuraš'' is an Elamite name and means "to bestow care". Others, such as Schmitt, Hoffmann maintain that the Persian ''Kuruš'', which according to Skalmowsky, may be connected to (or a borrowing from) the IE ''Kúru-'' from

Old Indic The Indo-Aryan languages (or sometimes Indic languages) are a branch of the Indo-Iranian languages in the Indo-European language family. As of the early 21st century, they have more than 800 million speakers, primarily concentrated in India, P ...

can give an etymology of the Elamite ''kuraš''. In this regard the Old Persian ''kuruš'' is considered with the following etymologies: One proposal is discussed by the linguist

Janos Harmatta János or Janos may refer to: * János, male Hungarian given name, a variant of John Places * Janos Municipality, a municipality of Chihuahua ** Janos, Chihuahua, town in Mexico ** Janos Biosphere Reserve, a nature reserve in Chihuahua * Janos ...

that refers to the common Iranian root "kur-" (be born) of many words in Old, middle, and new

Iranian languages The Iranian languages or Iranic languages are a branch of the Indo-Iranian languages in the Indo-European language family that are spoken natively by the Iranian peoples, predominantly in the Iranian Plateau. The Iranian languages are groupe ...

(e.g.

Kurdish Kurdish may refer to: *Kurds or Kurdish people *Kurdish languages *Kurdish alphabets *Kurdistan, the land of the Kurdish people which includes: **Southern Kurdistan **Eastern Kurdistan **Northern Kurdistan **Western Kurdistan See also * Kurd (dis ...

). Accordingly, the name Kūruš means "young, youth...". Other Iranian etymologies have been proposed. The Indian proposal of Skalmowsky goes down to "to do, accomplish". Another theory is the suggestion of Karl Hoffmann that ''kuruš'' goes down to a ''-ru'' derivation from the IE root ''*(s)kau'' meaning "to humiliate" and accordingly "kuruš" (hence "Cyrus") means "''humiliator'' (of the enemy in verbal contest)". People and fictional characters named Cyrus include:

People

Given name

Ancient world

Cyrus I Cyrus I (Old Persian: ''Kuruš'') or Cyrus I of Anshan or Cyrus I of Persia, was King of Anshan in Persia from to 580 BC or, according to others, from to 600 BC. Cyrus I of Anshan is the grandfather of Cyrus the Great, also known as Cyrus II. ...

( BC), King of Anshan * Cyrus the Great ( BC or 576 BC–530 BC) – also known as Cyrus II – the grandson of Cyrus I, an Achaemenid ruler and founder of the Great Persian Empire * Cyrus the Younger (died 401 BC), brother to the Persian King Artaxerxes * Cyrus (architect), 1st century Greek architect who worked in Rome *Saint Cyrus (see Cyrus and John), 4th century Coptic saint * Cyrus I of Edessa, bishop (d. 396) * Cyrus II of Edessa, bishop (d. 498) *

Cyrus of Alexandria Cyrus of Alexandria ( ar, المقوقس ''al-Muqawqis'', el, Κῦρος Ἀλεξανδρείας) was a Melchite patriarch of the see of Alexandria in the 7th century, one of the originators of monothelitism and the last Byzantine prefect of ...

(d. 642), Melkite Patriarch and co-founder of Monothelism *

Cyrus of Panopolis Flavius Taurus Seleucus Cyrus ( 426–441), better known as Cyrus of Panopolis ( el, ) from his birthplace of Panopolis in Egypt, was a senior East Roman official, epic poet, philosopher and a lover of Greek arts. He lived in Constantinople duri ...

, 5th-century Byzantine writer and official

Modern era

* Cyrus Leroy Baldridge (1889-1977), American artist, illustrator, author and adventurer *

Cyrus Townsend Brady Cyrus Townsend Brady (December 20, 1861 – January 24, 1920) was a journalist, historian and adventure writer. His best-known work is ''Indian Fights and Fighters''. Background He was born in Allegheny, Pennsylvania, and graduated from the U.S. ...

(1861-1920), American journalist, historian and adventure writer *

Cyrus Broacha Cyrus Broacha is an Indian TV anchor, theatre personality, comedian, political satirist, columnist, podcaster and author. He is also a prankster, best known for his show ''Bakra'' on MTV and his show ''The Week That Wasn't'' on CNN-News18 (for ...

(born 1971), MTV India VJ * Cyrus Ramone Pattinson (born 1994), Team GB Boxer *

Cyrus Christie Cyrus Sylvester Frederick Christie (born 30 September 1992) is a professional footballer who plays as a defender for Championship club Hull City and the Republic of Ireland national team. Early and personal life Christie was born in Coventry, ...

(born 1992), professional footballer who plays as right back for Middlesbrough F.C. *

Cyrus Chothia Cyrus Homi Chothia (19 February 1942 – 26 November 2019) was an English biochemist who was an emeritus scientist at the Medical Research Council (MRC) Laboratory of Molecular Biology (LMB) at the University of Cambridge and emeritus fellow ...

(1942–2019), British scientist *

Cyrus Edwin Dallin Cyrus Edwin Dallin (November 22, 1861 – November 14, 1944) was an American sculptor best known for his depictions of Native Americans. He created more than 260 works, including the ''Equestrian Statue of Paul Revere'' in Boston, Massac ...

(1861-1944), American sculptor * Cyrus S. Eaton (1883-1979), Canadian-American banker, investor and philanthropist * Cyrus Edwards (1793-1877), American politician and lawyer *

Cyrus West Field Cyrus West Field (November 30, 1819July 12, 1892) was an American businessman and financier who, along with other entrepreneurs, created the Atlantic Telegraph Company and laid the first telegraph cable across the Atlantic Ocean in 1858. Early ...

(1819-1892), American businessman who successfully laid the first transatlantic telegraph cable *

Cyrus Frisch Cyrus Frisch (born 1969 in Amsterdam) is a Dutch avant-garde film maker. ''Filmmaker'' magazine called him the wild man of Dutch film. According to Holland Film, Frisch is one of the most daring film makers currently working in the Netherland ...

(born 1969), Dutch film director * Cyrus Herzl Gordon (1908 – 2001) was an American scholar of Near Eastern cultures and ancient languages. *

Cyrus Hamlin (general) Cyrus Hamlin (April 26, 1839 – August 28, 1867) was an attorney, politician, and a general from Bangor, Maine, who served in the Union Army during the American Civil War. Early life Hamlin was born in Hampden, Maine, a suburb of Bangor. ...

(1839-1867), Union general during American Civil War, son of Vice President Hannibal Hamlin * Cy Hungerford (1889-1983), American editorial cartoonist *

Cy Kendall Cyrus Willard Kendall (March 10, 1898 – July 22, 1953) was an American film actor. He appeared in more than 140 films between 1935 and 1950. Kendall's heavy-set, square-jawed appearance and deep voice were perfect for wiseguy roles such ...

(1898–1953), American actor * Cyrus B. Lower (1843-1924), American Civil War Medal of Honor recipient *

Cyrus McCormick Cyrus Hall McCormick (February 15, 1809 – May 13, 1884) was an American inventor and businessman who founded the McCormick Harvesting Machine Company, which later became part of the International Harvester Company in 1902. Originally from the ...

(1809-1884), American inventor who developed the modern mechanical reaper *

Cyrus Pallonji Mistry Cyrus Pallonji Mistry (4 July 1968 – 4 September 2022) was an Indian businessman. He was the chairman of the Tata Group, an Indian business conglomerate, from 2012 to 2016. He was the sixth chairman of the group, and only the second (af ...

(born 1968), Irish-Indian businessman and Chairman of Indian conglomerate Tata Group *Cyrus Mistry (writer) (born 1956), Indian author and playwright *Cyrus Patell (born 1961), American literary and cultural critic *Cyrus Peirce (1790-1860), founder of first public normal school (teachers' college) in the United States *Cyrus Poncha (born 1976), national squash coach in India *Cyrus S. Poonawalla (fl. 1966–present), Indian businessman *Cyrus Rollocks (born 1998), Canadian soccer player *Cyrus Sahukar (born 1980), MTV India VJ *C. R. Smith (1899-1990), longtime CEO of American Airlines *Cyrus Vance, Cyrus Vance Sr. (1917-2002), American politician and lawyer, U.S. Secretary of the Army under President of the United States, Presidents John F. Kennedy and Lyndon B. Johnson, U.S. Secretary of Defense under Lyndon B. Johnson and U.S. Secretary of State under Jimmy Carter **Cyrus Vance Jr. (born 1954), American politician and lawyer, son of Cyrus Sr. and former Manhattan New York County District Attorney, District Attorney (2010-2021) *Cyrus Villanueva, Australian singer who won ''The X Factor Australia'' in 2015

Surname

*Ron Cyrus (1935–2006), Kentucky politician, and his descendants: **Billy Ray Cyrus (born 1961), American musician and actor, son of Ron ***Trace Cyrus (born 1989), American musician, (former) lead guitarist of Metro Station, stepson and adopted son of Billy Ray ***Miley Cyrus (born 1992), American actress and singer, daughter of Billy Ray ***Noah Cyrus (born 2000), American actress, daughter of Billy Ray *Gordon Cyrus, Swedish performer and record producer *David Cyrus (born 1986), Grenadian footballer

In literature

* The Garden of Cyrus (1658) is the title of a discourse by the English physician-philosopher Thomas Browne.

Fictional characters

*Cyrus, from James Riley (writer)#The Revenge of Magic series, ''The Revenge of Magic'' book series by James Riely. *Cyrus Beene, from television series ''Scandal'' *Cyrus Trask, from John Steinbeck's novel ''East of Eden (novel), East of Eden'' *Cyrus Bortel, from the animated TV series ''Kim Possible'' *Cyrus Goodman, from ''Andi Mack'' and Disney Channel’s first gay main character *Cyrus Lupo, a detective from ''Law & Order'' *Cyrus Simpson, the brother of Abraham Simpson in ''The Simpsons'' *Cyrus, from the TV series ''Trailer Park Boys'' *Cyrus, from the animated series ''Sonic Underground'' *Cyrus "The Virus" Grissom, in the 1997 film Con Air, played by John Malkovich *Cyrus, a gang leader in the 1979 film ''List of characters in The Warriors#Cyrus, The Warriors'' *Cyrus (Pokémon), Cyrus, the leader of Team Galactic and the main antagonist of Pokémon Diamond and Pearl, ''Pokémon Diamond'', ''Pearl'', and Pokémon Platinum, ''Platinum'' *Cyrus Gold, the DC Comics character ''Solomon Grundy (comics), Solomon Grundy'' *Cyrus Smith, the leading character in Jules Verne's novel ''Mysterious Island'' *Cyrus, a vampaneze from the novel ''The Vampire Prince'' by Darren Shan *Cyrus (Chrono Trigger), in the video game ''Chrono Trigger'' *Cyrus, a Redguard pirate and hero in the video game ''The Elder Scrolls Adventures: Redguard'' *Cyrus Albright, one of the 8 main protagonists of the video game ''Octopath Traveler'' *Dr Cyrus Borg, Creator of P.I.X.A.L, CEO of Borg Industries in ''Ninjago (TV series), LEGO: Ninjago'' *Cyrus, an NPC in the video game ''Genshin Impact'' *Cyrus, an alpaca NPC introduced in ''Animal Crossing: New Leaf''

Notes

References

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