Rumi

What does Rumi mean?

Rumi has two distinct and well known cultural strands. In Persian, Rumi is the byname of the celebrated thirteenth-century poet and mystic Jalal al-Din Muhammad Balkhi. It means Roman or from Rum, referring to the region of Anatolia, then associated with the Eastern Roman world.

In Japanese, Rumi is a feminine given name whose meaning depends on the kanji chosen to write it. This gives the name a gentle, adaptable quality, while its association with the poet lends it a thoughtful, literary air. Used for any gender in an international setting, Rumi feels concise, artistic and quietly distinctive.

Historical Context

Rumi is best known in Persian through Jalal al-Din Muhammad Balkhi, widely called Rumi. His byname is Persian Rūmī, meaning from Rum, a historical name for Anatolia. Independently, Rumi is used as a Japanese feminine name, commonly written in hiragana or with different kanji combinations. Because those characters can carry different meanings, there is no single Japanese literal meaning for the name. Its wider use as a given name draws on both traditions.