Shahrukh
/ʃɑːhˈrʊk/
noun
Origin
Persian
شاه + رخ — King + face/direction
Overview
Meaning Now
- A Persian name meaning 'face of a king', often used as a masculine given name.
- A term derived from the game of chess, referring to a specific move or 'king's face' alignment.
Literal older meaning
King's face
Language path
Persian → Persian → English
Earliest form
شاهرخ
Earliest period
14th century
Journey
The name became historically significant due to Shah Rukh, the son and successor of the Turco-Mongol conqueror Timur (Tamerlane). In chess, 'rukh' also refers to the piece known as the rook.
Evolution
- 14th century Persian
شاهرخ
“Face of the king”
Used as a name for the son of Timur.
- Modern usage
Shahrukh
“Proper name”
Widely adopted in South Asia as a masculine given name.
Connections
Word parts
Shah
root
king
rukh
root
face/cheek/direction
Related across languages
Turkish
Şahruh
The Turkish spelling of the same name.
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Related to Shahrukh
External references use DefinedTerm semantics.