Türkiye Soyadları A sourced dictionary of Turkish surnames

SURNAMEEntry 3,689

Rüstem

Rüstem /ɾysˈtem/ ASCII Rustem

“hero of the Shahnameh”1

Letters / syllables
6 / 2
Formation
Plain noun
Vowel harmony
front
Initial
R
Contents§1–§10
  1. §1Pronunciation
  2. §2Meaning
  3. §3Root tree
  4. §4Formation & 1934
  5. §5Notable people
  6. §6As a first name
  7. §7Abroad
  8. §8Sources
  9. §9Questions
  10. §10Related

How do you pronounce Rüstem?

Rüstem

IPA /ɾysˈtem/

The stress usually falls on syllable 2 (marked). In everyday Turkish, stress in surnames varies by speaker and region.

What does the surname Rüstem mean?

The Turkish form of the Persian name Rostam, borne by the great champion of Firdawsi’s Shahnameh; in Turkish “rüstem” also came to mean a mighty, unbeatable hero. It was a common man’s name in the Ottoman period.1

What is Rüstem made of?

Rüstem is a single Persian root: Rüstem (Rüstem: hero of the Shahnameh).

Rüstem root Rüstem Rüstem: hero of theShahnameh PERSIAN Rüstem “the champion ofFirdawsi’s Shahnameh” Rüstem Rüstem root Rüstem: hero of the Shahnameh Rüstem PERSIAN “the champion of Firdawsi’sShahnameh”
Rüstem: parts and root words
  • Rüstem Persian — the champion of Firdawsi’s Shahnameh1

How was the name Rüstem formed?

Rüstem is the word Rüstem (“Rüstem: hero of the Shahnameh”), taken unchanged as a surname.

Shared note · 1934Surnames became compulsory with Surname Law No. 2525 of 21 June 1934.4

Who are some well-known people named Rüstem?

  1. Jan Rüstem painter 1762–1835

People surnamed Rüstem as recorded in Wikidata, ordered by the number of Wikipedia language editions.

Is Rüstem also a first name?

Yes. Rüstem is given as a first name too, carrying the same sense: “hero of the Shahnameh”.

Rüstem as a first name: meaning and statistics — turkiyenames.com →

How is Rüstem written and pronounced abroad?

In English-language records the name usually appears as Rustem.

Where do these facts come from?

  1. 1 Wikimedia Vikisözlük: rüstem accessed 9 November 2026
  2. 2 Wikimedia Wiktionary: Rüstem accessed 9 November 2026
  3. 3 Wikimedia Foundation Wikidata: people with this family name accessed 8 November 2026
  4. 4 T.C. Resmî Gazete / Mevzuat Bilgi Sistemi (mevzuat.gov.tr) Soyadı Kanunu (Kanun No. 2525) accessed 8 November 2026
  5. 5 turkiyenames.com Türkiye İsimleri (turkiyenames.com) accessed 9 November 2026

Common questions about Rüstem

Q1

What does the surname Rüstem mean?

The Turkish form of the Persian name Rostam, borne by the great champion of Firdawsi’s Shahnameh; in Turkish “rüstem” also came to mean a mighty, unbeatable hero. It was a common man’s name in the Ottoman period.
Q2

What is the origin of the surname Rüstem?

The root word of Rüstem is Rüstem (Persian): “the champion of Firdawsi’s Shahnameh”.
Q3

How do you pronounce Rüstem?

Rüs·tem, 2 syllables; IPA: /ɾysˈtem/.