The baby name Rumi is a poetic pick with international roots and a trending sound.
Thanks to Ette for suggesting our Baby Name of the Day.
PERSIAN POET
The most famous Rumi was a poet.
Wait, that doesn’t begin to do him justice.
He was a 13th century Persian thinker and writer. His work was more than literature. He was also a theologian whose spiritual guidance resonates with many today. Rumi’s work influenced languages and literature throughout the eastern world and beyond.
It was widely translated and remains read nearly everywhere. References to his work abound.
Maybe you’ve heard some of these:
- We come spinning out of nothingness, scattering stars like dust.
- You are sitting here with us, but you are also out walking in a field at dawn … You are the diver’s clothes lying empty on the beach.
- As you start to walk on the way, the way appears.
- Whatever lifts the corners of your mouth, trust that.
It’s dazzling that he wrote in the 1200s, isn’t it? He’s likely the best-selling poet in the United States, his centuries-old wisdom outpacing modern literary works.
Back to his name.
Rumi was born Jalal ad-Din Muhammad Balkhi. In Turkish and Persian and other languages close to his native tongue, he’s Melvana, Mevlevi, Mawlavi – of the master. The title might have come from Rumi’s work as a scholar and professor at a religious school.
WHAT DOES THE NAME RUMI MEAN?
Rumi means Roman.
The poet lived most of his life an area that had recently been conquered by Turkish Muslims, the Sultanate of Rum.
We think of it as Anatolia today. Back then, its defining characteristic was that it had been settled by the Romans. Trade flourished. Konya was their capital, and it is where Rumi died, was buried, and today has a museum dedicated to his memory.
Such is his fame that we perceive Rumi as his given name.
OTHER MEANINGS AND ORIGINS FOR THE NAME RUMI
The baby name Rumi has a completely separate source. In Japanese, it is a feminine given name. The exact meaning depends on the kanji characters used to write the name:
- Beauty
- Lapis Lazuli, a blue gemstone
- Current or flow
- Water
The elaboration Rumikois also heard.
This puts Rumi in the unisex category – the most famous bearer is male, but the name has separate, distinctly feminine origins, too.
RUMI CARTER
Actress Josie Maran has two daughters, Indi and Rumi. Rumi was born in 2006. Her name reflects her dad’s Iranian heritage.
But when it comes to celebrities, that’s not the headline-making couple that put Rumi on our minds.
Instead, powerhouse musical couple Beyonce and Jay-Z welcomed twins Sir and Rumi in 2017. The twins joined big sister Blue Ivy. Rumi is another girl; Sir is the couple’s only son. The Instagram posts announcing her pregnancy broke records to become the most-liked on the app at that time.
We assume Beyonce is a fan of Rumi’s poetry, but we don’t know for certain.
HOW POPULAR IS THE NAME RUMI?
Over the two decades, a handful of boys and girls have been given the baby name Rumi.
In 2002, six girls received the name, marking Rumi’s debut in the popularity data.
By 2018, it was 43 girls and 51 boys.
As of 2023, those numbers reached 103 girls and 63 boys.
No question that the baby name Rumi is trending.
Rs and OOS
Rumi and Sir Carter aside, the baby name Rumi succeeds on sound.
Consider how many unisex R names we’ve embraced over the last twenty years: Rowan, Rory, Remy and Remi.
And then there’s the OO sound, from vintage Ruby, Lucy, and June to Biblical Jude and Luke. Julian and Juniper, Hugo and Louis and True, Juliette and Ruth.
Then factor in Rumi’s effortless cross-cultural vibe: Middle Eastern and Japanese, but accessible in English. Literary and tied to pop culture.
It’s a winning formula. No surprise Rumi continues to gain in popularity. Names like the Finnish Lumi (snow) and Suvi (summer) are attracing attention, too.
ROMANTIC and FUTURISTIC
There’s no question that Rumi’s popularity owes much to Bey and Jay-Z’s younger daughter.
But odds are that Rumi would have trended even without the celebrity boost. It carries all the romance and rich meaning of the poet’s words. But it has a futuristic, global appeal, too – a name is both past and present, but still straightforward and accessible.
It’s the perfect name for parents seeking something unexpected but not completely unknown.
What do you think of the baby name Rumi?
First published on December 17, 2023, this post was revised on February 4, 2025.
Actually he was born and raised in afghanistan he was afghan refused to other countries
I like Rumi, including the possible nn Rue which reminds me of the character from the Hunger Games.
It would make sense if Beyonce chose Rumi with the Japanese meaning lapis lazuli, as this would create a connection with sister Blue as the stone has a dark blue colour.
Clare, that’s an excellent point about the color connection.
I named my daughter Rumi Wren. I had never heard of a modern person named Rumi before!
What a lovely name with great meanings! I remember hearing it back in 2006 when Rumi Joon was born, but I had completely forgotten about it until this post. Thanks for the reminder!
I used to work with a woman whose son was named Rumi. Her husband had immigrated from Iran and he wanted a Persian name, but they are Christians and my co-worker didn’t want a name Americans might consider Islamic… so Rumi was their compromise. I understood that Rumi isn’t usually used as given a name in Iran, but that basically every time a Iranian-American heard his name they would just gush in appreciation.
I love Rumi! The poet and the name. A favored combination from my list: Lorelei Rumi Yvaine.
That’s really interesting! My brother and his Japanese wife just had a daughter they named Ruli, which my SIL said was Lapis lazuli in Japanese. Translations/transliterations have lots of wiggle room, I guess. Rumi feels more “name-like” to me, and I think it’s a great unisex pick! I could see Rumi as a brother for River or Kai, or as a sister for Willow or Leila.