Khayyam
/kaɪˈjɑːm/noun
Khayyam is a Persian surname, most famously associated with the 11th–12th-century poet, mathematician, and astronomer Omar Khayyam.
Did you know?Omar Khayyam helped reform the Persian calendar through astronomical observation, creating a system remarkably accurate for its time.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Semitic
Proto-Semitic
*ḫaym-
“Tent or encampment; a reconstructed root associated with dwelling in tents”
Classical Arabic
Arabic
khaymah
“Tent”
Medieval Arabic
Arabic
khayyām
“Tentmaker, literally a person who makes tents”
11th Century
Persian
Khayyām
“A Persian occupational surname meaning tentmaker”
12th Century
Persian
Omar Khayyam
“The name of the Persian mathematician, astronomer, and poet”
Modern English
English
Khayyam
“A proper name, chiefly referring to Omar Khayyam or things named after him”