Ruhollah
/ruːholˈlɑːh/noun
A Persian masculine given name meaning “Spirit of God,” also used as part of religious honorific names.
Did you know?Ruhollah is best known internationally through Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, whose title combined the name with an Arabic-Persian religious honorific meaning “sign of God.”
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Semitic
Proto-Semitic
*rūḥ-
“Reconstructed root associated with breath, wind, and spirit”
Biblical Hebrew
Hebrew
rūaḥ
“Wind, breath, or spirit; the invisible force associated with life and divine activity”
Classical Arabic
Arabic
rūḥ
“Spirit, soul, breath, or divine inspiration”
Qur'anic Arabic
Arabic
rūḥ Allāh
“Spirit of God; a religious expression referring to divine spirit or inspiration”
Medieval–Modern Persian
Persian
Rūḥollāh
“A personal name formed from Arabic rūḥ, “spirit,” and Allāh, “God””
Modern English
English
Ruhollah
“A transliterated Persian given name and proper noun, strongly associated with Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini”