Submitted Name Revision History

Tajik and Uzbek form of the medieval Persian name Pahlavan, which was derived from the Persian noun پهلوان (pahlavan) meaning "hero, paladin, champion".

A notable bearer of this name was the Persian Sufi philosopher, poet and renowned wrestler Pahlavan Mahmud (1247-1326), who is known as Pahlavon Mahmud in Tajik and Uzbek. He spent most of his life in what is now Uzbekistan, eventually passing away in the city of Khiva, where he was also buried. He posthumously became the patron saint of the city and a grand mausoleum has since been built around his tomb, which still exists to this day and is an important piece of architecture.