Shervin

Shervin comes out of Persian as a compound of sher, lion, with a suffix that softens it into something like lion-hearted or young lion. It belongs to the generation of mid-twentieth-century Iranian names that reached back to pre-Islamic roots for their music. The opening sh is warm, the final n keeps everything in place; two measured beats, sher-VEEN. Still in steady use across Iran and the diaspora, it has begun to surface in Western registers through musicians and footballers, though it remains uncommon. Shervin is lionhearted by root and unshowy by ear, a rare combination.