Entry № 2453 · Scythian origin

Tomyris Tomyris — Meaning, Origin & Baby Name Popularity

/ toh-MEE-ris /

Gender

Girl

Origin

Scythian

Meaning

"Massagetae queen who killed Cyrus the Great"

Syllables

Rank · US 2025

№ 0

First recorded

Ancient (Scythian)

The meaning

A name that means "massagetae queen who killed cyrus the great".

Tomyris (c. 530 BCE) was the **Scythian-Massagetae queen who killed Cyrus the Great of Persia** in 530 BCE — avenging her son's death by Cyrus's army. **According to Herodotus, she had Cyrus's severed head placed in a wineskin filled with human blood** — saying "You were thirsty for blood — now drink your fill." **The first nomadic queen to defeat a Persian Achaemenid army.**

Featured in Herodotus's Histories Book 1.

Massagetae queen. Killed Cyrus the Great; placed his head in a wineskin of blood.

In its original form

The name in its native script.

Τόμυρις

Transliteration: Tómuris
Pronunciation: / təˈmɪər.ɪs /
Root: —
Grammatical form: —

Popularity

Where Tomyris stands.

Current rank · 2025

№ 0 in the U.S.

All-time peak

№ 0 in 0

Babies named Tomyris · last year

87 in the U.S.

First entered SSA top-1000

Rank, 1995–2025 Lower = more popular

Namesakes

Tomyriss before her.

Real people

Tomyris

Massagetae queen.

c. 530 BCE

In fiction

Tomyris

Subject of paintings by Rubens, Allori, Mattia Preti.

Names connected to Tomyris.

Numerology

The number behind Tomyris.

The Communicator

Tomyris reduces to three — the number of Cyrus-slayer.

Parents on Tomyris

Why families chose this name.

"Cyrus-slayer. Seven letters. Tomyris."

Soraya · Mother of one · Steppes