Dastgir

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Dastgir (pronounced dɑʂt-ģir, from Persian, literally "Holder of the Hand") is a name common in South Asia and the Middle East. In Arabic, it is used as a first name and means 'helper' or 'supporter'. In Pashto and Persian, it means 'saint' and can be used as a title, a name, or an ethnic surname. The suffix zâda or zâdeh (Persian for son of) is sometimes added in the Persian and Pashto variations to denote "son or descendant of a saint".

[edit] Common Uses

[edit] South Asia

In Afghanistan and Pakistan, Dastgir is common amongst Pashtun peoples. As a surname it is often mated to Ghulam or Amir as first names. Ghulam Dastgir meaning "servant of the saint(s)" and Amir Dastgir meaning "commander of the saints" or simply "princely saint". The former is most likely popular in South Asia due to the cultural importance that saints such as Sufis and other Islamic scholars and/or mystics had in society. Concordantly, Dastgir is usually encountered as an ethnic surname passed down through generations that had some link to a saint. It's use as a title or even first name (barring the Arabic version) has diminished with the cultural shift away from an age where saints were prominent. It's usage in Iran probably follows a similar history, since most of the saints that would become renowned in the region were initially from Iran.

[edit] Sources and References

Persian: http://www.babynamesworld.com/meaning_of_Dastgir.html

Arabic: http://www.weddingvendors.com/baby-names/meaning/dastgir/