Keyumars

Manuscript of the Shahnameh depicting Keyumars as he instructs his officers to combat Ahriman. c. 1655 CE

Keyumars or Kiomars (Persian: کیومرث) was the name of the first king (shah) of the Pishdadian dynasty of Iran according to the Shahnameh.

The name appears in Avestan in the form of 𐬔𐬀𐬌𐬌𐬊 𐬨𐬆𐬭𐬆𐬙𐬀𐬥 Gaiio Mərətan, or in medieval Zoroastrian texts as Gayōmard or Gayōmart. In the Avesta he is the mythological first human being in the world. The corresponding name in Middle Persian is 𐭪𐭣𐭬𐭫𐭲 Kayōmart. In Ferdowsi's Shahnameh he appears as the first shah of the world. He is also called the pišdād (پيشداد), the first to practice justice, the lawgiver.

The Avestan form means "the living mortal", from gaya 'life' and marətan 'mortal, human being'; cf. Persian mard 'human' (مَرد).

Keyumars is also a popular first name in Persian speaking countries (Iran, Afghanistan and Tajikistan).