darvish

Darvish is a transliteration variant of the word dervish, which in Persian and Arabic historically denotes a Sufi ascetic or wanderer devoted to spiritual practice. In English-language usage the form dervish is common, while Darvish, Darwish, and Derwish appear as transliterations and as personal surnames in Persian-speaking communities and the Iranian diaspora. The term has historical associations with Sufi orders and practices, though in modern usage it is often encountered purely as a family name rather than a descriptor of religious life.

Notable individuals bearing the name include Yu Darvish (born 1986), a Japanese professional baseball pitcher who has played in Major League Baseball for several teams and is of Iranian descent. He debuted in MLB in 2012 with the Texas Rangers and later played for the Los Angeles Dodgers, Chicago Cubs, and San Diego Padres. The surname is found primarily among people of Iranian heritage and the broader Persian-speaking diaspora, with various transliteration spellings reflecting differences in rendering Persian and Arabic sounds into the Latin alphabet.