The name Lalla Rookh or Lala-Rukh ( "laleh rox" or "rukh"), means "tulip-cheeked" and is an endearment frequently used in Persian poetry. Lalla Rookh has also been translated as "rosy-cheeked"; however, the first word derives from the Persian word for tulip, "laleh", and a different word, "laal", means rosy, or ruby. Tulips were first cultivated in Persia, probably in the 10th century, and remain a powerful symbol in Iranian culture, and the name Laleh is a popular girl's name. "Rukh" also translates as "face".