Persis is a name found in the King James Bible, appearing 1 time in the text.
Who This Was
Persis was a Christian woman living in Rome in the first century, mentioned by the apostle Paul at the close of his letter to the Romans. In Romans 16, Paul sends greetings to a long list of believers, many of them women who had labored alongside him in the gospel. Persis appears in verse 12, in the company of Tryphena and Tryphosa, two other women described as those “who labour in the Lord.” Paul singles Persis out with a distinct greeting, calling her “the beloved Persis, which laboured much in the Lord.”
The setting is significant. Paul was writing to a church he had not yet visited, a congregation made up of Jewish and Gentile believers meeting in house churches across Rome. In that context, he took care to name and honor individuals whose service had shaped the church. Persis is one of those named. The text tells us three things about her: she was beloved, she labored, and her labor was “much.” The Greek behind “laboured much” suggests strenuous, toiling effort—work that cost her something.
Beyond this single verse, Scripture says nothing more about Persis. We do not know her age, her family, her trade, or how she came to faith. What we know is what Paul chose to record: a woman deeply loved by the believers around her, and a woman whose hard work in the Lord was worthy of public acknowledgment. Her name appears only here in the entire King James Bible, yet in that one mention she is held up as an example of faithful, laboring love.
The Name
The name Persis is Greek, and its meaning is generally understood to be “Persian woman” or “a Persian.” It likely indicated that she or her family had some connection to Persia (modern-day Iran), whether by origin, descent, or some other association. Some suggest it could have been a nickname or a name given to a slave or freedwoman of Persian background, though Scripture does not say. Unlike many biblical names that carry a clear devotional or theological meaning, Persis appears to be primarily an ethnic or geographic designation rather than a name with a spiritual message attached. What is clear is that the name was well established in the ancient world, and Paul uses it naturally as the name by which this beloved sister was known to the Roman church.
A Closing Thought
Persis reminds us that faithfulness is often quiet and unnamed in the eyes of the world, yet fully seen by God. She is remembered for one thing: she labored much in the Lord. No sermon of hers is recorded, no miracle, no title. Just love and hard work offered to Christ. If you serve in obscurity, unnoticed and unthanked, take heart. Paul made sure her labor was written down and preserved for two thousand years. God does not forget the work of His people, and He will not forget yours.
At a Glance
- Gender: Female
- Testament: New
- Mentions in the KJV: 1
Where It Appears in Scripture
- Romans 16:12 — Salute Tryphena and Tryphosa, who labour in the Lord. Salute the beloved Persis, which laboured much in the Lord.