The origin of the name “Georgia” is still disputed and has been explained in the following ways: 1) The country took its name from that of St. George and the popularity of the cult of Saint George in Georgia influenced the spread of the term. 2) The name is semantically linked to the Greek and Latin roots (transliterated georgía, “agriculture", georgikós, "agricultural"). Under various Persian empires (536 BC-AD 638), Georgians were called Gurjhan (Gurzhan/Gurjan), or "Gurj/Gurzh people." The early Islamic/Arabic sources spelled the name Kurz/Gurz and the country Gurjistan. This also could evolve or at least contribute to the later name of Georgia.