While the cenotaphs once more are without identification, the name "Afsarwala tomb" could derive from the Persian word afsar (افسر), which itself derives from the English word officer, making the building an "officer-wala's tomb", a grave for a military commander. A more recent theory points to the Persian tribal name Afsar, noting that several Afsars were employed at the early Mughal court, including one namebearer, who helped Humayun during his return and recapture of India in 1555