Names
Persian first names
190 first names with meaning and spelling in Persian script: from Old Persian and the Shahnameh to today.
A
- Afshinافشین ♂ title of the princes of Ushrusana; a famous general
- Ahmadاحمد ♂ the most praised
- Aliعلی ♂ the exalted; first Shia Imam
- Aminامین ♂ trustworthy
- Amirامیر ♂ prince, commander
- Arashآرش ♂ the legendary archer whose arrow set Iran’s border
- Ardeshirاردشیر ♂ whose rule is through truth; founder of the Sasanian Empire
- Ariaآریا ⚥ noble; the name of the ancient Iranian peoples
- Armanآرمان ♂ ideal, aspiration
- Arsalanارسلان ♂ lion (Turkic)
- Arshamآرشام ♂ Arsames, grandfather of Darius the Great
- Ashkanاشکان ♂ Arsaces, founder of the Parthian dynasty
- Aydinآیدین ♂ bright, enlightened (Turkic)
B
- Babakبابک ♂ little father; freedom fighter against the Abbasids
- Bahmanبهمن ♂ good mind; eleventh month of the Persian calendar
- Bahramبهرام ♂ the victorious; name of Sasanian kings and of the planet Mars
- Baranباران ⚥ rain
- Bardiaبردیا ♂ son of Cyrus the Great
- Behnamبهنام ♂ of good name, reputable
- Behrouzبهروز ♂ fortunate, blessed with good days
- Bijanبیژن ♂ hero in the Shahnameh, beloved of Manijeh
D
E
F
G
H
I
J
K
- Kambizکامبیز ♂ Cambyses, son of Cyrus the Great
- Kamranکامران ♂ successful, fortunate
- Kasraکسری ♂ Arabic form of Khosrow; epithet of Anushirvan
- Kavehکاوه ♂ the blacksmith who rose against the tyrant Zahhak
- Keyvanکیوان ♂ Saturn
- Khosrowخسرو ♂ king; of good fame
- Kianکیان ♂ kings; royal (Kayanids)
- Kouroshکوروش ♂ Cyrus the Great, founder of the Persian Empire
M
- Mahanماهان ♂ moon-like, of the moon
- Majidمجید ♂ glorious
- Maniمانی ♂ prophet and painter of the Sasanian era
- Masoudمسعود ♂ fortunate, lucky
- Mazdakمزدک ♂ social reformer of the Sasanian era
- Mazyarمازیار ♂ prince of Tabaristan who fought the Abbasids
- Mehdiمهدی ♂ the rightly guided
- Mehranمهران ♂ loving; a Sasanian noble family
- Mehrdadمهرداد ♂ gift of Mithra; Mithridates
- Mehrshadمهرشاد ♂ joyful through love
- Miladمیلاد ♂ birth
- Mohammadمحمد ♂ the praised one; the Prophet of Islam
- Mortezaمرتضی ♂ the chosen one; epithet of Ali
- Mostafaمصطفی ♂ the chosen one
N
O
P
R
S
- Saeedسعید ♂ happy, fortunate
- Samسام ♂ grandfather of Rostam in the Shahnameh
- Sasanساسان ♂ ancestor of the Sasanians
- Sepehrسپهر ♂ sky, heavens
- Shahabشهاب ♂ shooting star
- Shahinشاهین ♂ falcon
- Shayanشایان ♂ worthy
- Siavashسیاوش ♂ the innocent prince of the Shahnameh, a symbol of purity
- Sinaسینا ♂ after Ibn Sina (Avicenna), the great physician and philosopher
- Sohrabسهراب ♂ son of Rostam in the Shahnameh
- Soroushسروش ♂ angel and divine messenger of tradition
T
V
Y
Z
Persian names abroad
Many families in the diaspora look for a name that sounds Persian and is also easy to pronounce in English, German or French, such as Darya, Sara, Kian or Arman. Registry offices use the Latin spelling; there is no single correct transliteration, so we show common variants. Names marked ⚥ are used for girls and boys.