Names
Persian first names
674 first names with meaning and spelling in Persian script: from Old Persian and the Shahnameh to today.
A
- Afsharافشار ♂ name of a Turkic tribe of Iran (Nader Shah’s dynasty)
- Afshinافشین ♂ title of the princes of Ushrusana; a famous general
- Aranآران ♂ ancient region in the Caucasus; name of a hero
- Ardalanاردلان ♂ Kurdish princely house; brave
- Ardavanاردوان ♂ Parthian king Artabanus
- Ardeshirاردشیر ♂ whose rule is through truth; founder of the Sasanian Empire
- Ariaآریا ⚥ noble; the name of the ancient Iranian peoples
- Ariobarzanآریوبرزن ♂ Achaemenid general who fought Alexander
- Arshakارشک ♂ Arsaces, founder of the Parthian empire
- Arshamآرشام ♂ Arsames, grandfather of Darius the Great
- Aryoآریو ♂ short for Ariobarzanes, defender of the Persian Gate
- Ashkاشک ♂ short form of Arsaces; founder of the Arsacids
- Ashkanاشکان ♂ Arsaces, founder of the Parthian dynasty
- Ayazایاز ♂ cool night; confidant of Sultan Mahmud
B
- Babakبابک ♂ little father; freedom fighter against the Abbasids
- Bahramبهرام ♂ the victorious; name of Sasanian kings and of the planet Mars
- Barbodباربد ♂ famous musician at the court of Khosrow II
- Bardiaبردیا ♂ son of Cyrus the Great
- Behzadبهزاد ♂ of good birth; famous miniature painter
- Bozorgmehrبزرگمهر ♂ wise minister of Khosrow I
C
D
H
I
J
K
- Kambizکامبیز ♂ Cambyses, son of Cyrus the Great
- Karenکارن ♂ name of a noble Parthian house; hero in the Shahnameh
- Kasraکسری ♂ Arabic form of Khosrow; epithet of Anushirvan
- Khashayarخشایار ♂ Xerxes, Achaemenid king; hero among kings
- Khosrowخسرو ♂ king; of good fame
- Kianoushکیانوش ♂ immortal king, of the Kayanid line
- Kouroshکوروش ♂ Cyrus the Great, founder of the Persian Empire
M
- Maniمانی ♂ prophet and painter of the Sasanian era
- Mazdakمزدک ♂ social reformer of the Sasanian era
- Mazyarمازیار ♂ prince of Tabaristan who fought the Abbasids
- Mehranمهران ♂ loving; a Sasanian noble family
- Mehrdadمهرداد ♂ gift of Mithra; Mithridates
- Mehreganمهرگان ⚥ autumn festival in honour of Mithra
- Mordekhaiمردخای ♂ cousin of Queen Esther
N
O
P
R
S
- Sadraصدرا ♂ top, place of honour; Mulla Sadra, philosopher
- Samanسامان ♂ order, prosperity; ancestor of the Samanids
- Sasanساسان ♂ ancestor of the Sasanians
- Shahriarشهریار ♂ king, ruler; known through the poet Shahriar
- Shahrokhشاهرخ ♂ royal face; Timurid ruler
- Shapourشاپور ♂ son of the king; name of Sasanian kings
- Shervinشروین ♂ name of a prince of Tabaristan; brave
- Sinaسینا ♂ after Ibn Sina (Avicenna), the great physician and philosopher
- Siroosسیروس ♂ Greek form of Kourosh (Cyrus)
- Soranسوران ♂ region and principality in Kurdistan
- Sorenaسورنا ♂ Parthian general, victor at Carrhae
T
V
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.