ABBAS عبّاس m Arabic, Persian, UrduMeans
"austere" in Arabic. This was the name of the Prophet
Muhammad's uncle. It was also borne by a son of
Ali, the fourth caliph.
ABDOLHOSSEIN عبدالحسّین m PersianMeans
"servant of al-Husayn" from Arabic
عبد ('abd) meaning "servant" combined with
حسّین (Hosseyn), the Persian form of Arabic
HUSAYN. This name refers to Husayn ibn Ali, the son of Ali.
ABDOLREZA عبدالرضا m PersianMeans
"servant of al-Ridha" from Arabic
عبد ('abd) meaning "servant" combined with
رضا (Reza), the Persian form of Arabic
RIDHA. This name refers to the 9th-century Shia imam Ali al-Ridha.
ADEL عادل m Persian, ArabicPersian form of
ADIL, as well as an alternate transcription of the Arabic name.
ALBORZ البرز m PersianFrom the name of a mountain range (of unknown etymology) in northern Iran.
ALI (1) علی m Arabic, Persian, Urdu, Pashto, Indonesian, Malay, Avar, Kazakh, Dhivehi, Albanian, BosnianMeans
"lofty, sublime" in Arabic. Ali ibn Abi Talib was a cousin and son-in-law of the Prophet
Muhammad and the fourth caliph to rule the Muslim world. His followers were the original Shia Muslims, who regard him as the first rightful caliph.
... [more] ARASH آرش m Persian, Persian MythologyPossibly means either
"truthfulness" or
"bright" in Persian. In Persian legend Arash was a Persian archer who was ordered by the Turans to shoot an arrow, the landing place of which would determine the new location of the Persian-Turan border. Arash climbed a mountain and fired his arrow with such strength that it flew for several hours and landed on the banks of the far-away Oxus River.
ARDASHIR اردشیر m PersianFrom the Middle Persian form of
Artakhshathra (see
ARTAXERXES). This was the name of a 3rd-century king of Persia who defeated the Parthians and founded the Sassanid Empire. He also established Zoroastrianism as the state religion.
ARYA (1) آریا m & f Persian, Indian, Hindi, MalayalamFrom an old Indo-Iranian root meaning "Aryan, noble". In India, this is a transcription of both the masculine form
आर्य and the feminine form
आर्या. In Iran it is only a masculine name.
ASAL عسل f PersianMeans
"honey" in Persian (of Arabic origin).
AZIZ عزیز m Arabic, Persian, Urdu, Uzbek, Kyrgyz, TajikMeans
"powerful, respected, beloved", derived from Arabic
عزّ ('azza) meaning "to be powerful" or "to be cherished". In Islamic tradition
العزيز (al-'Aziz) is one of the 99 names of Allah. A notable bearer of the name was Al-'Aziz, a 10th-century Fatimid caliph.
BABAK بابک m Persian, Ancient PersianMeans
"little father" in Persian. This was the name of the father of Ardashir, the founder of the Sassanid Empire in Persia. It was also borne by the 9th-century resistance leader Babak Khorramdin.
BAHMAN بهمن m Persian, Persian MythologyModern Persian form of Avestan
Vohu Manah meaning
"good mind". This was the name of a Zoroastrian god (one of the Amesha Spenta) associated with domestic animals. It is also the name of the eleventh month in the Iranian calendar.
BAHRAM بهرام m Persian, Persian MythologyModern Persian form of Avestan
Verethragna meaning
"victory over resistance". This was the name of a Zoroastrian god (one of the Amesha Spenta) associated with victory and war. This name was borne by several Sassanid emperors. It is also the Persian name for the planet Mars.
BARAN باران f & m Persian, Turkish, KurdishMeans
"rain" in Persian. It is typically feminine in Persian and masculine in Turkish and Kurdish.
BEHNAM بهنام m PersianMeans
"reputable" (literally
"good name") in Persian.
BEHROUZ بهروز m PersianMeans
"fortunate" (literally
"good day") in Persian.
DELARA دلآرا f PersianMeans
"adorning the heart", from Persian
دل (del) meaning "heart" and
آرا (ara) meaning "decorate, adorn".
DELSHAD دلشاد m & f Persian (Rare)Means
"happy heart, cheerful" in Persian, from
دل (del) meaning "heart" and
شاد (shad) meaning "happy".
FARHAD فرهاد m PersianMeans
"gained, earned" in Old Persian. This was the name of several rulers of Parthia. Their names are often spelled
Phraates after the Hellenied form
Φραάτης.
FARID فرید m Arabic, Persian, UrduMeans
"unique, precious", derived from Arabic
فرد (farada) meaning "to be unique". This was the name of a 13th-century Persian poet.
FEREYDOUN فریدون m Persian, Persian MythologyMeans
"the third" in Persian. In the 10th-century Persian epic the
Shahnameh this is the name of a virtuous king who ruled for 500 years.
FIROUZ فیروز m PersianFrom Persian
پیروز (piruz) or
فیروز (firuz) meaning "victorious". This name was borne by Firuz Shah Tughlaq, a 14th-century sultan of Delhi who did much to build the city's infrastructure.
FIROUZEH فیروزه f PersianMeans
"turquoise (the gemstone)" in Persian. Alternatively, it may be a feminine form of
FIROUZ.
GOHAR گوهر f & m Persian, Armenian, UrduFrom Persian
گوهر (gohar) meaning
"jewel, gemstone". This name is typically feminine in Iran and Armenia, but masculine in Pakistan.
GOLNAR گلنار f PersianDerived from Persian
گل (gol) meaning "flower, rose" and
انار (anar) meaning "pomegranate".
GOLNAZ گلناز f PersianDerived from Persian
گل (gol) meaning "flower, rose" and
ناز (naz) meaning "delight, comfort".
HASAN حسن m Arabic, Turkish, Persian, Urdu, Punjabi, Bengali, IndonesianMeans
"handsome" in Arabic, from the root
حَسُنَ (hasuna) meaning "to be beautiful, to be good". Hasan was the son of
Ali and the grandson of the Prophet
Muhammad. He was poisoned by one of his wives and is regarded as a martyr by Shia Muslims. This was also the name of two kings of Morocco. It is sometimes transcribed as
Hassan, though this is a distinct name in Arabic.
HASSAN حسّان m Arabic, Persian, UrduMeans
"beautifier, improver" in Arabic. Hassan ibn Thabit was a 7th-century poet who was a companion of the Prophet
Muhammad. This name is sometimes transcribed as
Hasan, though the two names are spelled distinctly in Arabic.
HAYAT حیات f & m Arabic, Persian, UrduMeans
"life" in Arabic, from
حيي (hayiya) meaning "to live". In Arabic and Persian it is a feminine name, while in Urdu it is masculine.
IMAN ایمان f & m Arabic, Persian, IndonesianMeans
"faith", derived from Arabic
أمُنَ (amuna) meaning "to be faithful". It is typically feminine in Arabic and typically masculine in Persian.
ISA (1) عیسى m Arabic, Persian, AlbanianArabic form of
JESUS. This form is found in the Quran and is used as a given name by Muslims. Arabic-speaking Christians instead use
يسوع (Yasu') to refer to Jesus Christ.
JAFAR جعفر m Arabic, PersianMeans
"stream" in Arabic. Jafar ibn Abi Talib was a cousin of the Prophet
Muhammad who was killed fighting against Byzantium in the 7th century. Another notable bearer was Jafar al-Sadiq, the sixth Shia imam.
JAHAN جهان m PersianMeans
"world" in Persian. This name was borne by Shah Jahan, a 17th-century Mughal emperor who is best known as the builder of the Taj Mahal.
JAHANGIR جهانگیر m Persian, UrduMeans
"world conqueror" in Persian. This was the name of a 17th-century Mughal emperor.
JAMSHID جمشید m Persian, Uzbek, Persian MythologyModern Persian form of Avestan
Yima Kshaeta, which meant
"shining JAM". This was the name of a mythological king of Persia. He is known as either
Jamshid or
Jam, where
Jamshid is a combination of his original name and an honourific.
KARIM کریم m Arabic, PersianMeans
"generous, noble" in Arabic, from the root
كَرُمَ (karuma) meaning "to be generous". In Islamic tradition
الكريم (al-Karim) is one of the 99 names of Allah.
KATAYOUN کتایون f PersianPossibly from Old Persian
kata, modern
کده (kadeh), meaning "house" and
بانو (banu) meaning "wife". This is the name of the wife of Goshtasb in the 10th-century Persian epic the
Shahnameh.
KAVEH کاوه m Persian, Persian MythologyPossibly means
"royal" in Avestan. In Persian mythology Kaveh is a blacksmith who leads a rebellion against the evil ruler Zahhak.
KHODADAD خداداد m PersianMeans
"God given" from Persian
خدا (khoda) meaning "god, lord" and
داد (dad) meaning "gave".
KHURSHID خورشید m & f Persian, Urdu, Persian MythologyModern Persian form of Avestan
Hvare Khshaeta meaning
"shining sun". In Zoroastrianism this was the name of a Yazata (or angel) who was associated with the sun.
KHWAJA خواجه m PersianFrom a title meaning
"master, owner" in Persian. It is not generally used as a name itself.
KIAN (1) کیان m PersianMeans
"king, foundation, symbol of pride" in Persian.
MANI (2) مانی m PersianMeaning unknown, presumably of Persian origin. Mani was a 3rd-century prophet who founded the religion of Manichaeism (which is now extinct).
MARYAM مریم f Arabic, Persian, Urdu, Bashkir, TatarArabic, Persian, Urdu, Bashkir and Tatar form of
Miryam (see
MARY). In Iran it is also the name of a flower, the tuberose, which is named after the Virgin Mary.
MEHR مهر m & f Persian, Persian MythologyModern Persian form of
MITHRA. As a Persian vocabulary word it means
"friendship" and
"sun". It is also the name of the seventh month of the Persian calendar. All these derive from the same source: the Indo-Iranian root *
mitra meaning "oath, covenant, agreement".
MEHRAB مهراب m Persian, LiteratureFrom
مهر (Mehr), the Persian word for
MITHRA, combined with Persian
آب (ab) meaning "water". This is the name of the king of Kabul in the 10th-century Persian epic the
Shahnameh.
MEHRDAD مهرداد m PersianFrom Persian
مهر (mehr) meaning "sun" and
داد (dad) meaning "given". Since
مهر is also the Modern Persian form of
MITHRA, this name can also function as a modern form of
MITHRIDATES.
MEHRNAZ مهرناز f PersianFrom Persian
مهر (mehr) meaning "friendship" or "sun" and
ناز (naz) meaning "delight, comfort". This is the name of a character in the 10th-century Persian epic the
Shahnameh.
MIRZA میرزا m Persian, Arabic, BosnianMeans
"prince" from Persian
میرزا (mirza), earlier
امیرزاده (amirzadeh), which is ultimately from Arabic
أمير (amir) meaning "commander" combined with Persian
زاده (zadeh) meaning "offspring".
MITRA (2) میترا f PersianModern variant of
MITHRA used as a feminine name. The true Modern Persian form of
Mithra is in fact
Mehr.
NAHID ناهید f PersianModern Persian form of
ANAHITA. This is also the Persian name for the planet Venus.
NARGES نرگس f PersianMeans
"daffodil, narcissus flower" in Persian, ultimately derived from Greek (see
NARCISSUS).
NAZLI نازلی f PersianMeans
"delicate, beautiful, coy" in Persian.
PARVIN پروین f PersianMeans
"the Pleiades" in Persian. The Pleiades are a group of seven stars in the constellation Taurus.
PARVIZ پرویز m PersianMeans
"fortunate, happy" in Persian. This name was borne by a son of the Mughal emperor
Jahangir.
ROSTAM رستم m Persian, Persian MythologyMeaning unknown, possibly from Avestan
raodha "to grow" and
takhma "strong, brave, valiant". Rostam was a warrior hero in Persian legend. The 10th-century Persian poet Ferdowsi recorded his tale in the
Shahnameh.
SANAZ ساناز f PersianPossibly means
"full of grace" in Persian.
SARA سارا f Greek, Spanish, Italian, Portuguese, Catalan, Romanian, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Icelandic, Finnish, German, French, Dutch, Slovene, Croatian, Serbian, Macedonian, Polish, English, Hebrew, Arabic, Persian, Bosnian, Biblical GreekForm of
SARAH used in various languages.
SARDAR سردار m Persian, Urdu, PashtoFrom a title meaning
"chief, leader", derived from Persian
سر (sar) meaning "head, authority" and the suffix
دار (dar) meaning "possessor".
SHAHIN شاهین m Persian, ArabicMeans
"falcon" in Persian, referring more specifically to the Barbary falcon (species Falco pelegrinoides). The bird's name is a derivative of Persian
شاه (shah) meaning "king".
SHAHRAM شهرام m PersianMeans
"king Ram" in Persian. Ram (or Raman) is the name of a Yazata (or angel) in Zoroastrianism.
SHAHRAZAD شهرزاد f Persian (Rare), ArabicMeans
"free city" from the Persian elements
شهر (shahr) meaning "city" and
آزاد (azad) meaning "free". This is the name of the fictional storyteller in
The 1001 Nights. She tells a story to her husband the king every night for 1001 nights in order to delay her execution.
SHAHROKH شاهرخ m PersianMeans
"royal face" in Persian, from
شاه (shah) meaning "king" and
رخ (rokh) meaning "face". This was the name of a 15th-century ruler of the Timurid Empire (a son of
Timur).
SHAPOUR شاپور m PersianMeans
"son of the king" in Persian. This was the name of three Sassanid emperors.
SHIRIN شیرین f PersianMeans
"sweet" in Persian. This was the name of a character in Persian and Turkish legend.
SIAVASH سیاوش m Persian, Persian MythologyMeans
"possessing black stallions" in Avestan. This is the name of a prince in the 10th-century Persian epic the
Shahnameh.
SOHRAB سهراب m Persian, Persian MythologyProbably from Middle Persian
swhr "red" and
ab "water". In the 10th-century Persian epic the
Shahnameh this is the name of the son of the hero
Rostam. He was tragically slain in battle by his father, who was unaware he was fighting his own son.
SOROUSH سروش m Persian Mythology, PersianModern Persian form of Avestan
Sraosha meaning
"obedience". In Zoroastrianism this was the name of a Yazata (or angel), later equated with the angel
Gabriel.
YAHYA یحیى m Arabic, Turkish, PersianArabic, Turkish and Persian form of
Yochanan (see
JOHN). This name honours John the Baptist, a prophet in Islam.
YASIN یاسین m Arabic, Persian, UrduFrom the Arabic letters
ي (called
ya) and
س (called
sin). These letters begin the 36th chapter of the Quran (surah Ya Sin).
ZINAT زینت f PersianMeans
"ornament" in Persian (of Arabic origin).