Ahura Mazda 𐬀𐬵𐬎𐬭𐬀⸱𐬨𐬀𐬰𐬛𐬁, اهورامزدا m Persian MythologyMeans
"lord of wisdom", from Avestan
𐬀𐬵𐬎𐬭𐬀 (ahura) meaning "lord" and
𐬨𐬀𐬰𐬛𐬁 (mazdā) meaning "wisdom". In Zoroastrianism Ahura Mazda was the supreme creator, and the god of light, truth, and goodness.
Ameretat 𐬀𐬨𐬆𐬭𐬆𐬙𐬁𐬙 f Persian MythologyMeans
"immortality" in Avestan. This was the name of a Zoroastrian goddess (one of the Amesha Spenta) associated with plants and long life. She was often mentioned with
Haurvatat.
Anahita 𐎠𐎴𐏃𐎡𐎫, آناهیتا f Persian, Persian MythologyMeans
"immaculate, undefiled" in Old Persian, from the Old Iranian prefix *
an- "not" combined with *
āhita "unclean, dirty". This was the name of an Iranian goddess of fertility and water. In the Zoroastrian religious texts the
Avesta she is called
𐬀𐬭𐬆𐬛𐬎𐬎𐬍 (Arəduuī) in Avestan, with
𐬀𐬥𐬁𐬵𐬌𐬙𐬀 (anāhita) appearing only as a descriptive epithet. In origin she is possibly identical to the Indian goddess
Saraswati. She has historically been identified with the Semitic goddess
Ishtar and the Greek goddess
Artemis.
Angra Mainyu 𐬀𐬢𐬭𐬀⸱𐬨𐬀𐬌𐬥𐬌𐬌𐬎 m Persian MythologyMeans
"evil spirit", from Avestan
𐬀𐬢𐬭𐬀 (angra) meaning "evil, destructive" and
𐬨𐬀𐬌𐬥𐬌𐬌𐬎 (mainiiu) meaning "spirit, mind". In Zoroastrianism Angra Mainyu was the god of darkness, death and destruction, the enemy of
Ahura Mazda.
Arash آرش m Persian, Persian MythologyFrom Avestan
𐬆𐬭𐬆𐬑𐬱𐬀 (Ərəxsha), of uncertain meaning, possibly from a root meaning
"bear". In Iranian legend Arash was an archer who was ordered by the Turans to shoot an arrow, the landing place of which would determine the new location of the Iran-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.
Ashtad اشتاد f Persian MythologyModern Persian form of Avestan
𐬀𐬭𐬱𐬙𐬁𐬙 (Arshtāt) meaning
"justice, honesty, rightness", derived from
𐬀𐬴𐬀 (asha) meaning "truth, order". This was the name of a Yazata (a holy being) in Zoroastrianism.
Bahman بهمن m Persian, Persian MythologyModern Persian form of Avestan
𐬬𐬊𐬵𐬎 𐬨𐬀𐬥𐬀𐬵 (Vohu Manah) meaning
"good mind". This was the name of a Zoroastrian god (one of the Amesha Spenta) associated with domestic animals. The eleventh month of the Iranian calendar was named for him.
Bahram بهرام m Persian, Persian MythologyModern Persian form of Avestan
𐬬𐬆𐬭𐬆𐬚𐬭𐬀𐬖𐬥𐬀 (Vərəthraghna) meaning
"victory over resistance". This was the name of a Zoroastrian god (one of the Amesha Spenta) associated with victory and war. It was also borne by several Sasanian emperors. It is also the Persian name for the planet Mars.
Fereydoun فریدون m Persian, Persian MythologyModern Persian form of Old Iranian *
Thraitauna meaning
"the third". In the 10th-century Persian epic the
Shahnameh this is the name of a virtuous king who ruled for 500 years. The Avestan form of the name
𐬚𐬭𐬀𐬉𐬙𐬀𐬊𐬥𐬀 (Thraētaona) appears in the earlier texts of the
Avesta.
Giv گیو m Persian MythologyMeaning unknown. This is the name of a hero in the 10th-century Persian epic the
Shahnameh.
Haurvatat 𐬵𐬀𐬎𐬭𐬬𐬀𐬙𐬁𐬙 f Persian MythologyMeans
"health, perfection, wholeness" in Avestan. This was the name of a Zoroastrian goddess (one of the Amesha Spenta) associated with health and water. She was often mentioned with
Ameretat.
Jam جم m Persian MythologyPersian form of Avestan
𐬫𐬌𐬨𐬀 (Yima) meaning
"twin" (related to Sanskrit
Yama). This was the name of a mythological king, more commonly called
Jamshid.
Jamshid جمشید m Persian, Uzbek, Persian MythologyModern Persian form of Avestan
𐬫𐬌𐬨𐬀⸱𐬑𐬱𐬀𐬉𐬙𐬀 (Yima Xshaēta), which meant
"shining Jam". This was the name of a mythological king of Persia who ruled during a golden age. He is known as either
Jamshid or
Jam, where
Jamshid is a combination of his original name and an honourific.
Kaveh کاوه m Persian, Persian MythologyMeaning unknown. In the 10th-century Persian epic the
Shahnameh Kaveh is a blacksmith who leads a rebellion against the evil ruler Zahhak.
Khordad خرداد f & m Persian MythologyModern Persian form of
Haurvatat. From the Middle Persian era, this deity was often considered masculine. The third month of the Iranian calendar is named for her.
Mehr مهر m & f Persian, Persian MythologyModern Persian form of
Mithra. As a Persian vocabulary word it means
"friendship, love, kindness". It is also the name of the seventh month of the Persian calendar. All of these derive from the same source: the Indo-Iranian root *
mitra meaning "oath, covenant, agreement".
Mehrab مهراب m Persian, Persian MythologyFrom Persian
مهر (mehr) meaning "sun" or "friendship" and
آب (ab) meaning "water". This is the name of the king of Kabul in the 10th-century Persian epic the
Shahnameh.
Mehrnaz مهرناز f Persian, Persian MythologyFrom Persian
مهر (mehr) meaning "sun" or "friendship" and
ناز (naz) meaning "delight, comfort". This is the name of a character in the 10th-century Persian epic the
Shahnameh.
Mithra 𐬨𐬌𐬚𐬭𐬀, 𐎷𐎰𐎼 m Persian MythologyFrom Avestan
𐬨𐬌𐬚𐬭𐬀 (mithra) meaning
"oath, covenant, agreement", derived from an Indo-Iranian root *
mitra meaning "that which binds". According Zoroastrian mythology Mithra was a god of light and friendship, the son of the supreme god
Ahura Mazda. Worship of him eventually spread outside of Persia to the Roman Empire, where it was known as Mithraism.
Raman 2 𐬭𐬁𐬨𐬀𐬥 m Persian MythologyMeans
"peace" in Avestan. In Zoroastrianism, this is the name of a Yazata (a holy being) who presides over joy.
Rashn رشن m Persian MythologyModern Persian form of Avestan
𐬭𐬀𐬱𐬥𐬎 (Rashnu) meaning
"just, straight". In Zoroastrianism this was the name of a Yazata who judged the souls of the dead.
Rostam رستم m Persian, Persian MythologyMeaning unknown, possibly from Iranian roots *
rautas "river" and *
taxma "strong". Rostam was a warrior hero in Persian legend. The 10th-century Persian poet Ferdowsi recorded his tale in the
Shahnameh.
Sam 2 سام m Persian, Persian MythologyMeans
"fire" in Persian (from an earlier Iranian root meaning "black"). This is the name of a hero in the 10th-century Persian epic the
Shahnameh.
Shahrivar شهریور m Persian MythologyPersian form of Avestan
𐬑𐬱𐬀𐬚𐬭𐬀⸱𐬬𐬀𐬌𐬭𐬌𐬌𐬀 (Xshathra Vairiia) meaning
"desirable power". In Zoroastrianism this was the name of a god (one of the Amesha Spenta) associated with the creation of metals. The sixth month of the Iranian calendar is named for him.
Siavash سیاوش m Persian, Persian MythologyPersian form of Avestan
𐬯𐬌𐬌𐬁𐬎𐬎𐬀𐬭𐬱𐬀𐬥 (Siiāuuarshan) meaning
"possessing black stallions". This was the name of a virtuous prince in Iranian mythology. He appears briefly in the
Avesta, with a longer account recorded in the 10th-century Persian epic the
Shahnameh.
Sohrab سهراب m Persian, Persian MythologyFrom Persian
سهر (sohr) meaning "red" and
آب (ab) meaning "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.
Tahmina تهمینه f Persian Mythology, Tajik, BengaliDerived from Persian
تهم (tahm) meaning
"brave, valiant". This is the name of a character in the 10th-century Persian epic the
Shahnameh. She is a daughter of the king of Samangan who marries the warrior hero
Rostam and eventually bears him a son, whom they name
Sohrab.
Tahmuras طهمورث, تهمورث m Persian MythologyPersian form of Avestan
𐬙𐬀𐬑𐬨𐬀⸱𐬎𐬭𐬎𐬞𐬌 (Taxma Urupi), derived from
𐬙𐬀𐬑𐬨𐬀 (taxma) meaning "strong" and
𐬎𐬭𐬎𐬞𐬌 (urupi) meaning "fox". Taxma Urupi is a hero mentioned in the
Avesta who later appears in the 10th-century Persian epic the
Shahnameh.
Tur تور m Persian MythologyMeaning unknown. In the 10th-century Persian epic the
Shahnameh this is the name of a son of
Fereydoun, said to be the namesake of the Turan nation.
Vata 𐬬𐬁𐬙𐬀 m Persian MythologyMeans
"wind" in Avestan. This was the name of a Yazata (a holy being) associated with the wind in Zoroastrianism. He is also called
𐬬𐬀𐬌𐬌𐬎 (Vaiiu).
Zal زال m Persian MythologyMeans
"albino" in Persian. According to the 10th-century Persian epic the
Shahnameh this was the name of a white-haired warrior, the father of
Rostam.