When you think of Persia, you can’t help but reminisce about its colorful history filled with empires, battles, and impressive innovation. Persia had refrigerators and air conditioners before electricity was even invented. They were also leading when it came to societal expectations for women, who were allowed to own land, run businesses, and enlist in the army.
Prior to 1979, the country now known as Iran was once called Persia. The country’s name derives from its original tribal name, Parsua and in Greek, Persia means Iran. Today, Persians are an ethnic group that accounts for more than half the population of Iran, with their own language and distinct culture. And while their history goes back to ancient times, Persians only began using last names in 1919. Before then, a bunch of different prefixes and suffixes were added to a person’s given name (and you just hoped no one else had that unique combination). They used names to reflect a long and storied history (one of the world’s oldest civilizations!).
Similar to many other ethnicities, Persian last names frequently reference a family‘s location or place of origin. And given the geographic extent of the Persian Empire — spanning from Egypt in the west to Turkey in the north, and through Mesopotamia to the Indus River in the east — it’s not unusual for their modern last names to borrow from Greek, Kurdish, and Azerbaijani-Turkish.
Persian last names, like Persian culture, are a point of pride and honor for Iranians. In Persian culture, truth was revered, and telling a lie was one of the worst things a person could do. Many also speak to a central focus for Iranians: family. It’s not uncommon to see multi-generational households. Another reason to gravitate toward Persian names? Iranian people are known for their hospitality. They are welcoming and polite, and they strive to maintain that perception. So, a Persian last name is weighted with many positive associations.
Ready to learn more about these family names? Here are 44 popular Persian last names, including their meanings and origins.
If you’re interested in the last names of other countries and exploring their meanings, check out our package on last names from around the world! Spanish, Mexican, Brazilian, Portuguese, Italian, Japanese, Welsh, Thai, Vietnamese, Korean, and African last names.
- Abbas
Transcription: عبّاس
Meaning: Austere
Origin: Arabic - Afsoun
Transcription: افسون
Meaning: Charm, spell
Origin: Persian - Ahmad
Transcription: احمد
Meaning: Most praiseworthy
Origin: Arabic - Akbar
Transcription: اکبر
Meaning: Greater, greatest
Origin: Arabic - Alborz
Transcription: البرز
Meaning: from the name of a mountain range in northern Iran
Origin: Persian - Ali
Transcription: علی
Meaning: Lofty, sublime
Origin: Arabic - Azad
Transcription: آزاد
Meaning: Free
Origin: Persian - Babak
Transcription:
Meaning: Little father
Origin: Persian - Bahman
Transcription: بابک
Meaning: Good mind
Origin: Persian - Baran
Transcription: باران
Meaning: Rain
Origin: Persian - Darya
Transcription: دریا
Meaning: Sea, ocean
Origin: Persian - Delara
Transcription: دلآرا
Meaning: Adorning the heart
Origin: Persian - Elaheh
Transcription: الهه
Meaning: Goddess
Origin: Persian - Farid
Transcription: فرید
Meaning: Unique, precious
Origin: Arabic - Farrokh
Transcription: فرّخ
Meaning: Happy, auspicious
Origin: Persian - Farzaneh
Transcription: فرزانه
Meaning: Wise, intelligent
Origin: Persian - Fereshteh
Transcription: فرشته
Meaning: Angel
Origin: Persian - Firouzeh
Transcription: فیروزه
Meaning: Turquoise (the gemstone)
Origin: Persian - Ghoncheh
Transcription: غنچه
Meaning: Flower bud
Origin: Persian - Gohar
Transcription: گوهر
Meaning: Jewel, gemstone
Origin: Persian, Armenian, Urdu - Golbahar
Transcription: گلبهار
Meaning: Spring rose
Origin: Persian - Golshan
Transcription: گلشن
Meaning: Rose garden
Origin: Persian - Golzar
Transcription: گلزار
Meaning: Rosy-cheeked
Origin: Persian - Habib
Transcription: حبیب
Meaning: Beloved, darling
Origin: Arabic, Persian, Urdu - Hadi
Transcription: هادی
Meaning: Leader, guide
Origin: Arabic, Persian - Hassan
Transcription: حسن
Meaning: Beautifier; pious, wise
Origin: Arabic - Hayat
Transcription: حیات
Meaning: Life
Origin: Arabic - Heydari
Transcription: حیدری
Meaning: Lion; brave, courageous
Origin: Arabic - Iman
Transcription: ایمان
Meaning: Faith
Origin: Arabic, Persian, Indonesian - Isa
Transcription: عیسى
Meaning: Arabic form of Jesus
Origin: Arabic, Persian, Albanian - Jafar
Transcription: جعفر
Meaning: Stream
Origin: Arabic, Persian - Jahan
Transcription: جهان
Meaning: World
Origin: Persian - Jahangir
Transcription: جهانگی
Meaning: World conquerer
Origin: Persian, Urdu - Jalal
Transcription: جلال
Meaning: Greatness
Origin: Arabic, Persian - Jalil
Transcription: جلیل
Meaning: Important, exalted
Origin: Arabic, Persian - Jamshid
Transcription: جمشید
Meaning: shining Jam (a mythological king of Persia)
Origin: Persian, Uzbek, Persian mythology - Javed
Transcription: جواد
Meaning: Eternal
Origin: Persian - Karim
Transcription: کریم
Meaning: Generous, noble
Origin: Arabic, Persian - Mahin
Transcription: مهین
Meaning: Of the moon
Origin: Persian - Moradi
Transcription: مرادی
Meaning: Wishful
Origin: Persian - Mozhdeh
Transcription: مژده
Meaning: Good news
Origin: Persian - Roshan
Transcription: روشن
Meaning: Light, bright
Origin: Persian - Shahin
Transcription: شاهین
Meaning: Falcon, peregrine
Origin: Persian - Vida
Transcription: ویدا
Meaning: Visible, apparent, prominent
Origin: Persian
