Iranian Genealogy

General Resources

Ancestry.com – Iran Message Board
Reddit Genealogy Community (r/Genealogy)
Reddit Ancestry Community (r/Ancestry)
Reddit Iranian Surnames Community (r/IranianSurnames)
Reddit Iran Community (r/Iran)
Gathering Information for Genealogy (in Persian)
Family History Studies (in Persian)
Preserving Iranian Family History (Video)

Iranian Genealogy Checklist

  • 1. Oral History (Do This ASAP): Ask your relatives (especially elders) about their family and lives. Discuss locations, names, dates, occupations, and any documents they may have. This will lay the foundation for any later research. Because of the difficulty in finding documentary evidence, this step may constitute all your research. There is no time to waste! See the Oral History page for guidance on how to do this.
  • 2. Background Research:
    • Locations: Research the provinces, cities/villiages, and neighborhoods where your family lived. Learn about their history and ethnoreligious makeup. The History and Culture and Geography pages will help with this step.
    • Names: Learn about the meaning and origins of the forenames and surnames in your family. They will provide invaluable clues as you continue your research. See the Names page for an in-depth breakdown of Iranian naming conventions.
    • DNA: If you are comfortable, there are several DNA projects and services that might provide more information. DNA will show the location of your genetic origins, and DNA matches might give you insight into your common ancestors. The DNA page links to several DNA projects and services.
  • 3. Record Research:
    • Use This Website: Use this website’s Collections and Databases page to search various internet sources for information on your ancestors. It is helpful to be able to read and type Persian. See the Language page for websites that convert Romanized spellings of Persian words into Persian.
    • Google: Outside of the sources linked to on this website, a general Google search might turn up information. Increasingly more Iran-related information is being put online. Google seems to have the best search results for Iran-related information when compared to other search engines. Again, being able to read and type Persian is helpful, if not necessary. See the Language page for helpful language resources.
    • Research in Iran: After speaking with relatives and exhausting internet sources, research in Iran is the last possible step. This may take the form of requesting vital records, library and archive research, visiting cemeteries, or talking to more relatives. See the Research in Iran page for more information.