Iranian Genealogy

Iranian genealogy is difficult without some knowledge of Persian. Below are some language resources to help you understand Persian words, phrases, or text that you may encounter. Also below is a list of words and phrases that you may come across during your Iranian genealogy research.

Language Resources

Genealogical Vocabulary

Relationship Words

• ancestor: niā (نیا), jad (جد)
• ancestors: niākān (نیاکان), ejdād (اجداد)
• descendant: nasl (نسل), zādeh ulād (زاده اولاد)
• descendants: navādegān (نوادگان), aghāb (اعقاب)
• family: khānevadeh (خانواده), khāndān (خاندان)
• relatives: nazdikān (نزدیکان), khishāvandān (خویشاوندان)

Three Generations Older

• great-grandfather: pedar jad (پدر جد), jad (جد), jad-e alā (جد اعلاء)
• great-grandmother: mādar jad (مادر جد), jadeh (جده)

Two Generations Older

• paternal grandfather: pedar bozorg-e pedari (پدر بزرگ پدری), pedar bozorg (پدر بزرگ)
• paternal grandfather: mādar bozorg-e pedari (مادر بزرگ پدری), mādar bozorg (مادر بزرگ)
• maternal grandfather: pedar bozorg-e mādari (پدر بیزرگ مادری), pedar bozorg (پدر بزرگ)
• maternal grandmother: mādar bozorg-e mādari (مادر بزرگ مادری), mādar bozorg (مادر بزرگ)

One Generation Older

• parents: vāledein (والدین), zādāvarān (زاداوران)
• father: pedar (پدر)
• mother: mādar (مادر)
• stepparents: vāledein-e nātani (والدین ناتنی)
• stepfather: nāpedari (ناپدری), pedarkhāndeh (پدرخوانده)
• stepmother: nāmadari (نامادری)
• paternal uncle: amu (عمو)
• paternal aunt: ameh (عمه)
• maternal uncle: dā’i (دایی)
• maternal aunt: khāleh (خاله)
• father-in-law: pedar shohar (پدر شوهر) (husband’s father), pedar zan (پدر زن) (wife’s father)
• mother-in-law: mādar shohar (مادر شوهر) (husband’s mother), mādar zan (مادر شوهر) (wife’s mother)

Same Generation

• brother: barādar (برادر), hamshir (همشیر)
  • half-brother would have “nātani” (ناتنی) added afterward; if half-brother from father, then “pedari” (پدری) would be added; if half-brother from mother, then “mādari” (مادری) would be added
• sister: khāhar (خواهر), hamshireh (همشیره)
  • half-sister would have “nātani” (ناتنی) added afterward; if half-sister from father, then “pedari” (پدری) would be added; if half-sister from mother, then “mādari” (مادری) would be added
• stepbrother: nābarādari (نابرادری)
• stepsister: nākhāhari (ناخواهری)
• cousin (from paternal uncle): pesar amu (پسر عمو) (son), dokhtar amu (دختر عمو) (daughter)
• cousin (from paternal aunt): pesar ameh (پسر عمه) (son), dokhtar ameh (دختر عمه) (daughter)
• cousin (from maternal uncle): pesar dā’i (پسر دایی) (son), dokhtar dā’i (دختر دایی) (daughter)
• cousin (from maternal aunt): pesar khāleh (پسر خاله) (son), dokhtar khāleh (دختر خاله) (daughter)
• spouse: hamsar (همسر)
• husband: shohar (شوهر), zoj (زوج)
• wife: zan (زن), khanum (خانم), zojeh (زوجه)
• siblings-in-law: hamniā-ye hamsar (همنیای همسر)
• brother-in-law: shohar baradar (شوهر برادر) (husband’s brother), zan baradar (زن برادر) (wife’s brother)
• sister-in-law: shohar khāhar (شوهر خواهر) (husband’s sister), zan khāhar (زن خواهر) (wife’s sister)
• (if male) wife’s sister’s husband: bājenāgh (باجناغ)
• (if female) husband’s brother’s wife: jāri (جاری)

One Generation Younger

• child: farzand (فرزند), bachche (بچه)
• son: pesar (پسر), valad (ولد), bin (بن), ibn (ابن)
• daughter: dokhtar (دختر), sabieh (صبیه), bint (بنت), valideh (ولیده)
• son-in-law: dāmād (داماد)
• daughter-in-law: arus (عروس)
• nephew/niece: barādarzādeh (برادرزاده) (from brother), khāharzādeh (خواهرزاده) (from sister)

Two Generations Younger

• grandchild: naveh (نوه), navādeh (نواده)

Three Generations Younger

• great-grandchild: natijeh (نتیجه), navādeh (نواده)

Four Generations Younger

• great-great-grandchild: nabireh (نبیره), navādeh (نواده)

Five Generations Younger

• great-great-great-granchild: nadideh (ندیده)

Alphabetical List of words/phrases

آ

• آقا (āghā): sir; mister

ا

• اخوند (ākhund): honorific indicating a Muslim cleric
• ازدواج (ezdevāj): marriage
• استاد (ostād): male honorific meaning master of a craft or profession; professor
• استان (ostān): province (used during the Pahlavi and Islamic Republic eras)
• ایالت (eyālat): state (used during the Qajar and early Pahlavi eras)

ب

• بخش (bakhsh): district; section
• بلوک (boluk): block (used as the equivalent of بخش (bakhsh) during the late Qajar and early Pahlavi eras)
• بیک/بیگ (beik/beig): male honorific of Turkic origin
• بیگوم (beigum): female honorific of Turkic origin

پ

• پهلوان (pahlevān): honorific meaning champion, athlete, or hero
• پیر (pir): honorific indicating a Sufi

ت

• تابعیت (tābe’iyat): citizenship
• تاریخ تولد (tārikh-e tavalod): birth date
• تاریخ وفات (tarikh-e vafāt): death date
• تولد (tavalod): birthday

ض

ث

• ثبط (sabt): recorded

ج

• جناب (jenāb): excellency, male honorific

چ

ح

• حاج (hāj): man who has made the pilgrimage to Mecca
• حاج آقا (hāj): man who has made the pilgrimage to Mecca
• حاج خانم (hāj khānum): woman who has made the pilgrimage to Mecca
• حاجی (hāji): man who has made the pilgrimage to Mecca
• حوزه (hozeh): district

خ

• خاتون (khātun): female aristocratic honorific
• خان (khān): male honorific; sir
• خانم (khānum): lady, madam

د

• داماد (dāmād): groom, (less-commonly) son-in-law
• دانگ (dāng): a one-sixth unit of interest in a parcel of real estate
• درگذشته (dargozashteh): died
• درویش (darvish): honorific indicating a Sufi
• ده (deh): village
• دهستان (dehestān): rural district (used during the Pahlavi and Islamic Republic eras)

ذ

ر

• روستا (rustā): village

ز

• زادروز (zādruz): birthday
• زاده (zādeh): born
• زوخ (zoj): husband, couple
• زوجه (zojeh): wife

ژ

س

• ساکن (sāken): resident (of)
• سید (seyyed): male honorific indicating patrilineal descent from Ali ibn Abi Taleb
• سیده (seyyedeh): female honorific indicating patrilineal descent from Ali ibn Abi Taleb

ش

• شناسنامه (shenāsnāmeh): vital records book issued by the National Organization for Civil Registration in Iran since 1918 in Tehran and since 1925 across the country
• شهر (shahr): city (in Farsi), month (in Arabic)
• شهرستان (shahrestān): county (used during the Pahlavi and Islamic Republic eras)
• شیخ (sheikh): Muslim cleric, especially those who do not descend from Mohammad

ص

• صیغه (sigheh): a fixed-term temporary marriage permitted under Twelver Shia Islam, an Arabic word for marriage

ض

ط

ظ

ع

• عروس (arus): bride, (less commonly) daughter-in-law
• عروسی (arusi): wedding reception
• عقد (aghd): wedding ceremony
• عقدنامه (aghdnāmeh): marriage certificate
• علیاجناب (oliājenāb): female aristocratic honorific

غ

ف

ق

• قصبه (ghasabeh): village

ک

• کربلایی (karbalā’i): someone who has made the pilgrimage to Karbala

گ

• گواهینامه (gavāhināmeh): certificate

ل

• لقب (laghab): title, nickname

م

• محل (mahal): place
• مدفون (madfun): buried
• مشهدی (mashhadi): (if before a first name) someone who has made the pilgrimage to Mashhad; (if after a first name) indicating that they are from Mashhad, or a surname meaning from Mashhad
• مرحوم (marhum): deceased
• ملقب (molaghab): nicknamed, known as, titled
• میر (mir): male honorific indicating patrilineal descent from Ali ibn Abi Taleb
• میرزا (mirzā): male honorific; sir; if after a first name, indicates patrilineal royal ancestry

ن

• ناحیه (nāhieh): district (used during the late Qajar and early Pahlavi eras)
• نام (nām): first name
• نام خانوادگی (nām-e khānevādegi): last name, family name

و

• ولایت (velāyat): governate (used during the Qajar and early Pahlavi eras)

ه

ی

• یوم (yom): day (in Arabic)