Iranian Genealogy

Names are an integral part of Iranian genealogy, where they can provide insight into ethnicity, religion, ancestry, place of origin, occupation, and status. Names may be one of the few known facts about an Iranian ancestor, so understanding their structure and meaning is key to getting the most out of your research. The below “Forenames,” “Surnames,” and “Honorifics & Titles” sections explore their histories, categories, and meanings.

Two drastic changes in the content and structure of Iranian names have occurred throughout recorded history: the first was after the Muslim Conquest in the mid-600s, and the second was after the passage of the Ghanun-e Sejell-e Ahval “Circumstances Recording Law” in 1918. 

After the Muslim Conquest, the forenames (esm) and titles (laghab) that existed in pre-Islamic Iran were altered, and the elements of konyeh, nasab, nesbat, and takhallos were added. (Names of Persons: Iran, IFLA). The Circumstances Recording Law stripped names of all but the esm and the new concept of a surname (nām-e khānevādegi), which was partially derived from the concepts of the nasab and nesbat. Forenames and surnames have been regulated by the Iranian government ever since.

The following summary of Iranian names over time comes from the International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions’ cataloguing guide Names of Persons: Iran and Houchang E. Chehabi’s book Onomastic Reforms.

Pre-Islamic Name

e.g., Bahram Chobin Mehrbandak

(Bahram = forename/later called esm; Chobin = nickname; Mehrbandak (servant of Mithra) = title/later called laghab)

Post-Islamic Name

• konyeh “nickname”: An Arab concept combining a relational word (Abu = father; Umm = mother; akhu = brother; okht = sister) with a name.
• esm “forename”: A continuation of the pre-Islamic Iranian tradition, which is why many pre-Islamic forenames are still in use.
• nasab “relationship/descent”: An Arab concept using “ebn/ibn” or “ben/bin” for males and “bent/bint” for females to indicate a relationship to their father, then the father’s father, and so on.
• nesbat “relational adjective”: Indicating place of birth, place of residence, profession, religion, or sect. 
• laghab “title”: A continuation of the pre-Islamic Iranian tradition of titles.
• takhallos “pen name”: A concept created by poets and authors later in the Islamic period.

e.g. Abulfath Omar ebn Ebrāhim al-Khayyām Neishāburi

(Abulfath = konyeh; Omar = esm; ebn Ebrāhim = nasab; Neishaburi = nesbat)

Modern Name

e.g. Akbar Hāshemi Rafsanjāni

(Akbar = esm; Hāshemi Rafsanjāni = nām-e khānevādegi; Hāshemi = derives from nasab; Rafsanjāni = derives from nesbat)

The organization and methodology of this page was inspired by Karine Megerdoomian’s helpful report entitled The Structure of Persian Names.

Forenames

Forenames have an ancient history in Iran, tracing their origin to Proto-Indo-European practices. (Rüdiger Schmitt, “PERSONAL NAMES, IRANIAN i. PRE-ISLAMIC NAMES: GENERAL,” Encyclopaedia Iranica). The content of these names has changed over time. Many early Iranian names were influenced by Zoroastrianism. Other names were introduced by various ethnic groups.

An enormous shift in Iranian names came with the Muslim Conquest, which led to the popularization of Arab and Muslim forenames. (Houchang E. Chehabi, Onomastic Reforms 14). However, due to the continuity between pre-Islamic forename traditions and the Arab tradition of esm, many pre-Islamic forenames have remained in use. (Id.).

The Circumstances Recording Law of 1918 mandated the registration of forenames. Since then, the Iranian government has regulated forenames. For example, the name “Amir” was banned for several years during the Pahlavi era. Currently, the Islamic Republic’s High Council for Civil Registry classifies names as “forbidden” if they are deemed to be “insult[ing to] Islamic sanctity . . . obscene, offensive, or inappropriate” or if they are “foreign names belonging to foreign cultures.” (The Politics of Iran’s ‘Forbidden Names’, Voice of America).

In Iran, there are about 200,000 forenames in use for males and about 220,000 for females. (Longest Iranian Family Name With 35 Letters, VOM.ir). The longest recorded forename of an Iranian man is “Āghā Mirzā Mostafā Azim al-doleh molaghab be Bakshu,” who was born in Tehran in 1866/7 (1245 SH). (Id.). The longest recorded forename for an Iranian woman is “Fātemeh Soltān Khānum, maruf be Shāhzādeh Karbalā’i,” a woman born in Karbala, Iraq in 1885/6 (1264 SH). (Id.).

Iranians oftentimes go by a forename that is not the forename on their birth certificate. This may be a name that a respected relative gave them, a name that one parent/family preferred, or an ethnic name not allowed by law. Occasionally, Iranians will even legally change their forenames (e.g., Ezatollāh Minbāshiān becoming Mehrdād Pahlbod).

Sometimes, an Islamic tu-gushi (literally “in the ear”) name is whispered to an infant as a religious name and to invoke a religious figure’s protection (e.g., Mohammad, Ali, Fātemeh).

In sum, Iranian forenames are rich with meaning and history, which make them important to understand when pursuing genealogy.

Historical & Literary Figures

Many Iranian forenames pay homage to historical or literary figures. These names come from national heroes, royalty, religion, and works like the Shahnameh. 

Male: 

• Ali (son-in-law and cousin of Islamic prophet Mohammad)
• Dāriush (Darius the Great, Shāhanshāh of the Persian Empire)
• Hossein (son of Ali and Fatemeh, grandson of Mohammad)
• Kāveh (hero in the Shāhnāmeh)
• Kurosh (Cyrus the Great, first Shāhanshāh of the Persian Empire)
• Mohammad (prophet of Islam)
• Rezā (Eighth Imam of Shia Islam, buried in Mashhad, Iran)
• Rostam (hero in the Shahnameh)

Female: 

• Farangis (Shahnameh character)
• Fātemeh (daughter of Mohammad)
• Khadijeh (first wife of Mohammad)
• Manizheh (Shahnameh character)
• Maryam (Mary, mother of Jesus)
• Purān (Sassanian Dynasty Queen)
• Tahmineh (Shahnameh character)
• Zahrā (from Mohammad’s daughter’s epithet, Fātemeh al-Zahrā)

Nouns & Adjectives

It has been said that Iranians have a “preference … for idealism over realism,” which explains the widespread use of descriptive nouns and adjectives as forenames. (Houchang E. Chehabi, Onomastic Reforms 67)

Theophoric Foreames

Iranian forenames, especially those of males, often make reference to Islamic and pre-Islamic deities. Despite Islam’s millennium-long standing as Iran’s predominant religion, the names of Zoroastrian deities continue to be used.

Pre-Islamic Theophoric Forenames

• Hormozd
• Mitrā
• Yazdān

Abd- Forenames

Abd- names usually refer to one of the ninety-nine names of Allah. (Wikipedia, Names of God in Islam).

• Abdolazim (“servant of the Great”)
• Abdoljalil (“servant of the Majestic”)
• Abdolkarim (“servant of the Generous”)
• Abdolrahmān (“servant of the Beneficent”)

Less commonly abd- names are used with words that are not names of God, but of other religious figures.

• Abdolmohammad (“servant of Mohammad”)
  • Abdolrasul (“servant of the Messenger” referring to Mohammad)
• Abdolhossein (“servant of Hossein” referring to Ali’s son and Mohammad’s grandson)
• Abdolali (“servant of Ali” referring to Mohammad’s son-in-law and cousin)
  • Abdolamir (“servant of the Commander” referring to Ali’s title amir al-momenin)
• Abdolrezā (“servant of Reza” referring to Ali’s fourth great-grandson, Mohammad’s fifth great grandson, the Eighth Imam of Shia Islam)
• Abdolzahrā (“servant of Zahra” referring to Mohammad’s daughter)
• Abdolahmad
• Abdolabbās

-ollah forenames

• Abdollāh (“servant of Allah”)
• Asadollāh (“lion of Allah”)
• Habibollāh (“love of Allah”)
• Ruhollāh (“spirit of Allah”)

-dād forenames

• Khodādād (“given by God”)
• Allāhdād (“given by Allah”)
• Yazdāndād (“given by God”)
• Mehrdād (“given by God”)

-yār forenames

Originating in the phrase “May God be your friend” “Khodā/Allāh/Yazdān yāret bāshe” “خدا/الله/یزدان یارب باشه.”

• Khodāyār (“friend of God”)
• Allāhyār (“friend of Allah”)
• Yazdānyār (“friend of God”)
• Mehryār (“friend of God”)

Ethnic Forenames

Armenian

• For examples of Armenian forenames, see Armenian First Names; Armenian Names; Foundation for East European Family History Studies, Armenian Given Names-Male.

Assyrian

• Iranian-Assyrians often choose western names (e.g. Robert, Edwin, Albert).
• For examples of Assyrian forenames, see Assyrian Names and Meanings.  

Azeri

• ​For examples of Azeri forenames, see Esami Torki-ye Azerbaijani (Azerbaijani Turk Names).

Baluchi

• ​For examples of Baluchi forenames, see Ganjineh-ye nām ha-ye Baluch; Esm hā-ye ghadimi-ye Baluchi (Old Baluchi Names); Esm hā-ye Baluchi ke be farāmushi miravand (Baluchi Names That Are Being Forgotten); Balochi Names.  
• For information on how forenames were chosen and why, see The Baloch Names and Titles.

Jewish

• For information on Iranian Jewish forenames, read Esther Shkalim’s “Names and Naming Practices – Iran” in the Encyclopedia of Jews in the Islamic World.

Kurdish

• For examples of Kurdish forenames, see Tamadonemā (Farsi), List-e nāmhā-ye Kordi (List of Kurdish Names); Institut Kurde, Kurdish Names; Nāmhā-ye Asil-e Kordi (Names of Kurdish Origin).

Compound Forenames

Double Forenames

Double forenames are common for men in Iran. Most often, they consist of two Islamic/Arabic forenames.

• Ali Akbar
• Amir Hossein
• Hamid Rezā
• Mohammad Taghi

Rarely, double forenames include non-Islamic/Arabic forenames.

• Amir Shahram

gholām ForeNames

Gholam is an Arabic word meaning “servant.”

• Gholāmali (“servant of Ali”)
• Gholāmhossein (“servant of Hossein”)
• Gholāmrezā (“servant of Reza”)

gholi forenames

Gholi is a Turkic word meaning “servant.”

• Abbāsgholi (“servant of Abbas”)
• Aligholi (“servant of Ali”)
• Emāmgholi (“servant of the Imam”)
• Hassangholi (“servant of Hassan)
• Hosseingholi (“servant of Hossein”)
• Mohammadgholi (“servant of Mohammad”)
• Rezāgholi (“servant of Reza”)
• Shāhgholi (“servant of the King”)

Forenames connected with al-

Forenames with al-sadat indicates that the person purports seyyed descent. Seyyed are patrilineal descendants of Ali ibn Abi Taleb, Mohammad’s cousin and husband of Mohammad’s daughter.

• Fakhr al-sadat
• Akram al-sadat

Surnames

Surnames are a recent development in Iran. In 1918, the Iranian parliament passed the Circumstances Recording Law. Article 5 of the law required all Iranians to record a forename, surname, and a demonym based on where the person was born (e.g., Eskandar Sasan Tehrani). The surname was chosen by the head of the household. (Houchang E. Chehabi, Onomastic Reforms 30-31). In practice, the law only applied to the citizens of Tehran, who were barred from availing themselves of government services without showing their documentation (Id. 36). 

A 1925 update of the law altered the naming requirements to be only a forename and a surname. All adults were free to chose their own surname, which led to some siblings having different surnames (Id. 48). The Circumstances Recording Law began being adhered to nationwide at this time, coinciding with and being motivated by the military conscription law. 

In 1937, restrictions were placed on which surnames could be registered. Surnames related to the imperial family or titles of high government officials, registered company names, inappropriate surnames, title-like surnames (see the Titles and Honorifics section below), and surnames from foreign languages were banned (Id. 58). Today, the Islamic Republic apparently prefers singular surnames of Farsi/Arabic origin that are patronymic or refer to a noun/adjective/attribute; indecent, tribal, occupational and title-like, geographical, foreign, and triple compound surnames are eligible to be changed (Sabt-e Ahval).

In choosing surnames, Iranians drew upon familiar naming conventions. Some surnames were derived from the names of ancestors (similar to nasab), place of origin or ethnic/religious group (similar to nesbat), titles (laghab), or pen-names (takhallos). Yet others chose surnames derived from nouns, adjectives, or attributes. For a detailed discussion on how Iranians chose their surnames, see Hossein Chehabi, Onomastic Reforms 62-70.

Women do not change their surnames upon marriage in Iran, subject to very few exceptions. However, married women may be referred to as Mrs. (husband’s surname).

While it is unusual for Iranians to legally change their forenames, surnames are more commonly changed. For example, former Iranian president Mahmud Ahmadinezhad’s surname underwent two changes: from Saborjian to Sabbaghian and then to Ahmadinezhad. Surnames may be changed to a completely different last name or shortened to a part of the original surname (either one part of a compound surname or an abbreviated form of a singular surname).

The specific ancestral information that Iranian surnames may contain make understanding their meaning imperative in Iranian genealogy.

Surname Affixes

Patronymic Surnames

ancestor forenames

Most commonly, Iranian surnames are derived from the name of an ancestor (real or claimed). This ancestor was always a patrilineal ancestor, oftentimes being the father or paternal grandfather of the person who chose the surname. Thus these surnames are called patronymic surnames. These patronymic name surnames are oftentimes used in compound surnames (discussed below in the “Compound Surnames” section). Patronymic surnames are easy to spot because they contain a forename, sometimes in conjunction with a title, such as Agha, Mir, Haj, Mirza, Molla, Sheikh, or Khan (see the “Titles” section). Because they directly name an ancestor and indicate their approximate generation, patronymic surnames are among the most helpful surnames for Iranian genealogy.

Root

Rarely a surname is the entire name of an ancestor, along with their appellations and without suffixes.

• Āghā Mirzā Mohammad Shirāzi, Hāji Noruz Ali Tehrāni 

​More commonly, if a surname is an ancestor’s name without suffixes, it is the forename alone.

• Ali, Javād, Soleimān

-i

• Hosseini (“from Hossein”), MirzāKarimi (“from Mirzā Karim”), AmirMohammadi (“from Amir Mohammad”)

-iān

• Ghāsemiān (“those from Ghāsem”), MirAbbāsiān (“those from Mir Abbās”), Rajabiān (“those from Rajab”)

-pur

• AmānPur (“son of Amān”), AhmadiPur (“son of Ahmad”), MollāBāgherPur (“son of Mollā Bāgher”)

-dokht

• AliDokht (“daughter of Ali”), AhmadDokht (“daughter of Ahmad”), HassanDokht (“daughter of Hassan”)

-zādeh/-zād

• AliZādeh (“born of Ali”), FazlAliZādeh (“born of Fazl Ali”), TaghiZādeh (“born of Taghi”)

-niā

• AhmadNiā (“descendant of Ahmad”), BehruzNiā (“descendant of Behruz”), RahimNiā (“descendant of Rahim”)

-nezhād

• AhmadiNezhād (“race of Ahmad”), HāshemiNezhād (“race of Hāshem”), EbrāhimNezhād (“race of Ebrāhim”)

-tabār

• TālebTabār (“family of Tāleb”), MohseniTabār (“family of Mohsen”), JafariTabār (“family of Jafar”)

-oghlu

• Rahimoghlu (“son of Rahim”), Dāvudoghlu (“son of Dāvud”), Hassanoghlu (“son of Hassan”)

-lu (refers to tribes, see “Tribal Surnames” under “Ethnic and Religious Surnames” below)

• MirHabiblu (“from Mir Habib”), Rahimlu (“from Rahim”), Ghāsemlu (“from Ghāsem”)

-vand

• Esmāilvand (“affiliated with Esmāil”), Mortezāvand (“affiliated with Mortezā”), Rostamivand (“affiliated with Rostam”)

Āl-

• Āl-Ahmad (“family of Ahmad”), Ālāghā (“family of Āghā”), Āl-Ali (“family of Ali”)

Dokht-

• DokhtJalāli (“of the daughter of Jalāl”), DokhtHosseini (“of the daughter of Hossein”), DokhtAli (“daughter of Ali”)

Pur-

• PurAbbāsAli (“son of Abbās Ali”), PurMehrān (“son of Mehrān”), PurFarrokhi (“of the son of Farrokh”)

Zād-

• ZādAli (“son of Ali”), ZādMohammad (“son of Mohammad”), ZādAmir (“son of Amir”)

ancestor titles

During the Qajar era, many members of the royalty, aristocracy, bureaucracy, and later even commoners used titles granted titles by the Shah (or people acting on his behalf) alongside or instead of their forenames. These titles were outlawed in 1925, and creating last names based on them was also theoretically banned. However, many titleholders were reluctant to abandon their status symbol and converted their titles into surnames. Titles were almost always two-word conjunctions. The surnames that originated in titles usually were derived from the first word, but could also come from the second word or the full title. Titles are further discussed in the “Titles” section below.

Surname from a title’s first word.

• Mossadegh from Mossadegh al-saltaneh

Surname from a title’s second word.​

• Daftari from Vazir-e Daftar

Surname from an entire title.​

• Farmānfarmāyān from Farmānfarmā
• VazirNezāmi from Vazir Nezām

Geographical Surnames

Political subdivision surnames

Many Iranian surnames are derived from location names. Locations in surnames are usually where the ancestor who chose the last name was born, where they spent most of their life, or where their ancestors were from. Location roots are most commonly cities, villages, or towns, but can also be neighborhoods, regions, countries, and even continents. These location surnames are often used in compound surnames (discussed below in the “Compound Surnames” section).

Region

• Farangi (“from Europe”)

Country

• Irān, Mesri (“from Egypt”), Arāghiān (“those from Iraq”), HendiNezhād (“[of] the Indian race”), BahrainiZādeh (“born of a Bahraini”)

Province

• Gilān, Kermāni (“from Kerman”), PurKhorāsāni (“son of a Khorāsāni”)

City/Village

• Khorramābādi (“from Khorramabad”), Shirāziān (“those from Shiraz”), TehrānZādeh (“born of Tehran”)

Neighborhood

• Golbahār, Sangelaji, Dardashti

Geographical feature surnames

Some Iranian surnames are derived from geographical features endemic to the area where the ancestor who chose the surname (or their ancestors) were born or lived.

• Kuhi (“from the mountain”)
• Sabalāni (“from Mount Sabalān”)
• Damāvandi (“from Mount Damāvand”)
• Derakhti (“from the tree”)
• Rudi (“from the river”)
• ZāyandeRudi (“from the Zāyande River”)
• Kāruni (“from the Kārun River”)
• Daryā’i (“from the sea”)
• Tape’i (“from the hill”)

Descriptive Surnames

Iranians tend to display a “preference … for idealism over realism” and so make great use of “aspirational” descriptive surnames. (Houchang E. Chehabi, Onomastic Reforms 67)

Root

• Āzād (“free”), Mofid (“useful”), Shād (“happy”)

-i

• Golesorkhi (“rose”), Mazlumi (“meek”), Nafisi (“precious”)

-iān

• Ketābiān (“book”) Khorsidiān (“sun”), Najibiān (“noble”)

-ārā

• Golārā (“flower adorner”), Delārā (“heart adorner”), Jahānārā (“world adorner”)

-andish

• Kheirandish (“good thoughts”), Khoshandish (“happy thoughts”), Nikandish (“good thoughts”)

-āvar

• Sudāvar (“profitable,” literally “bringing profit”)

-bakhsh

• Jahānbakhsh (“given by the world”), Imānbakhsh (“given by faith”), Khodābakhsh (“given by God”)

-bar

• Delbar (“beloved”) 

-bin

• Ranjbin (“seer of suffering”), Haghbin (“seer of truth”)

-dār

• Eshghdār (“having love”), Servatdār (“having wealth”)

-dust

• Rahmāndust (“liker of beneficence”), Jahāndust (“liker of the world”), Haghigatdust (“liker of reality”)

-gu

• Rāstgu (“truthful”), Haghgu (“sayer of the truth”)

-ju

• Āzādiju (“searcher of freedom”), Esghju (“searcher of love”), Kārju (“searcher of work”)

-khāh

• Dustkhāh (“friendly”), Elmkhāh (“wanting knowledge”), Kheirkhāh (“benevolent”)

-manesh

• Āryāmanesh (“of Aryan disposition”), Nikmanesh (“of good disposition”), Sohrābmanesh (“of Sohrab’s disposition”)

-panāh

• Islāmpanāh (“Islam giving refuge”), Irānpanāh (“Iran giving refuge”), Omidpanāh (“hope giving refuge”)

-parast

• Akbariparast (“admirer of Akbar”), Dinparast (“admirer of religion”), Mohammadparast (“admirer of Mohammad”)

-yār

• Khoshyār (“happy friend”), Mehryār (“friend of light,” “kind friend”), Nikyār (“good friend”)

Occupational Surnames

Iranian culture greatly emphasizes status, including one’s occupation. Occupation was a central aspect of an ancestor’s life. Accordingly, Iranian surnames are commonly derived from occupations. It is more common for occupation surnames to be the root alone without any suffixes than for other surname categories.

Root

• Āmuzegār (“teacher”), Bāzargān (“businessman”), Khayāt (“tailor”)

-i

• Nānvā’i (“baker”), Mohandesi (“engineer”), Javāheri (“jeweler”)

-iān

• Kafāshiān (‘those from a shoemaker”), Keshāvarziān (“those from a farmer”), Ghasābiān (“those from a butcher”)

-chi

• Farshchi (“carpet merchant”), Chā’ichi (“tea merchant”), Āhanchi (“blacksmith”)

-var

• Dāneshvar (“scholar”; literally “agent of knowledge”), Pishehvar (“tradesman”; literally “professional of a trade”)

-pur

• TājerPur (“son of a merchant”), KadkhodāPur (“son of a village chieftain”)

Pur-

• PurKafāsh (“son of a shoemaker”), PurĀbdār (“son of a water carrier”)

-zādeh

• MollāZādeh (“born of a cleric”), SarbāzZādeh (“born of a soldier”), Mo’alemZādeh (“born of a teacher”)

-niā

• TājerNiā (“descendant of a merchant”), KalāntarNiā (“descendant of a sheriff”), VakilNiā (“descendant of an attorney”)

Ethnic and Religious Surnames

Iran is home to various ethnic groups and religions. Many surnames are unique to these demographic groups, and sometimes the name of the demographic group is a surname itself.

tribal surnames

Among Iran’s many ethnic groups are a large number of tribes. Historically, these tribes were semi-autonomous and powerful political players. Several Iranian dynasties originated in tribal leadership. During the late Qajar and Pahlavi era, the semi-autonomous tribes were brought under the control of the central government. Nomadic tribes have been increasingly sedentarized since the 1960s.

Kurd

• For a list of Kurdish tribes/surnames categorized by Iranian province, see Wikipedia, Kurdish Tribes.​

Lur

• Bakhtyāri
  • For information on the Bakhtyari tribe of Baluchistan, see Wikipedia (Farsi), Bakhtyari Tribe.
  • Chahār Lang
    • For a list of tribes/surnames within the Chahar Lang, see Wikipedia (Farsi), Chahar Lang.​
  • Haft Lang
    • For a list of tribes/surnames within the Haft Lang, see Wikipedia (Farsi), Haft Lang.
• Kohgiluyeh
• Boyer Ahmadi
• Mamasani
  • Baksh
  • Doshmanziāri
  • Jāvid​
  • Rostam

​Qashqā’i

• Amaleh
  • For a list of tribes/surnames within the Amaleh, see Wikipedia (Farsi), Tāyefeh-ye Amaleh (Amaleh Tribe).​
• DareShuri
  • For a list of tribes/surnames within the DareShuri, see Wikipedia (Farsi), Tāyefeh-ye DareShuri (DareShuri Tribe).​
• Fārsimadān
  • For a list of tribes/surnames within the Farsimadan, see Wikipedia (Farsi), Tāyefeh-ye Fārsimadān (Farsimadān Tribe).​
• Keshkuli Bozorg
• Keshkuli Kuchak
• Sheshbluki
  • For a list of tribes/surnames within the Sheshbluki, see Wikipedia (Farsi), Tāyefeh-ye Sheshbluki (Sheshbluki Tribe).

Turk

• Afshār
  • For a list of tribes/surnames within the Afshar, see Wikipedia (Farsi), Eil-e Afshar.​
• Alpāt
• Bahārlu
  • For a list of tribes/surnames within the Bahārlu, see Wikipedia (Farsi), Bahārlu. 
• Bayāt
• Ereshli
• Ghārāmanli
• Ghāzākhli
• Ostājlu
• Qājār
• Rumlu
• Shāhsavan
  • For a list of tribes/surnames within the Shahsavan, see Wikipedia (Farsi), Shāhsavan-hā.​
• Shamgāni
• Shāmlu
• Takalu
  • For a list of tribes/surnames within Takkalu, see Wikipedia (Farsi), Takalu.​
• Zu al-Qadr
  • For a list of tribes/surnames within Zu al-Ghadr, see Wikipedia (Farsi), Eil-e Zu al-Ghadr.​​

Ethnicity SUrnames

• Afghāni
• Armani (“Armenian”)
• Āshuri (“Assyrian”)
• Āzari (“Azerbaijani”)
• Baluchi (“Baluch”)
• Charkasi (“Circassian”)
• Gilaki (“Gilak”)
• Gorji (“Georgian”)
• Kordi (“Kurdish”)
  • To see a list of Kurdish tribes (which may also be surnames) categorized by Iranian province, see Wikipedia, Kurdish Tribes.​
• Lori (“Lur”)
• Tāleshi (“Talysh”)
• Torkmani (“Turkmen”)
• Tājiki (“Tajik”)

Religion surnames

• Kalimi (“Jewish”)
  • For more on Iranian Jewish surnames, see Family Tree DNA, Jewish Persian Surnames; Ephraim Dardashti, Meaning of Persian-Jewish Surnames, Avotaynu Volume XXX, Issue 3, Fall 2014; Wikipedia (Farsi), Nāmhā-ye khānevādegi-ye yahudi​ (Jewish Surnames). Also, read Esther Shkalim’s “Names and Naming Practices – Iran”, in the Encyclopedia of Jews in the Islamic World.
• Masihi (“Christian”)
  • Iranian Christianity is concentrated in the Armenian and Assyrian minority groups. For more on Armenian surnames, see The Dictionary of Armenian Surnames. For more on Assyrian surnames, see Family Tree DNA, Assyrian Surnames.​
• Zartoshti/Zardoshti (“Zoroastrian”)
  • Zoroastrians surnames are derived from names, figures, nouns, and adjectives of pre-Islamic Iranian origin.​

Compound Surnames

Particular family and location (most common)

• Hāshemi Rafsanjāni, Khalatbari Tonekāboni, Ardashiri Ahranjāni

Particular family and broader family

• Ghāzi Tabātabā’i, Dolatshāhi Qājār, Shafā Zand

Broader family and particular family

• Tabātabā’i Vakili, Qājār Mozaffari, Zand Moghaddam

Two locations

• Sāberi Shirvāni, Amoli Larijāni, Bampur Sistāni

Two family names

• Hosseinzād Mohammadi, Rahmāni Eskandari, Shahbāzian Yassār 

Rarely, there are compound surnames with more than two words.

• Zāre’-e Zardoshti-ye Tandari (Houchang Chehabi, Onomastic Reforms 68), Adnān Tekān Tapeh Tehrāni (Sabt-e Ahvāl)

Honorifics & Titles

Throughout Iranian history, honorifics and titles were commonly used alongside and in lieu of names. These honorifics and titles denoted the holder’s class and distinguished between individuals in a time before surnames. The order of the honorifics and titles matter for distinguishing individuals. For example, Agha Seyyed Abdollah is not the same person as Seyyed Abdollah Agha. 

Rejection of Qajar-era excess led to the near complete banning of honorifics and titles in 1935 (Houchang Chehabi, Onomastic Reforms, 55-56). Āghā and khānum were the only honorifics that the public could officially use, and certain titles were allotted for government positions. Nonetheless, many continued to use their honorifics and titles. 

Because honorifics and titles identified people and conveyed information about their class, understanding their meanings is essential in Iranian genealogy.

Honorifics

Titles

Honorary titles bestowed by the Shah date back to the Achaemenid Era, but by the early 1900s, honorary titles were common among Iranians. The type of title prevalent in this later era (consisting of two Arabic words) were first bestowed by the Abbasid caliphs on local Iranian rulers in 945 CE (Houchang Chehabi, Onomastic Reforms, 17). Their use expanded to military chiefs under the Samanids and to courtiers under the Seljuks, before being restricted by the Safavids (Houchang Chehabi, Onomastic Reforms, 18-19).

Fath Ali Shah Qajar began the inflation of titles by giving them to high state officials, wives, children, and favorites (Houchang Chehabi, Onomastic Reforms, 19). Both men and women held titles, but titles were more common for men. The women who had titles were usually wives or relatives of the Shah (Houchang Chehabi, Onomastic Reforms, 21). This inflationary trend continued during the reigns of Naser al-din Shah (r. 1848-1896) and Mozaffar al-din Shah (r. 1896-1907), when titles became for sale. The indiscriminate bestowal of titles cheapened what used to be an honor exclusive to the upper class. One Qajar prince exasperatedly wrote, “[even] Armenians, Jews, and Zoroastrians have titles.” (Houchang Chehabi, Onomastic Reforms, 22).

Most Qajar Era titles consisted of two words: a noun or adjective prefix and a noun suffix. These words almost exclusively came from Arabic. They were chosen to fit a person’s rank and function (A. Ashraf, “ALQĀB VA ʿANĀWĪN,” Encyclopaedia Iranica) The words’ prestige was measured by their rarity, meaning, and who had previously held the title (Id.).

The most common noun suffixes were al-doleh (of the State), al-molk (of the Realm), al-mamalek (of the Realms), and al-saltaneh (of the Monarchy), but one author estimated that there were forty such noun suffixes (Mostofi, Administrative and Social History of the Qajar Period, Vol. 1, 259). In theory, the nouns related to the person’s profession and experience, but with the advent of purchasing titles this relation disappeared. One Qajar Prince noted, “with one or two exceptions, these [people with military titles] have never seen … a drawn sword” (Houchang Chehabi, Onomastic Reforms, 23).

Title prefixes that originated in Arabic had many potential derivations from the original trilateral root. This facilitated the increase in the number of titles. For example, from the trilateral root n-s-r come eight derivatives: nasr, nosrat, nasir, naser, entesar, montaser, and mostanser. One author estimated that the extant noun/adjective prefixes and noun suffixes created 10,000 possible titles (Mostofi, Administrative and Social History of the Qajar Period, Vol. 1, 260).

Oftentimes, the same titles were held by multiple people at once. These titleholders could be distinguished by having ordinal numbers (e.g., first, second, third) or cardinal directions (e.g., west, east) appended to their title (Houchang Chehabi, Onomastic Reforms, 22). 

Some titles became hereditary in the Qajar period, with a son taking his father’s title upon his death or acquisition of a new title. A study of four hundred titles showed that one-third were inherited (A. Ashraf, “ALQĀB VA ʿANĀWĪN,” Encyclopaedia Iranica). Sometimes, relatives of a title holder would be given similar titles, with the prefixes being derivatives of the same trilateral root as the first title, or the same prefix and different suffix (e.g. Mohammad Bāgher Khān Zahir al-Soltān and Nāser Gholi Khān Zahir Hozur were the sons of Ali Khan Zahir al-Doleh; Jalāl al-din Mirzā Ehteshām al-Molk was the son of Khānlar Mirzā Ehteshām al-Doleh). 

With the fall of the Qajar Dynasty came an appetite to eliminate many of its superfluous conventions. The Circumstance Recording Laws of 1918 and 1925 did not include titles as an official and record element of one’s name, and titles were officially banned in 1935 (Houchang Chehabi, Onomastic Reforms, 55-56). Many titleholders adapted by continuing to use their titles unofficially or transforming their titles into surnames, but the centuries-old tradition of titles bestowed by the Shah was at an end (A. Ashraf, “ALQĀB VA ʿANĀWĪN,” Encyclopaedia Iranica).

Noun/Adjective Prefixes

For the meaning of various prefixes see Wikipedia (Farsi), Laghab-hā-ye Qājāri.

Noun Suffixes

• al-doleh: originally denoted those “associated with the government” (Abbas Amanat, COURTS AND COURTIERS vii. In the Qajar period,” Encyclopaedia Iranica)
• al-saltaneh: originally denoted those “associated with the public life of the court” (Abbas Amanat, COURTS AND COURTIERS vii. In the Qajar period,” Encyclopaedia Iranica)

The below non-exhaustive and imprecise breakdowns of noun suffixes according to position comes from A. Ashraf, “ALQĀB VA ʿANĀWĪN,” Encyclopaedia Iranica and Houchang Chehabi, Onomastic Reforms, 21.

Princes and Prominent Men: 

• al-molk (الملک)
• al-doleh (الدوله)
• al-saltaneh (السلطنه)
• al-mamālek (الممالک)
• al-soltān (السلطان)

Officials

• ​al-soltān (السلطان)
• Divān (دیوان)
• al-tolieh (التولیه)
• ekhtiār (اختیار)
• al-vezārat (الوزارت)
• al-edālat (الادالت)

Harem Women

• al-saltaneh (السلطنه)
• al-doleh (الدوله)
• al-moluk (الملوک)

Harem Staff

• haram (حرم)
• hozur (حضور)
• khalvat (خلوت)

Clerics

• al-olamā (العلما)
• al-vāezin (الواعظین)
• al-Islām (الاسلام)
• al-shariat (الشریعت)

Administrators of Shrines and Religious Endowments

• al-tolieh (التولیه)

Seyyeds

• al-sādāt (السادات)
• al-ashraf (الاشرف)
• al-Islām (الاسلام)
• al-zākerin (الذاکرین)

Military Officers and Officials

• nezām (نظام)
• laskhar (لشکر/لشگر)

Physicians

• al-atebbā (لااطباء)

Poets and Writers

• al-sho’arā (الشعرا)
• al-kottab (الکتب)
• al-odaba (الادبی)
• al-hokama (الحکماء)
• al-olum (العلوم)

Merchants

• al-tojjār (التجار)