Persian girl names reach back through Achaemenid queens, the heroines of Ferdowsi’s Shahnameh, and plain Farsi words for spring, dawn, and rain. That range is why one list can hold a name as familiar as Ava and one as unrepeatable as Gordafarid.
Familiar is relative. Ava is the one name here that already sits in the US top 10 for births this decade, and even it slipped out of the annual top 10 for 2025 after years as a fixture, per the Social Security Administration. Most of the names below have never reached the 200 most popular US girl names.
About 750,000 people of Iranian descent now live in the United States, up from roughly 165,000 in 1980, and half of them are in California, according to Pew Research Center. In the International Journal of Middle East Studies, economist Nader Habibi wrote: “One of the most important ways that the members of a society express their cultural preferences is through the names they select for their children.” All 105 entries below give you the meaning, the pronunciation, and the style, so you are choosing on sense as well as sound.
105 Pretty Persian Names for Girls
Keep reading to discover captivating Persian female names for your beautiful daughter!
Afsaneh
Afsaneh is the Persian word for a story or a legend, the kind told aloud rather than read. Iranian families often choose it for the sound as much as the sense, since the three syllables land softly and finish on an open breath. Spelling is the thing to settle early: Afsaneh is the Persian form, Afsana the Arabic, and Efsane the Turkish, and each one looks correct to somebody. Iranian actress Afsaneh Pakroo carries it well. Sana works as a short form if the full name feels long on a school roster.
- Origin: Persian, Urdu
- Meaning: Story, legend
- Pronunciation: af-sah-NEH
- Variations: Afsane, Afsana, Afsanah
- Namesakes: Afsaneh Pakroo, an Iranian actress.
Afsoon
Afsoon means charm or spell, and Persian uses it for the pleasant kind of enchantment rather than anything sinister. It is a name with a hint of magic that stays easy on an English ear, with the weight falling on the second half. Its best-known bearer is Iranian-born Afsoon Johnston, the first American woman to medal at the world wrestling championships, who then coached the generation behind her. Afsoun and Afsun are the alternate spellings you will be asked about.
- Origin: Persian
- Meaning: Charm, spell
- Pronunciation: af-SOON
- Variations: Afsoun, Afsun
- Namesakes: Afsoon Johnston, an Iranian-American wrestler, and coach.
Almas
Almas traces to the Middle Persian “almās” for diamond, and it has travelled further than most: the same spelling is Spanish for souls and Hungarian for apples. In Mongolian folklore an Almas was a shaggy humanoid said to live in the mountains, a local cousin of the Yeti. All of which makes Almas genuinely unisex and genuinely international rather than strictly Persian. Two clean syllables, nothing an English speaker needs explained.
- Origin: Persian, Arabic, Spanish, Hungarian
- Meaning: Diamond, jewel, souls
- Pronunciation: al-MAS
Anahita
Anahita was the ancient Iranian divinity of the waters, tied to fertility and healing, and the name is read as the immaculate or unsullied one. Greek writers matched her to Artemis, Aphrodite and Athena. That tells you how central she was. The short form Nahid doubles as the Persian word for Venus, so between them the two cover water and sky. Iranian actress Anahita Nemati keeps it in circulation. Anahita and Nahid are effectively one name at two lengths, which lets you use the long form on documents and the short one at home.
- Origin: Persian
- Meaning: Immaculate
- Pronunciation: aw-naw-hee-TAW
- Variations: Nahid
- Namesakes: Anahita Nemati, an Iranian actress and model.
Anousheh
Anousheh means immortal, from the same root that gives Persian its word for sweetness and long life. The spelling is the hurdle, since Anushae, Anusheh, Anushay and Unushay all circulate and none of them is wrong. For many parents the namesake settles it: Anousheh Ansari built a telecoms company and then became the first Iranian in space, and the first woman to fund her own trip there. Noosh is the obvious short form, and it happens to mean sweet.
- Origin: Persian
- Meaning: Immortal
- Pronunciation: AH-new-sha
- Variations: Anushae, Anusheh, Anushay, Unushay
- Namesakes: Anousheh Ansari, an Iranian-American engineer.
Arezou
Arezou is the Persian word for a wish, from the Middle Persian “ārzōg,” and it stays in everyday speech as well as on birth certificates. Iran, Turkey, Afghanistan and India all use it; the United States barely does, which is the whole appeal for some families. Arezou and Arezoo are the Persian renderings and Arzu the Turkish one. A girl named Arezou will spend her life telling people her name means wish, which is not a bad hand to be dealt.
- Origin: Persian
- Meaning: Desire, wish
- Pronunciation: aw-reh-ZOO
- Variations: Arezu, Arzu, Arezoo
Arghavan
Arghavan is the Persian name for the Judas tree and for the deep magenta of its blossom, which is why it also plainly means “purple”. The tree flowers before it leafs out, so an Iranian spring opens with bare branches in full color, and the name carries that picture. Iranian-American surgeon and researcher Arghavan Salles is the bearer a search will find first. The gh is a soft throaty sound in Persian and a plain hard g in English, and both readings pass. Few nature names come this saturated.
- Origin: Persian
- Meaning: Purple, Judas tree
- Pronunciation: ar-ghah-VAHN
- Variations: Arghawan
- Namesakes: Arghavan Salles, an Iranian-American bariatric surgeon.
Ariana
Ariana sounds like a modern invention and is not one. It is either a Latinized form of the Greek Ariadne or a word ancient Iranians used for themselves, the same root that sits behind the name Iran. Whichever origin you prefer, most Americans will hear the pop star first, so decide now whether that bothers you. Of everything on this page it is the easiest to carry in an English-speaking country, because nobody asks how to spell it. Ariana and the masculine Arian make a tidy set for boy-girl twins.
- Origin: Persian, Greek
- Meaning: Iranian, most holy
- Pronunciation: ah-ree-AH-nah
- Variations: Ariane
- Namesakes: Ariana Grande, a U.S. popstar. Ariana Bundy, an Iranian-American chef.
- Popularity: Ariana ranks 99th among US girls born from 2020 through 2025, with 16,532 births, according to Social Security Administration data.
Arya
Arya means noble, and it leads two separate lives. In Iran and across South Asia it is an old and mostly masculine name; in the United States it arrived with a sword-carrying Game of Thrones heroine and has read as female ever since. Arya is properly unisex, so nothing stops you using it for a son. The practical issue is the spelling contest with Aria, now much the more common of the two, which pulls the sound toward AH-ree-ah and away from the Persian AHR-yah.
- Origin: Persian, Indian, Hindi, Malayalam
- Meaning: Noble one, honorable
- Pronunciation: aw-ree-YAH
- Variations: Aarya, Ariya
- Popularity: Arya ranks 134th among US girls born from 2020 through 2025, with 12,786 births, while the Aria spelling ranks 23rd with 37,059, according to Social Security Administration data.
Ava
Ava is one of the three shortest names on this list, alongside Gul and Naz, and by a wide margin the most widely used of them in the United States. Persian reads it as voice or sound, German carries the sense of desired, and English tradition ties it to living. It arrives pre-loaded with meanings. That layering is why it suits a family that wants Persian roots and no spelling conversations. The trade-off is company. Your daughter will share it with classmates. A Persian middle name is the usual fix if you want the Iranian reading to be unmistakable.
- Origin: Persian, English, German
- Meaning: Voice, sound, to live, desired
- Pronunciation: AY-va
- Namesakes: Ava DuVernay, an American filmmaker.
- Popularity: Ava ranks 8th among US girls born from 2020 through 2025, with 63,350 births, per the Social Security Administration (1), though it dropped out of the annual US top 10 for 2025 and was replaced at number 10 by Eliana (2).
Ayten
Ayten is a Turkish name assembled from Persian parts: “ay” for moon and “ten” for skin, so the sense is skin like moonlight. Turkish singer Ayten Alpman made it familiar to a generation there. The hard t makes it one of the gentlest entries here for an English speaker, and it carries the vintage air of a name that peaked a couple of generations ago.
- Origin: Persian, Turkish
- Meaning: Skin of the moon
- Pronunciation: ay-TEN
- Namesakes: Ayten Alpman, a Turkish singer.
- Popularity: Ayten fell out of Turkey’s top 100 in 1986.
Azar
Azar is the Persian word for fire, and in Zoroastrian practice it names the sacred flame kept burning in honor of Ahura Mazda, the Lord of Wisdom. Atar and Atash are older forms of the same word, which puts the name at the center of one of the world’s oldest living religions. Iranian-American writer and literature professor Azar Nafisi is its best-known bearer in the United States. Four letters, one unmistakable meaning, no nickname required, which is about as strong as a name gets.
- Origin: Persian
- Meaning: Fire
- Pronunciation: aw-ZAR
- Namesakes: Azar Nafisi, an Iranian-American writer, and professor of English literature.
Azita
Azita comes from the Persian “âzâd,” free or unbound, and it has the crisp shape that travels between languages without damage. Its bearers have a habit of going first: Azita Raji became the first Iranian-born US ambassador, and Swedish-Iranian executive Azita Shariati has been ranked among the most influential businesswomen in Sweden. Afghan-born American actress Azita Ghanizada makes a third. For a name that means free, that is a strong record to grow into.
- Origin: Persian
- Meaning: Free, independent
- Pronunciation: ah-ZEE-tah
- Variations: Azata
- Namesakes: Azita Raji, an Iranian-born American diplomat, and philanthropist. Azita Ghanizada, an Afghan-born American actress.
Bahar
Bahar is simply the Persian word for spring, the season, used as plainly as that sounds. Iran, Pakistan and Turkey all use it heavily, which is why it feels ordinary there and unusual here. American actress Bahar Soomekh, of the Crash and Saw films, is the bearer most likely to come up. It is the obvious pick for a March or April baby, and it is already short enough to leave alone.
- Origin: Persian, Turkish
- Meaning: Spring
- Pronunciation: ba-HAR
- Namesakes: Bahar Soomekh, an American actress known for her roles in the Crash and Saw franchises.
- Popularity: Bahar entered Turkey’s top 100 girls’ names in 1981, and it is not among the 200 most popular US girl names for babies born 2020 through 2025, according to Social Security Administration data.
Banafsheh
Banafsheh is the Persian violet, a purple flower native to Iran, and the name is used for the flower itself. Violets bow on the stem as though looking down, and they grow in shaded corners where taller plants have taken the light. Persian literature reads that as modesty rather than weakness, and the name has carried the association for centuries. Iranian writer Banafsheh Zand-Bonazzi is the bearer most often cited. Four syllables is a commitment, though Bana and Sheh both survive the trip into English.
- Origin: Persian
- Meaning: Violet flower
- Pronunciation: ba-NAF-she
- Variations: Banafshe, Benafsha
- Namesakes: Banafsheh Zand-Bonazzi, an Iranian writer.
Banu
Banu means lady, and in Persian it works rather like a title attached to a name. Mughal royalty used it that way, including Empress Shahar Banu Begum, remembered for her intelligence as much as her rank. No silent letters, no spelling argument, no accent to lose. It is one of the few names here an American teacher will read correctly on the first attempt.
- Origin: Persian, Sanskrit
- Meaning: Lady, sun
- Pronunciation: bah-NOO
- Variations: Bano
- Namesakes: Shahar Banu Begum, Empress of the Mughal Empire.
Baran
Baran is the Persian word for rain, and Iranian families hand it freely to daughters born in a downpour. Gender is where it splits. Baran is feminine in Persian and masculine in Turkish and Kurdish, so the same five letters read differently three borders apart. The one caution is Polish, where Baran means ram and gets used as a jab at someone’s intelligence. Iranian actress and designer Baran Kosari holds the name in its Persian sense. Outside Poland it is an easy recommendation.
Behnaz
Behnaz joins “beh” for good or better with “naz” for delight, so the sense lands nearer to finest than to merely nice. Its bearers back that up. Behnaz Sarafpour built a respected fashion label after moving from Iran to New York, and motocross rider Behnaz Shafiei pushed Iran’s sports ministry into allowing the country’s first women-only motorcycle race. Stress falls on the second syllable, and the z ending gives the name a bite that softer Persian choices lack.
- Origin: Persian
- Meaning: Excellent, delightful, delicate
- Pronunciation: beh-NAWZ
- Namesakes: Behnaz Sarafpour, an Iranian-born American fashion designer. Behnaz Shafiei, a motocross rider from Iran.
Bita
Bita means unique or unrivaled, which is a lot of confidence packed into four letters. It is used mainly in Iran and Iraq, and belongs to Iranian actress Bita Farrahi. For an Iranian-American family it is the rare Persian name that needs no pronunciation coaching whatsoever: BEE-tah, and done.
- Origin: Persian
- Meaning: Unique, unrivaled
- Pronunciation: BEE-tuh
- Namesakes: Bita Farrahi, an Iranian actress.
Boran
Boran belonged to a Persian queen who ruled from 630 to 632, one of only three women to lead in Iranian history. The name is glossed as having many horses, which in an ancient setting meant wealth and cavalry rather than a weekend hobby. Buran is the alternate spelling, and the same word names a fierce Central Asian snowstorm. It suits parents who want a daughter comfortable taking charge.
- Origin: Persian
- Meaning: Having many horses
- Pronunciation: boh-RAHN
- Variations: Buran
- Namesakes: Boran, an Iranian queen.
Darya
Darya has three plausible roots. Every one of them flatters. It may be the feminine of Dariush, the Persian name meaning rich and kingly; it may be the Russian form of Dorothea, a Greek name meaning God’s gift; or it may come straight from the modern Persian “daryā” for sea. Iranian-Belgian author and activist Darya Safai and Belarusian biathlete Darya Domracheva show how far it travels. The spelling is phonetic, and the meaning holds whichever origin you claim. After Ava it may be the most frictionless name here for an Iranian-American family.
- Origin: Persian, Russian
- Meaning: Sea, he possesses, rich and kingly, God’s gift
- Pronunciation: dar-YAW
- Namesakes: Darya Safai, an Iranian-Belgian author and human rights activist. Darya Domracheva, a Belarusian biathlete.
- Popularity: Darya ranked in Russia’s top 20 girls’ names as of 2015.
Delbar
Delbar joins the Persian “del” for heart with “bar,” one who carries or takes, so the whole means heart-stealer. It is rare even in Iran, and Dilbar, the same name in Urdu and Uzbek, turns up in song lyrics more often than on birth certificates. Your daughter will almost certainly be the only Delbar in her school.
- Origin: Persian
- Meaning: One who captures hearts
- Pronunciation: del-BAR
- Variations: Dilbar
Dilara
Dilara appears in the Shahnameh as a wise and beautiful queen, and Persian poets kept using the name afterwards for women who brought them happiness and hope. The literal sense is heart-adorning, from the same “del” that opens Delbar. Turkey adopted it enthusiastically, which is where swimmer Dilara Günaydın comes from. Delara is the alternate spelling and either version reads cleanly in English. Lara is sitting right there as a nickname.
- Origin: Persian
- Meaning: Adorning the heart
- Pronunciation: dee-lah-RAH
- Variations: Delara
- Namesakes: Dilara Günaydın, a Turkish swimmer.
Ehsan
Ehsan is the Persian form of Ihsan, an Arabic name meaning excellence or perfection, and in Islamic thought it also names a spiritual goal, striving for perfection in the eyes of Allah. That gives the name weight beyond its dictionary sense. It reads as masculine across much of the Arabic-speaking world and turns up on Iranian girls too, so expect to clarify.
- Origin: Persian, Arabic
- Meaning: Excellence, perfection
- Pronunciation: AY-saan
- Variations: Ihsan
Elaheh
Elaheh is Persian for goddess, borrowed from the Arabic “ilāha.” The Iranian singer who performed simply as Elaheh, born Bahar Gholamhosseini, made the one-name version famous at home. Elahe and Elaha are shorter spellings that lose none of the meaning. It is the boldest meaning on this list, and a girl who grows into it will not be short of confidence.
- Origin: Persian
- Meaning: Goddess
- Pronunciation: eh-LAH-heh
- Variations: Elahe, Elaha
- Namesakes: Elaheh (born Bahar Gholamhosseini), an Iranian singer.
Elnaz
Elnaz pairs the Turkish “el” for people or country with the Persian “naz” for delight, so the whole reads as the delight of the people, and Iranian actress Elnaz Shakerdoost is the bearer most often named. It sits more easily on English than many Persian two-part names because both halves end in open sounds. Naz is the built-in nickname and a full entry of its own further down this page.
- Origin: Persian
- Meaning: Delight of the people
- Pronunciation: ehl-NAWZ
- Namesakes: Elnaz Shakerdoost, an Iranian actress.
Esme
Esme reached Persian and French with the sense of beloved, and it began life on men, including the first Duke of Lennox. The modern reading is entirely feminine and largely literary: the vampire matriarch of Twilight and the thirteen-year-old of J.D. Salinger’s For Esme With Love and Squalor. It is one of the “e” names that gained ground fastest in England and Scotland. Esmé with the accent is the French rendering, and dropping it is not an error. Short, soft, and the least obviously Persian name on this page.
- Origin: French, Persian
- Meaning: Beloved, to love
- Pronunciation: EHZ-may
- Variations: Esmé
- Namesakes: Esmé Bianco, a British actress, best known as Ros from Game of Thrones.
- Popularity: Esme ranked 398th in the US in 2020 and is not among the 200 most popular US girl names for babies born 2020 through 2025, according to Social Security Administration data.
Farah
Farah means happy, and it has been a steady favorite in Iran for generations, carried most visibly by Empress Farah Pahlavi. Americans met it through the Farrah spelling and Charlie’s Angels, which pinned it to the 1970s. That dating is either the drawback or the whole appeal, depending on how you feel about vintage names. There is no ambiguity in it, and the double-r spelling is still available if you want the American version.
- Origin: Persian, Arabic
- Meaning: Happy
- Pronunciation: FAH-rah
- Variations: Farrah
- Namesakes: Farah Pahlavi, an Iranian empress. Farrah Fawcett, an American actress.
- Popularity: Farah has ranked in the top 500 in France, Spain, the Netherlands, and Bosnia and Herzegovina, and it is not among the 200 most popular US girl names for babies born 2020 through 2025, according to Social Security Administration data.
Faranak
Faranak is a reshaping of Parvaneh, the Persian word for butterfly, adjusted because Arabic has no p. The Shahnameh gives the name to the mother of Fereydun, an Iranian hero and king, so its first bearer in the literature is a woman remembered for protecting her son. Nothing in the spelling trips an English reader, and the stress falls naturally on the last syllable. A nature name with an epic attached is a rare combination.
- Origin: Persian, Arabic
- Meaning: Butterfly
- Pronunciation: fah-rah-NAK
Farangis
In the Shahnameh, Farangis is the favored wife of Siyavash, the blameless prince of Iran, and the mother of Kai Khosrow. That places her at the hinge of the epic, since the royal line continues through her son. The name itself is read as bringer of glory, and Frigis is a rare variant of it. Three syllables with a hard g, and it is uncommon enough in the States that its owner will always be the one doing the explaining.
- Origin: Persian
- Meaning: Bringer of glory
- Pronunciation: fah-rahn-GEES
- Variations: Frigis
Fariba
Fariba means charming or alluring, and Iran and Afghanistan both use it steadily while the rest of the world has largely passed it by. French-Iranian anthropologist Fariba Adelkhah is its most cited bearer. Three open syllables make it easier to say than the spelling suggests. Far, Ari and Iba all work as short forms, and Ari is already a name Americans recognize.
- Origin: Persian
- Meaning: Charming, attractive, alluring
- Pronunciation: fah-ree-BAH
- Variations: Fareba
- Namesakes: Fariba Adelkhah, a French-Irani anthropologist and academic.
Farnaz
Farnaz combines “farr,” the Persian word for brilliance and royal splendor, with “naz” for delight, which is a grander construction than most compliment names manage. Iranian-American journalist Farnaz Fassihi and Iranian speed climber Farnaz Esmaeildazeh both carry it. It is easy to spell once heard, and it reads as a pretty name without tipping into sweetness. If you like a family theme, it pairs with the other “naz” names further down this page.
- Origin: Persian
- Meaning: Splendid, brilliance, delightful, cute
- Pronunciation: far-NAHZ
- Namesakes: Farnaz Fassihi, an Iranian-American journalist. Farnaz Esmaeildazeh, an Iranian speed climber.
Fatemeh
Fatemeh is the Persian spelling of Fatimah, the daughter of the Prophet Muhammad, and it is among the most consequential names a Muslim family can choose. Shia tradition holds her up as a model of compassion, endurance and moral clarity, which is why the name has never gone out of use. Fateme and Fatimeh are the other common renderings, and Fati is the obvious short form. Actress Fatemeh Motamed-Arya, one of Iran’s most decorated performers and filmmakers, shows it outside a purely religious frame. For a family that wants the religious anchor stated plainly rather than implied, few names do it this directly.
- Origin: Persian, Arabic
- Meaning: To abstain
- Pronunciation: fah-teh-MEH
- Variations: Fateme, Fatimeh
- Namesakes: Fatemeh Motamed-Arya, a multi-award-winning actress regarded as one of Iran’s most influential performers and filmmakers.
- Popularity: Fatemeh was the #1 Iranian name for girls in 2019.
Fereshteh
Fereshteh means angel. It traces to the Avestan “fraēšta” for messenger, which is what an angel originally was. Three syllables and a rolled r make it harder in English than it looks on paper. Iranian film producer Fereshteh Taerpour and Iranian-Afghan actress Fereshteh Hosseini both carry it. Freshteh, Ferishteh and Freshta are the shorter spellings, and Freshta in particular travels well. Choose the spelling based on which country your daughter will spend her school years in.
- Origin: Persian
- Meaning: Angel
- Pronunciation: far-ESH-teh
- Variations: Freshteh, Ferishteh, Freshta
- Namesakes: Fereshteh Taerpour, an Iranian film producer. Fereshteh Hosseini, an Iranian-Afghan actress.
Firouzeh
Firouzeh is the Persian word for turquoise, the stone most associated with Iranian craft, and it doubles as the feminine of Firouz, victorious. Its bearers have a way with words: contemporary poet Firouzeh Mizani, and Firoozeh Dumas, whose Funny in Farsi introduced a generation of American readers to an Iranian childhood in California. Firoozeh and Firuzeh are the alternate spellings. The ou is a long oo rather than the English ow, which is the only part anyone gets wrong.
- Origin: Persian
- Meaning: Turquoise, victorious
- Pronunciation: fee-roo-ZEH
- Variations: Firoozeh, Firuzeh
- Namesakes: Firouzeh Mizani, a contemporary Persian poet. Firoozeh Dumas, an Iranian-American author.
Giti
Giti comes from the Middle Persian “getig,” the material universe as opposed to the spiritual one, so the meaning sits closer to everything that exists than to planet. Giti Pashaei Tehrani, one of Iran’s leading singers through the 1960s and 70s, made it familiar at home. Four letters and a hard g. It is the shortest way on this list to tell a daughter she is your entire universe.
- Origin: Persian
- Meaning: Universe, world
- Pronunciation: gee-TEE
- Variations: Gity
- Namesakes: Giti Tehrani, an Iranian singer.
Gohar
Gohar means gemstone, and it crosses gender by country: feminine in Iran and Armenia, masculine in Pakistan. Iranian actress Gohar Kheirandish and photographer Gohar Dashti are its best-known bearers. Gauhar and Gawhar are the older spellings, closer to the original word. The middle h is soft, and English speakers tend to swallow it whole. Naming a daughter Gohar says outright that you consider her priceless.
- Origin: Persian, Armenian, Urdu
- Meaning: Gemstone, jewel
- Pronunciation: goh-HAR
- Variations: Gauhar, Gawhar
- Namesakes: Gohar Kheirandish, an Iranian actress. Gohar Dashti, an Iranian photographer and videographer.
- Popularity: Gohar ranked in Armenia’s top 50 girls’ names as of 2012.
Golchehreh
Golchehreh joins “gol” for flower with “chehre” for face, giving a name that means roughly flower-faced. It is the longest and least portable choice on this page, and Iranian actress Golchehreh Sajadiye is close to the only bearer a search returns. Whether that reads as beautiful or simply difficult depends on where your daughter will grow up. Gol on its own is a complete Persian word and an easy everyday nickname.
- Origin: Persian
- Meaning: Face like a flower
- Pronunciation: gol-che-ha-ray
- Namesakes: Golchehreh Sajadiye, an Iranian actress.
Golnar
Golnar puts together “gol” for flower and “nar” for pomegranate, so it names the scarlet blossom rather than the fruit. Pomegranates carry real weight in Iranian cooking and celebration, which gives the name a domestic warmth that plain flower names lack, and Iranian cartoonist Golnar Servatian is a working bearer. Two hard syllables, and it sounds nothing like the floral names American parents usually reach for.
- Origin: Persian
- Meaning: Pomegranate flower
- Pronunciation: gol-NAR
- Namesakes: Golnar Servatian, an Iranian cartoonist and book illustrator.
Golshifteh
Golshifteh comes from “gol” for flower and “shifte” for enamored, so the sense is nearer to smitten by flowers than to loving flower. Iranian actress Golshifteh Farahani, of Body of Lies and The Patience Stone, is the reason non-Iranians know it at all. Three syllables with a sh in the middle is a real ask outside Iran. Gol and Shifteh both work if you want the meaning without the mouthful.
- Origin: Persian
- Meaning: Loving flower
- Pronunciation: goal-shift-eh
- Namesakes: Golshifteh Farahani, an Iranian actress.
Gordafarid
In the Shahnameh, Gordafarid is a heroine and warrior who rides out to delay the Turanian army marching on Iran, and she remains a byword for courage and wisdom among Iranian women. The etymology is genuinely uncertain, which is unusual for a name this well known. One practical warning: “gorda” means fat in Spanish, so a bilingual household may want to look elsewhere. Four syllables makes it the boldest entry here, and it belongs to parents who want the story more than the convenience.
- Origin: Persian
- Meaning: Unknown
- Pronunciation: gor-dah-fah-REED
Gul
Gul is the flower, and specifically the rose, across Persian, Urdu and Pashto, which makes it one of the most widely used single syllables in Asia. Indian actress Gul Panag and Pashto folk singer Gul Panra are two very different bearers. It also exists as a European surname, a Nordic given name, and a medieval French pet form of Guillaume, meaning “strong protector.” One syllable, three letters, and it rhymes with pool rather than gull.
- Origin: Persian, Urdu, Pashto
- Meaning: Flower, rose
- Pronunciation: GOOL
- Namesakes: Gul Panag, an Indian actress. Gul Panra, a Pakistani Pashto folk singer.
Haleh
Haleh names the ring of light that appears around the moon, borrowed from the Arabic Hala. Iran and Turkey both use it widely while the West barely knows it, which makes it a quieter alternative to Hailey with a far better story behind it. Iranian-American academic Haleh Esfandiari is its most prominent bearer. Hale is both the alternate spelling and the ready-made nickname.
- Origin: Persian, Turkish, Arabic
- Meaning: Halo around the moon
- Pronunciation: ha-LEH
- Variations: Hale
- Namesakes: Haleh Esfandiari, an Iranian-American academic.
Hamideh
Hamideh is the feminine of Hamid, one of the ninety-nine names of God in Islam, so praiseworthy is meant here in the fullest sense available. Iranian film and theater actress Hamideh Kheirabadi carried it through a long career. Hamide without the final h is the Turkish spelling. It fits a family raising a daughter in the Muslim faith who want a name that states something rather than simply sounding pleasant.
- Origin: Persian
- Meaning: Praiseworthy
- Pronunciation: hah-mee-DEH
- Variations: Hamide
- Namesakes: Hamideh Kheirabadi, an Iranian film and theater actress.
Hayat
Hayat means life, in Arabic first and then in Persian and Urdu, which is why it turns up across an unusually wide stretch of the map. Turkish academic Hayat Kabasaka and British singer Sofia Hayat show it working as both a first name and a surname. The soft final t makes it one of the simplest entries here for an English speaker. It stays close to invisible in the United States, so a girl named Hayat gets a name that is ordinary in three languages and rare in her own classroom.
- Origin: Arabic, Persian, Urdu
- Meaning: Life
- Pronunciation: HI-yut
- Namesakes: Hayat Kabasaka, a Turkish academic. Sofia Hayat, a British singer, and TV personality.
- Popularity: Hayat was a popular name in Spain and France in the 70s and 80s.
Hedieh
Hedieh is the Persian word for a gift, and Iranian parents use it with the obvious meaning fully intended. It is close to exclusive to Iran, which makes it one of the more distinctive sweet names on this page, though the Arabic cognates Hadia, Hadiyya and Hadiya are far more common internationally and will be offered to you as corrections. The first syllable is HEH rather than HEE, which is where most people slip.
- Origin: Persian, Arabic
- Meaning: Gift
- Pronunciation: hed-EE-yeh
- Variations: Hadia, Hadiyya, Hadiya
Helma
Helma is the odd one out here: a German and Dutch short form of Wilhelmina with no Persian root at all. It became genuinely popular in Iran anyway, which is how it earned a place on a Persian list. The meaning that comes attached is will helmet, from the same Germanic parts that build William. For an Iranian-American family it offers an unusual middle path: instantly spellable to a Western ear, current in Tehran.
- Origin: German, Dutch
- Meaning: Will helmet
- Pronunciation: HEL-mah
- Popularity: Helma made Iran’s top 10 girls’ names in 2019.
Hengameh
Hengameh covers more ground than most names: time, commotion and wonder all sit inside it, and Persian uses it for a spectacle worth stopping to watch. Iranian singer Hengameh Barzin and actress Hengameh Mofid have both kept it in the public ear. It is essentially unknown in the States and thoroughly ordinary in Iran. Three syllables with a hard g, and the meaning suits a daughter who is never going to be background noise.
- Origin: Persian
- Meaning: Time, uproar, wonder
- Pronunciation: hen-gah-MEH
- Namesakes: Hengameh Barzin, an Iranian singer. Hengameh Mofid, an Iranian actress.
Homa
In Persian legend the Homa is a bird that spends its whole life in flight and never once touches the ground. Iranian storytelling turned that into an image of rising above whatever sits below you, which is a great deal of meaning for four letters, and it needs no nickname or pronunciation coaching in any language. A name meaning never landing is a fair thing to wish on a daughter.
- Origin: Persian
- Meaning: Water spirit
- Pronunciation: hoh-MAH
Jahanara
Jahanara means one who adorns the world, from “jahan” for world and “ara” for adorning. Jahanara Begum, the eldest child of the Mughal emperor Shah Jahan, is the reason the name survived, and it has carried a courtly air ever since. Bangladeshi poet Jahanara Arzu holds it in a literary register. Four syllables, though they break cleanly into ja-han-A-ra, and Jaha or Ara both work day to day.
- Origin: Archaic Persian, Bengali
- Meaning: Adorn the world
- Pronunciation: jaa-huh-NAA-ruh
- Namesakes: Jahanara Arzu, a Bangladeshi poet.
Jeyran
Jeyran means gazelle, and Persian reaches for that animal as shorthand for grace the way English reaches for the swan. The name is tied to the favored wife of Shah Nasser al-Din, remembered for her beauty and charm. It is strictly feminine in Iran and unisex in Georgia, Jeiran is the alternate spelling, and both are said with a soft English j.
- Origin: Persian
- Meaning: Gazelle
- Pronunciation: jay-RAHN
- Variations: Jeiran
Katayoun
Katayoun probably comes from the Old Persian “kata” for house paired with “banu” for lady, giving lady of the house. In the Shahnameh she is the daughter of the Kaiser of Rum who falls for Goshtasb against her father’s wishes. She wins his approval only after Goshtasb kills a dragon and a wolf. Iranian actress Katayoun Riahi is its most recognizable modern bearer. Four syllables, and the ou is a long oo. Kat and Katy are both waiting inside it if you want an American-sounding short form.
- Origin: Persian
- Meaning: Lady of the house
- Pronunciation: cat-AH-youn
- Namesakes: Katayoun Riahi, an Iranian actress.
Khadijeh
Khadijeh is the Persian form of Khadija, the name of the Prophet Muhammad’s first wife and the earliest convert to Islam, which makes it one of the most historically loaded names available to a Muslim family. The literal sense, premature child, suits a daughter who arrives ahead of schedule. Khadijeh Saqafi, wife of Ayatollah Khomeini, is the bearer most associated with the Persian spelling. The kh is a throaty sound with no English equivalent, so expect ka-DEE-jah from most Americans, and Khadija without the final h is the spelling that travels.
- Origin: Persian, Arabic
- Meaning: Premature child
- Pronunciation: kah-dee-JAY
- Namesakes: Khadijeh Saqafi, an Iranian revolutionary and wife of Supreme Leader of Iran Ayatollah Khomeini.
- Popularity: The Persian Khadijeh is less popular than the Arabic Khadija, never making the top 500 outside Iran.
Khurshid
Khurshid is the Persian word for the sun itself, and in Zoroastrian tradition it names the angel of the sun, tied to power and light. It leans masculine in modern Iran, which has never stopped families choosing it for daughters. Khorshid is the closer of the two transliterations. The opening kh is the same throaty sound as in Khadijeh, and English speakers land on kor-SHEED with very little lost. It is the most direct sun name on this list.
- Origin: Persian
- Meaning: Shining sun
- Pronunciation: khor-SHEED
- Variations: Khorshid
Kimia
Kimia means rare, and it doubles as the Persian word for alchemy. The source is the eleventh-century Sufi text Kimiya-yi sa’ādat, The Alchemy of Happiness. That is an unusually literate origin for a name this easy to say. American actress Kimia Behpoornia, of the series Atypical, is its most visible bearer in the States. The spelling gives no trouble. Kim, Kimmy and Mia are all sitting inside it. Of everything here it may have the best ratio of depth to convenience.
- Origin: Persian
- Meaning: Rare, alchemy
- Pronunciation: kee-mee-YAW
- Variations: Kimiya
- Namesakes: Kimia Behpoornia, an American actress best known for her role as Abby in the 2017 TV series, Atypical.
Laleh
Laleh is the Persian word for tulip, and in Iran the flower is not merely decorative. Tulips stand for martyrdom in religious and political life. After the Iranian Revolution a stylized red tulip went onto the national flag in memory of the dead. The same flower also signals youth and the start of spring, so the name carries grief and renewal at once. Iranian-Swedish singer-songwriter Laleh Pourkarim and Islamic scholar and translator Laleh Bakhtiar are its best-known bearers. It is one of the few names here an English speaker can read straight off the page.
- Origin: Persian
- Meaning: Tulip
- Pronunciation: laah-LEH
- Namesakes: Laleh Pourkarim, an Iranian-Swedish singer-songwriter. Laleh Bakhtiar, an Iranian-American Islamic scholar, and translator.
Leila
Leila means “night,” and it is the most established Persian-Arabic crossover in the English-speaking world, holding a place in the US top 1,000 since 1900. Literature is full of them, from the Turkish orphan in Byron’s Don Juan to the mother of Nessim Hosnani in Lawrence Durrell’s Alexandria Quartet. Iranian actress and director Leila Hatami keeps it current at home. The spelling decision matters more here than anywhere else on this page, since Layla now dominates in the States and Leyla is the Turkish rendering.
- Origin: Persian, Arabic, Kurdish, English
- Meaning: Night
- Pronunciation: lay-LAW
- Variations: Leyla
- Namesakes: Leila Hatami, an Iranian actress and director. Leila Arcieri, an American actress, model, and businesswoman.
- Popularity: Leila sits outside the 200 most popular US girl names for babies born 2020 through 2025, while the Layla spelling ranks 32nd with 35,046 births, according to Social Security Administration data.
Mahdokht
Mahdokht means daughter of the moon, from “mah” for moon and “dokht” for daughter, which pairs one of the loveliest meanings on this page with one of the hardest spellings. Sultana Mahdokht, a fourth-century Persian royal, was canonized as a saint of the Church of the East, giving the name a Christian history most people would not predict. The kht cluster at the end is the obstacle, and it does not soften in English. Outside Iran it is a hard sell; inside Iran it is quietly admired. Mahi is the short form that solves the problem.
- Origin: Persian
- Meaning: Daughter of the moon
- Pronunciation: mah-doke
- Namesakes: Sultana Mahdokht, a 4th-century Persian royal and canonized saint of the Church of the East.
Mahsa
Mahsa means like the moon, built on the same “mah” that opens Mahdokht but far easier to carry. It is a moon name in the plainest sense, used almost entirely within Iran, and Iranian-born New Zealand computer engineer Mahsa Mohaghegh shows it travelling well. Five letters, and no consonant cluster to negotiate.
- Origin: Persian
- Meaning: Like the moon
- Pronunciation: mah-SAH
- Namesakes: Mahsa Mohaghegh, an Iranian-born New Zealand computer engineer.
Mandana
Mandana was the mother of Cyrus the Great, which places it at the origin point of the Persian Empire rather than merely inside its literature. The meaning, to remain or to stay, reads as permanence, and it suits a family thinking in generations rather than in trends. Iranian actress and model Mandana Karimi is a contemporary bearer. Three soft syllables, and it is the rare name here whose first owner predates the empire that made Persian famous.
- Origin: Persian
- Meaning: To remain, to stay
- Pronunciation: mahn-dah-NAH
- Namesakes: Mandana Karimi, an Iranian actress, and model.
- Popularity: Mandana is very popular in Iran, ranked in the top 10 in 2019.
Manijeh
Manijeh is the Turanian princess of the Shahnameh who falls for Bijan, the son of an Iranian knight, across the deepest enemy line in the epic: her father is Afrasiab, Iran’s chief adversary. Ferdowsi gives her far more agency than the setup implies, and Iranian readers still treat her as the braver half of the pair. The etymology is unsettled, which is common for names this old. Manizheh is the alternate spelling. It is a Persian Romeo and Juliet, and this time the story is named after her.
- Origin: Persian, Ancient Parthian
- Meaning: Unknown
- Pronunciation: ma-nee-ZHEH
- Variations: Manizheh
- Namesakes: Manijeh Razeghi, an Iranian-American scientist. Manijeh Hekmat, an Iranian film director.
Marjane
Marjane is the Persian word for coral, which puts it in the small group of names that bring the ocean to mind without being about water itself. Its most famous bearer is Marjane Satrapi, the Persian-French cartoonist and novelist, so the name arrives with a literary reputation attached. Marjan is the shorter and more widely used spelling. The final e is sounded rather than silent, which is the correction you will make most often.
- Origin: Persian, Arabic
- Meaning: Coral
- Pronunciation: mar-ZHAHN
- Variations: Marjan
- Namesakes: Marjane Satrapi, a Persian-French novelist, and cartoonist.
Maryam
Maryam is the Persian, Arabic, Urdu, Bashkir and Tatar form of Mary, the mother of Jesus, one of very few names revered by Christians and Muslims alike. In Iran it is also the name of a flower valued for its use around childbirth, so it carries a second and more domestic layer. Iranian mathematician Maryam Mirzakhani is its most celebrated modern bearer. The stress falls on the second half, and Mariam is the alternate spelling if you want it a shade shorter.
- Origin: Hebrew
- Meaning: Sea of bitterness, wished-for child, beloved
- Pronunciation: mar-YAHM
- Variations: Mariam
- Namesakes: Maryam Mirzakhani, an Iranian mathematician.
- Popularity: Maryam first entered the US top 1,000 in 2000 and ranked 503rd in 2020, and is not among the 200 most popular US girl names for babies born 2020 through 2025, according to Social Security Administration data.
Masoumeh
Masoumeh is the Persian form of Masuma, and it belonged to Fatima Masoumeh, daughter of the ninth-century Shia imam Musa al-Kadhim. She was given the name for her purity, and it has been a fixture of Iranian religious life ever since. Masoomeh is the alternate spelling and Masi the natural short form. Masoumeh Ebtekar, a former vice president of Iran for women and family affairs, shows it in public office. Four syllables makes it a real commitment outside Iran.
- Origin: Persian
- Meaning: Innocent, pure
- Pronunciation: ma-SOO-mah
- Variations: Masoomeh
- Namesakes: Masoumeh Ebtekar, a former Vice President of Iran for Women and Family Affairs.
- Popularity: Masoumeh has been in common use in Iran for generations as a religious name.
Mina
Mina carries four meanings in Persian and the best of them is azure sky, the color of a cloudless afternoon. It also names the mockingbird, a bird that copies whatever it hears; the marguerite, a kind of daisy; and lapis lazuli, the deep blue stone prized for its color. Italian singer Mina Mazzini made the one-name version famous across Europe. Four plain letters. It works unaltered in Persian, Japanese, Dutch and English. For a name that is short, international and quietly Persian, this is the pick.
- Origin: Persian, Hindi, Indian, Dutch, English
- Meaning: Azure sky, mockingbird, marguerite flower, lapis lazuli
- Pronunciation: MEE-nah
- Namesakes: Mina Mazzini, an Italian singer.
- Popularity: Mina was popular in the US in the early 1900s and is not among the 200 most popular US girl names for babies born 2020 through 2025, according to Social Security Administration data.
Minoo
Minoo means heaven or paradise, and it is one of the few Persian names that is both short and unmistakably Persian. Iran uses it heavily and India has taken some interest. Iranian physician and researcher Minoo Mohraz is its most prominent bearer. It ends on a long oo, which English speakers manage first time. Minu is the alternate spelling, and Min works as an everyday nickname.
- Origin: Persian
- Meaning: Heaven, paradise
- Pronunciation: me-NEW
- Variations: Minu
- Namesakes: Minoo Mohraz, an Iranian physician and researcher.
Mitra
Mitra is the living descendant of Mithra, the ancient Iranian divinity of covenants, light and friendship, and a son of the supreme deity Ahura Mazda. The old form has fallen out of use, leaving Mitra and Mehr as the versions still in circulation. Iranian actress Mitra Hajjar, who broke through in the political drama Born Under Libra, is a familiar bearer at home. The r is rolled in Persian and softened everywhere else. A name built on the idea of keeping your word is not a bad inheritance.
- Origin: Persian, Indian
- Meaning: Oath, friend
- Pronunciation: meet-RAW
- Variations: Mehr
- Namesakes: Mitra Hajjar, an Iranian actress who got her break in the 2001 political drama, Born Under Libra.
Mona
Mona has roots almost everywhere, and the Persian reading traces to Mana, an adjective for the everlasting nature of God. Irish, Greek, Italian, Sanskrit and English traditions each supply a meaning of their own, which is why the origin line runs so long. American voice actress Mona Marshall is a working bearer. Four letters, and nothing to explain in any country. For an Iranian-American family it is the safest name here that still means something specific in Persian.
- Origin: Persian, Arabic, Irish, French, Greek, Italian, English, Scottish, Sanskrit
- Meaning: Everlasting god, wish, noble one, love, my lady, moon, Viking, alone
- Pronunciation: MOH-nah
- Namesakes: Mona Marshall, an American voice actress.
- Popularity: Mona has previously made the top 500 in Norway, France, Belgium and the US, and is not among the 200 most popular US girl names for babies born 2020 through 2025, according to Social Security Administration data.
Narges
Narges is the Persian form of Narcissus, the young man of Greek myth who stared at his reflection until he died and became the flower. In Persian the word is simply the daffodil, so the mythological baggage stays behind in the Greek. Nargess and Nargis are the alternate spellings, Nargis being the one used across South Asia. Iranian film director Narges Kalhor carries it. The g is hard and the s is voiced.
- Origin: Persian, Greek
- Meaning: Daffodil, narcissus flower
- Pronunciation: nar-GES
- Variations: Nargess, Nargis
- Namesakes: Narges Kalhor, an Iranian film director.
Nasrin
Nasrin is the Persian word for the wild rose and one of Iran’s steadiest girls’ names. Nasrin Sotoudeh, the Iranian human rights lawyer, has made it internationally recognized for reasons that have nothing to do with flowers. Nasrin and Nasreen are the spellings used in Iran and South Asia. Nesrin is the Turkish one. The shape of it is friendly to English. Of the two wild-rose names on this page, it is the one nobody will ask you to spell twice.
- Origin: Persian, Bengali
- Meaning: Wild rose
- Pronunciation: nas-REEN
- Variations: Nesrin, Nasreen
- Namesakes: Nasrin Sotoudeh, an Irani human rights lawyer.
- Popularity: Nasrin is common in Bangladesh, ranked 13th in 2014.
Nastaran
Nastaran is the Persian name for the dog rose, a pale pink flower with a strong scent that grows wild across Europe, northwest Africa and western Asia. The dog in the English name comes from the old use of its red hips against rabies bites, and the plant kept associations with health, love and youth. Iranian film director Nastaran Mohseni is a contemporary bearer. There are no difficult sounds in it. It is the rarer sibling of Nasrin and the more distinctive of the two.
- Origin: Persian
- Meaning: Wild rose
- Pronunciation: nas-tah-RAHN
- Namesakes: Nastaran Mohseni, an Irani film director.
Naz
Naz is the Persian word that finishes half a dozen other names on this list, and standing alone it means delight, charm, and a kind of endearing pride all at once. Three letters, one syllable, nothing to spell, and both Turkish volleyball player Naz Aydemir and American voice actress Naz Edwards show that it works perfectly well by itself. It is not among the 200 most popular US girl names, so it stays unusual without ever being unpronounceable.
- Origin: Persian, Turkish
- Meaning: Cute, delight
- Pronunciation: NAHZ
- Namesakes: Naz Edwards, an American voice actress. Naz Aydemir, a Turkish volleyball player.
- Popularity: Although Naz is of Persian origin, it’s more common in Turkey, receiving its highest ranking of 76th in 2008.
Nazanin
Nazanin is Naz extended, and it means sweetheart or lovely one in the fully affectionate sense. Iran, Azerbaijan, Afghanistan and Turkey all use it, which makes it common enough at home to feel normal and rare enough abroad to feel chosen. Iranian-born British actress Nazanin Boniadi and Iranian-Canadian activist Nazanin Afshin-Jam are its most visible bearers. Every part of it is easy to say. Naz is the built-in nickname and a full entry of its own on this page.
- Origin: Persian
- Meaning: Sweetheart, lovely
- Pronunciation: nah-zah-NEEN
- Variations: Nazenin
- Namesakes: Nazanin Boniadi, an Iranian-born British actress. Nazanin Afshin-Jam, an Iranian-Canadian human rights activist and former Miss World Canada.
Neda
Neda is the Persian form of the Arabic Nida, meaning a call or a proclamation. Greek mythology supplies a second layer, where Neda was one of the nymphs who helped raise the infant Zeus. Serbian actress Neda Arnerić, of Shaft in Africa, is its most internationally known bearer. Four letters, and no language mispronounces it. For a daughter you expect to have something to say, the meaning does real work.
- Origin: Persian, Arabic, Greek
- Meaning: Call, proclaim
- Pronunciation: nee-DA
- Namesakes: Neda Arnerić, a Serbian actress best known for her roles in Stand Up Straight, Delfina, and Shaft in Africa.
Negin
Negin means gemstone, and Persian uses it for rare stones of high value rather than for anything merely decorative. Iran prefers Negin, Tajik and Uzbek prefer Nigina, Urdu keeps Nagin and Nagina, and American comedian and filmmaker Negin Farsad is its best-known bearer in the States. It ends on a long een, and it is short enough that you can plan on using the full name every time.
- Origin: Persian
- Meaning: Gemstone
- Pronunciation: neh-GEEN
- Variations: Nagin, Nagina, Nigina
- Namesakes: Negin Farsad, an American comedian.
Niloufar
Niloufar is the Persian word for the water lily, and Iranian, Turkish and Azerbaijani families all use it. The flower earns its symbolism honestly. Its roots sit in pond mud and its blossom comes up clean, which Persian culture reads as purity that survives its surroundings. Iranian playwright Niloofar Beyzaie and Iranian-born British author Niloufar Talebi both carry it. Spelling is the real problem, with Nilophur, Nelofar, Nilofar and Niloofar all in circulation. Nilou is the obvious short form.
- Origin: Persian
- Meaning: Water lily
- Pronunciation: nee-loo-FAR
- Variations: Nilophur, Nelofar, Nilofar, Niloofar
- Namesakes: Niloofar Beyzaie, an Irani playwright. Niloufar Talebi, an Iranian-born British author.
Pantea
Pantea Arteshbod served as a lieutenant commander for Cyrus the Great at the Battle of Opis in 539 BC, and with her husband she formed the Immortals, the elite guard that protected the Persian emperor. Very few names on any list come with a military record. The meaning given for it is all of the flowers, which sits oddly beside the biography and is part of the appeal. Iranian actress Pantea Bahram is a modern bearer. It looks harder written than it sounds spoken.
- Origin: Persian, Greek
- Meaning: All of the flowers
- Pronunciation: pan-TE-ah
- Namesakes: Pantea Arteshbod, a Persian Lieutenant Commander. Pantea Bahram, an Iranian actress.
Parisa
Parisa comes from “pari,” the winged spirits of Persian myth known for beauty and mischief in equal measure, so the sense is fairy-like rather than merely pretty. Parisa Tabriz, the Iranian-American computer security expert at Google, gives it a very modern second life. The resemblance to Paris is accidental and, for some parents, the deciding factor. Three open syllables, and Pari stands alone as a name in Iran.
- Origin: Persian
- Meaning: Like a fairy
- Pronunciation: pah-ree-SAH
- Variations: Pareesa
- Namesakes: Parisa Tabriz, an Iranian-American computer security expert for Google.
Parvaneh
Parvaneh is the Persian name for the butterfly, and it also names the Persian lynx, chosen for the long black ear tufts that look like wings. That gives it more range than most insect names: delicate in one reading, a desert cat in the other. Iranian-born American historian Parvaneh Pourshariati is a scholarly bearer. The v is soft. Faranak, further up this page, is the Arabic-influenced version of the same word.
- Origin: Persian
- Meaning: Butterfly
- Pronunciation: par-vaw-NEH
- Namesakes: Parvaneh Pourshariati, an Iranian-born American historian.
Pegah
Pegah is the Persian word for dawn, which makes it the natural pick for a baby who arrives in the small hours. Iranian actress and film director Pegah Ahangarani is its most recognizable bearer. It also solves a specific American problem: Peggy has not appeared in the US top 1,000 since 1989, and Pegah offers a similar sound with none of the associations. The final h is breathed rather than dropped.
- Origin: Persian
- Meaning: Dawn
- Pronunciation: pa-GAWH
- Namesakes: Pegah Ahangarani, an Iranian actress and film director.
Persia
Persia is the old European name for Iran. It now works as an Americanized place name in the same way Asia and London do, and American actress Persia White is its best-known bearer. About 41 percent of Iranian Americans were born in the United States (3). For a second-generation family this is the most explicit option on the page, since the name states where you are from in one word, in English, to anybody. That directness is either exactly what you want or rather more than you want. Two syllables. Americans arrive at PER-zhah without being taught.
- Origin: Persian
- Meaning: Iran
- Pronunciation: PER-zhah
- Namesakes: Persia White, an American actress.
- Popularity: Persia is not among the 200 most popular US girl names for babies born 2020 through 2025, according to Social Security Administration data.
Razan
Razan means vineyard in Persian and carries a second sense of calm, which is an agreeable pair of ideas to hand a daughter. Lebanese television presenter, actress and singer Razan Moughrabi is its most visible bearer, and the name reads as Arabic rather than Persian to most people, so expect that assumption. Five letters, and one of the shortest routes here to a name that is unusual in English without being strange.
- Origin: Persian, Arabic
- Meaning: Vineyard, calm
- Pronunciation: rah-ZAHN
- Namesakes: Razan Moughrabi, a Lebanese TV presenter, actress, and singer.
Roshanara
Roshanara joins “roshan” for bright or luminous with “ara” for adorning, so the whole reads as adorned in light. Roshanara Begum, a seventeenth-century Mughal princess and First Lady of the empire, is the bearer who made it royal. It shares its second half with Jahanara, and the two work as a set for anyone naming twins. Five syllables is the most this list asks of anybody, and Rosh, Ana and Nara all cut it down to size.
- Origin: Persian
- Meaning: Adorned in light
- Pronunciation: roh-shah-nah-RAH
- Namesakes: Roshanara Begum, a Mughal princess.
Roya
Roya means a dream or a vision, the kind you have while asleep rather than the kind you chase. It is an elegant name used across Iran, Afghanistan and Azerbaijan, Ruya is the Turkish spelling of the same word, and its bearers run from designer and women’s rights campaigner Roya Ramezani to musician and archaeologist Roya Arab. Four letters, spelled exactly as it sounds.
- Origin: Persian, Arabic
- Meaning: Dream, vision
- Pronunciation: roh-YAH
- Variations: Ruya
- Namesakes: Roya Ramezani, an Irani designer and women’s rights campaigner. Roya Arab, a UK-based Iranian musician, and archaeologist.
Rudabeh
Rudabeh is the princess of Kabul in the Shahnameh who marries Zal and gives birth to Rostam, the epic’s central hero, which makes her the mother of Persian literature’s most famous warrior. The name itself is read as river, from “rud.” Iranian-American news anchor Rudabeh Shahbazi keeps it in circulation in the States. Rudaba is the shorter spelling. Three syllables, and almost nobody outside Iran will have heard it before.
- Origin: Persian
- Meaning: River
- Pronunciation: ru-DAH-bah
- Variations: Rudaba
- Namesakes: Rudabeh Shahbazi, an Iranian-American news anchor and journalist.
Sanaz
Sanaz pairs a Turkish first syllable with the Persian “naz,” giving full of grace. The mixed parentage is the interesting part, since it makes Sanaz one of the few names here that belongs equally to two naming traditions and works as a real compromise for parents from different backgrounds. Iranian-Canadian artist Sanaz Mazinani is a working bearer. Sanaaz is the longer spelling if you prefer it.
- Origin: Persian
- Meaning: Full of grace
- Pronunciation: sah-NAHZ
- Variations: Sanaaz
- Namesakes: Sanaz Mazinani, an Iranian-Canadian artist.
Sepideh
Sepideh is the first white light before sunrise, and Persian literature uses it for the end of darkness rather than simply the start of a day. Iranian pop singer Sepideh Afshar is its best-known bearer. It is the more poetic of the two dawn names on this page, with Pegah as the plainer alternative. Sepide, Sepidah and Sepida are all in use. The stress lands on the last part of the word.
- Origin: Persian
- Meaning: Dawn, morning light, white
- Pronunciation: seh-pee-DEH
- Variations: Sepide, Sepidah, Sepida
- Namesakes: Sepideh Afshar, an Iranian pop singer.
Setareh
Setareh is Persian for star, and it belongs to the same ancient family as the Sanskrit Tara, the Latin Stella and the French Estelle, every one of which is better known. Being the least used member of a very popular family is a good place for a name to sit. It is a celestial name that also carries the sense of fate. Persian keeps the two ideas connected. Iranian actress Setareh Eskandari is a modern bearer. Setare without the h is the shorter spelling.
- Origin: Persian
- Meaning: Star, fate
- Pronunciation: seh-taw-REH
- Variations: Setare
- Namesakes: Setareh Eskandari, an Iranian actress.
Shahrazad
Shahrazad is the storyteller of One Thousand and One Nights. She marries King Shahryar knowing he executes each wife the morning after the wedding, then survives by breaking off a gripping story at daybreak for a thousand and one nights. By the end he has fallen in love and made her his permanent queen. No name here carries a better argument for the value of a well-told story. The meaning recorded for it is free city. Four syllables. English translations of the tales usually spell her Scheherazade.
- Origin: Persian
- Meaning: Free city
- Pronunciation: shah-rah-ZAHD
Shams
Shams is the sun, in Arabic and Persian alike, and before Islam it named a sun goddess connected to the Akkadian light deity Shamash. That makes it one of the oldest words on this page still in service as a name. It is unisex across most of the region and rare everywhere else. One syllable, five letters, nothing ambiguous about it. For a daughter who is plainly the brightest thing in the house, the meaning needs no dressing up.
- Origin: Persian, Arabic
- Meaning: Sun, brilliant
- Pronunciation: SHAMS
Sheyda
Sheyda describes someone so far gone in love that it has started to unbalance them, which is a more interesting idea than simply beloved. Persian poetry uses it constantly, and it is one of the few names here that names a state rather than a quality. American singer-songwriter Sheyda Fassar is a contemporary bearer. It rhymes with Ada. Any parent who found the first year overwhelming in the best possible way will recognize the sentiment.
- Origin: Persian
- Meaning: Lovesick, in love
- Pronunciation: SHAY-dah
- Namesakes: Sheyda Fassar, an American singer-songwriter.
Shirin
Shirin means sweet, and it belonged to the Christian wife of the Sasanian king Khosrow II, whose story became one of the great subjects of Persian poetry, admired for her devotion and loyalty. Iranian lawyer Shirin Ebadi carries the name in the present day. Shereen and Shireen are the alternate spellings, both common across South Asia. Stress the second half, and in the States it makes a fresh replacement for the badly dated Sharon.
- Origin: Persian
- Meaning: Sweet
- Pronunciation: shee-REEN
- Variations: Shereen, Shireen
- Namesakes: Shirin Ebadi, an Iranian lawyer. Shirin, wife of King Khosrow II of Iran.
Shiva
Shiva in Persian means charming, eloquent or kind, and has nothing to do with the Hindu deity of the same spelling, which is the association nearly everyone will bring to it. That collision is the one thing to weigh, and it is a real consideration in a country with a large Hindu population. Iranian human rights activist Shiva Nazar Ahari is its most prominent bearer. Sheeva is the spelling that puts a little distance between the name and the god. Persian says it shee-VAH rather than SHEE-vah.
- Origin: Persian, Indian
- Meaning: Charming, eloquent, kind
- Pronunciation: shee-VAH
- Variations: Sheeva, Siva, Sivan
- Namesakes: Shiva Nazar Ahari, an Iranian human rights activist.
Simin
Simin means silvery, from the Persian word for silver, and it is one of the quieter beauties on this list. Its two great bearers are both writers, the poet and activist Simin Behbahani and Simin Daneshvar, the first prominent Iranian woman novelist, so naming a daughter Simin puts her in literary company from day one. Five letters, and no explaining required in English.
- Origin: Persian
- Meaning: Silvery, white
- Pronunciation: see-MEEN
- Namesakes: Simin Behbahani, a contemporary Irani poet. Simin Daneshvar, the first prominent Iranian woman novelist.
Soraya
Soraya is the Persian name for the Pleiades, the star cluster that anchored myth and navigation across the ancient world. Princess Soraya Esfandiary-Bakhtiary, wife of the last Shah of Iran, gave it a second life in European society pages. Suraya is the alternate spelling. The stress sits in the middle. Very few names offer royalty and astronomy in the same breath, and you can lean on whichever half suits you.
- Origin: Persian, Arabic
- Meaning: The Pleiades
- Pronunciation: so-ray-YAW
- Variations: Suraya
- Namesakes: Soraya Esfandiary-Bakhtiary, an Irani queen.
- Popularity: Soraya was a popular name in France, the Netherlands, and Switzerland in the mid-2000s, and it stays outside the 200 most popular US girl names of the 2020s, according to Social Security Administration data.
Sudabeh
Sudabeh is the princess of the Hamarvaran kingdom in the Shahnameh who wins the heart of Kay Kavus, king of Iran, and becomes stepmother to prince Siyavash. The epic gives her a far more complicated role than the summary suggests, which makes her one of its genuinely three-dimensional women. The recorded meaning, having lustrous profit, is unhelpfully literal. Sodaba is the alternate spelling, and the name is rare even in Iran.
- Origin: Persian
- Meaning: Having lustrous profit
- Pronunciation: soo-DAH-beh
- Variations: Sodaba
Tahmina
Tahmina is the daughter of the king of Samangan in the Shahnameh, who seeks out and marries Rostam, the epic’s leading hero, on her own initiative. The name is read as strong or valiant, and her behavior in the story earns it. Tahmineh is the Persian spelling, with Tehmina and Tahmeena used across South Asia. Every sound in it is straightforward, which makes it the most usable of the Shahnameh names for an English-speaking household.
- Origin: Persian
- Meaning: Strong, valiant
- Pronunciation: tah-mee-NAH
- Variations: Tahmineh, Tahmeena, Tehmina
Tala
Tala means “gold” in Persian, and the same four letters carry meanings of noble, bright star, palm tree, story and wolf across Arabic, Tagalog, Samoan, Navajo and the Nordic languages. That is an unusually generous spread for one short word. Iranian-American actress Tala Ashe and fashion designer Tala Raassi are both bearers. Four letters. No country struggles with it. For a name that belongs everywhere without belonging nowhere, it is the one on this page that manages it.
Taraneh
Taraneh is the Persian word for a song or a melody, and specifically the light, cheerful kind. Iranian actress Taraneh Alidoosti is its best-known bearer. It is rarely used outside Iran, which makes it an unusual choice for a non-Iranian family. Tara is a short form English already owns.
- Origin: Persian
- Meaning: Song, melody
- Pronunciation: taa-ra-NEH
- Namesakes: Taraneh Alidoosti, an Iranian actress.
Yasamin
Yasamin is the jasmine. Persian tradition treats the flower as a heavenly gift standing for purity and beauty, which is where the meaning gift from God comes from. It is a floral name that stands better in Iran than its more familiar cousins do there. Yasaman is the spelling closest to the Persian. Iranian physics researcher Yasaman Farzan is a scholarly bearer. Four syllables, though they run together easily. Yas works day to day.
- Origin: Persian
- Meaning: Gift from God
- Pronunciation: yaw-sa-MIN
- Variations: Yasaman
- Namesakes: Yasaman Farzan, an Irani physics researcher.
- Popularity: Yasamin trails its variants Yasmin and Jasmine everywhere outside Iran; Jasmine ranks 180th among US girls born 2020 through 2025 with 9,952 births while Yasamin does not reach the top 200 at all, according to Social Security Administration data.
Yasna
Yasna is the central act of Zoroastrian worship in ancient Iran, performed to strengthen Ahura Mazda and weaken the destructive spirit Angra Mainyu. That puts the word at the heart of one of the oldest religions still practiced. It is very fashionable in Iran and very rare anywhere else. Five letters, and the s is voiced. Of the ancient religious names here, it is the easiest to actually use.
- Origin: Persian
- Meaning: Prayer, worship
- Pronunciation: YAHS-nah
- Popularity: Yasna ranked in Iran’s top 10 girls’ names in 2019.
Zahra
Zahra means bright or brilliant, and among Muslims it carries extra weight as an epithet of Fatimah, the daughter of the Prophet Muhammad. Iranian families use it alone and in compounds such as Nazanin-Zahra and Fatemeh-Zahra. Zahra Khanom, the Persian princess and early feminist, is a bearer worth knowing about. Five letters, and English handles it without effort. It is the most religiously significant name here that still sounds effortless on an American roll call.
- Origin: Persian, Arabic
- Meaning: Brillant, bright
- Pronunciation: ZAH-rah
- Namesakes: Zahra Khanom, a Persian princess, and feminist.
- Popularity: Zahra was a top 10 girls’ name in Iran in 2019, and it is not among the 200 most popular US girl names for babies born 2020 through 2025, according to Social Security Administration data.
Zarina
Zarina comes from the Persian “zarin” for golden, and it travelled east into Kazakh, Urdu and Malay use. Queen Zarina, an ancient Sacae ruler, is remembered for beauty, wisdom and bravery in roughly equal measure. Indian-American artist Zarina Hashmi carried it into contemporary art. It rhymes with Marina, which makes it one of the easiest names here for an American ear. Zari is the ready-made short form.
- Origin: Persian, Kazakh, Urdu, Malay
- Meaning: Golden
- Pronunciation: zah-REE-nah
- Variations: Zarinaea, Zaranya
- Namesakes: Zarina Hashmi, an Indian-American artist.
Zhaleh
Zhaleh means dew, and by extension hailstone, so it holds the gentlest and the harshest form of water in one word. It serves as a first name and a surname across Iran and Turkey. Jale and Jaleh are the Turkish spellings. Iranian television producer Zhaleh Kazemi is a bearer. The opening zh is the sound in the middle of measure, which is the one thing an English speaker needs told. It closes this list on a nature name that is not remotely soft.
- Origin: Persian
- Meaning: Dew, hailstone
- Pronunciation: zhaw-LEH
- Variations: Jale, Jaleh
- Namesakes: Zhaleh Kazemi, an Irani television producer.
