Like Turkey, Iran adopted fixed surnames relatively recently — mandated in the early 20th century. Many were formed from a father’s or ancestor’s name, a home city, or an admired quality.

The tell-tale endings

Persian surnames often carry a suffix that reveals how they formed: -i (a nisba, “relating to / from”) points to a person or place — Hosseini (“of Hossein”), Tehrani (“from Tehran”), Shirazi (“from Shiraz”); -zadeh and -pour/-pur mean “son of / born of” (Ahmadzadeh); and -nia / -nejad mean “lineage” or “descent.” Persian (Farsi) is a distinct language from Arabic, though the two share some names.

Frequently asked questions

How do Persian surnames work?

Many use a suffix showing how they formed: -i (u201crelating to / fromu201d a person or place), -zadeh or -pour (u201cson ofu201d), and -nia or -nejad (u201clineageu201d).

When did Iran adopt surnames?

Fixed surnames were mandated in Iran in the early 20th century, so many Persian family names are relatively recent.

Are Persian surnames the same as Arabic ones?

No u2014 Persian (Farsi) is a distinct language with its own naming patterns, though after the coming of Islam the two came to share some names.

All last names A–Z