Since the Muslim conquest of Persia, some names in Iran have been derived from Arabic, although the majority are Persian in origin. Persian Christians have Arabic names indistinguishable from their Muslim neighbors. They can also use Arabic derivations of Christian names (such as saints' names), or Greek, Neo-Aramaic, or Armenian names, as most Christian Iranians are Iranian Armenians, although there are also Iranian Assyrians and Iranian Georgians.
Many Persian names originate from the Persian literature book, the Shahnameh or "Epic of Kings". It was composed in the 10th century by Ferdowsi and is considered by many the masterpiece of Persian literature. Approximately 10%-15% of all Persian names are from Shahnameh. A few examples are Abtin, Amad, Ardeshir, Armeen, Arjang, Babak, Barzin, Bijan, Bozorgmehr, Dana (Zana), Darab, Dariush, Esfandiar, Javid, Faramarz, Farhad, Fariborz, Farshid and Sam.
Before 1919, the Iranian people did not use surnames. An act of the Vosugh od-Dowleh government in 1919 introduced the use of surnames,[1] and the practice expanded during the reign of Reza Shah (r. 1925–1941). Reza Shah passed a law making it mandatory to have surnames. He himself chose Pahlavi as his surname, a name with Sasanian era roots. Prior to that, a person was often told apart from others by a combination of prefixes and suffixes attached to his or her name. If it was omitted, that person might be taken for someone else.[2] Since the adoption of surnames, Ahmadi has become the most popular surname in Iran.[3]
Many Iranian families adopted surnames derived from occupations, titles, or social roles.[4] For example, the surname Moazenzadeh (literally “descendant of a muezzin”) reflects this tradition, and is notably borne by Salim and Rahim Moazenzadeh Ardabili, both sons of Abdul Karim Moazzen Zadeh Ardabili and celebrated Iranian Quranreciters and muezzins.[5][6][7]
Among many other secularisation and modernisation reforms, surnames were enforced by Reza Shah, following similar contemporary patterns in Turkey under Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, and later in Egypt under Gamal Abdel Nasser.[8]
Mullah, Muslim cleric. The title has also been used in some Jewish communities to refer to the community's leadership, especially religious leadership.
Agha (title), Sir, mister. It is a general term of respect.
Shah, "king", short for Shahanshah, "King of kings", meaning emperor
Seghatoleslam, is an honorific title within the Twelver Shia clergy. Seghatoleslam designates narrators whose justice and trustworthiness have been explicitly verified.
-i, the most common suffix used for Persian surnames. They are, in fact, adjectives created by the adding suffix "-i" to person names, location names or other names. Surnames with "-i" are also popular in other countries of historic Greater Persia and neighboring countries like in the Caucasus, Pakistan, Turkey, Iraq, and Central Asia.
-ian, like the above case, but with the addition of the plural suffix "-an", common among Iranians and Armenians. Examples are Shaheenian (Persian) and Sargsyan (Armenian).
^Salmani, Ustad Muhammad-'Aliy-i, the Barber (1982). My Memories of Bahá'u'lláh. Gail, Marizieh (trans.). Los Angeles, USA: Kalimát Press. p. 123. ISBN0-933770-21-9.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)