50+ Common Iranian & Persian Surnames (with Meanings)

Download Article

Plus, learn where Iranian and Persian surnames come from

Co-authored by Devin McSween

Last Updated: January 18, 2026 Fact Checked

Download Article

Common

|

Toponymic

|

Occupational

|

Patronymic

|

Surnames in Other Cultures

|

Video

Iran is a beautiful country located in the Middle East. Iranians and Persians (a large ethnic group in Iran) share a rich history, and have unique surnames to match. Curious to learn about the most common last names in Iran? In this article, we’ll go over popular Iranian and Persian surnames, as well as common surnames based on an ancestor’s place of origin, occupation, and first name. Keep on reading to learn more!

The Most Common Surnames in Iran

Ahmadi: “Son of Ahmad.”
Mohammadi: “Related to Muhammad.”
Akbari: “Greatest.”
Hosseini: “Descendant of Hossein.”
Amiri: “Descendant of Amir.”

Section 1 of 5:

Most Common Iranian & Persian Last Names

Download Article

Last names are actually a relatively new concept in Iran, as prior to 1919, Iranian and Persian people didn’t use them! However, starting in the 1920s, Reza Shah Pahlavi made it mandatory for people to have surnames. People made up their own last names, largely basing them on where they were from, their professions, first names, and character traits.^{[1]
X
Research source} Today, these are some of the most common names in Iran and what they mean:^{[2]
X
Research source} ^{[3]
X
Research source}
- Ahmadi: “Son of Ahmad.”
- Mohammadi: “Related to Muhammad,” the founder of Islam.
- Akbari: From the Arabic akbar, meaning “greatest.”
- Hosseini: “Descendant of Hossein.”
- Amiri: “Descendant of Amir.”
- Moradi: “Descendant of Morad.”
- Heydari: “Descendant of Haydar.”
- Karimi: “Descendant of Kareem.”
- Mousavi: “Descendant of Musa al-Kazim.”
- Jafarzadeh: “Son of Jafar.”
- Ghasemi: “Descendant of Ghasem.”
- Rahimi: “Descendant of Rahim.”
- Ebrahimi: “Descendant of Ebrahim.”
- Sadeghi: “Descendant of Sadegh.”
- Abbasi: “Descendant of Abbas.”
- Bastani: “Ancient” or “traditional.”
- Ghorbani: “Sacrifice.”
- Kazemi: “Descendant of Musa al-Kazim.”
- Yousefi: “Son of Joseph.”
- Alizadeh: “Descendant of Ali.”

Section 2 of 5:

Iranian & Persian Toponymic Last Names

Download Article

Many Iranian and Persian last names are toponymic, meaning they’re named after a geographic location. Most of these names are based on a city or region where an ancestor was from in Iran. Check out some of these common toponymic surnames below:^{[4]
X
Research source}
- Ardabili: “From Ardabil,” a city in Iran.
- Esfahani: “From Esfahan,” a city in Iran.
- Gilani: “From Gilan,” a province in Iran.
- Hamedani: “From Hamedan,” a city in Iran.
- Kashani: “From Kashan,” a city in Iran.
- Khomeini: “From Khomeyn,” a city in Iran.
- Kordestani: “From Kurdistan,” a province in Iran.
- Lahijani: “From Lahijan,” a city in Iran.
- Mazandarani: “From Mazandaran,” a province in Iran.
- Mahabadi: “From Mahabad,” a city in Iran.
- Shirazi: “From Shiraz,” a city in Iran.
- Tabrizi: “From Tabriz,” a city in Iran.
- Tehrani: “From Tehran,” the capital of Iran.
- Yazdi: “From Yazd,” a city in Iran.
- Zanjani: “From Zanjan,” a city in Iran.

Section 3 of 5:

Iranian & Persian Occupational Last Names

Download Article

Many Iranians and Persians chose their surnames based on their career or trade. Some of these last names also come from their role in society or their religion. For example, check out these common occupational last names:^{[5]
X
Research source}
- Attar: “Apothecary,” “pharmacist,” or “perfumer.
- Barzegari: “Farmer.”
- Darvish: “Sufi mystic.”
- Kalantari: “Chief” or “sheriff.”
- Mirzaei: “Descendant of a noble.”
- Rouhani: “Cleric” or “spiritual.”
- Shah: “King.”
- Tabibi: “Physician” or “doctor.”

Section 4 of 5:

Iranian & Persian Patronymic Last Names

Download Article

Patronymic surnames refer to last names based on a male ancestor’s first name. Like most Iranian and Persian last names, these surnames end in the suffix -i, which attributes the name to someone. Common patronymic surnames include:
- Abdollahi: “Descendant of Abdullah.”
- Bagheri: “Descendant of Bagher.”
- Esmaili: “Descendant of Ismail.”
- Hassani: “Descendant of Hassan.”
- Jamshidi: “Descendant of Jamshid.”
- Mahdavi: “Descendant of Mahdi.”
- Nabavi: “Related to the Prophet.”
- Nasseri: “Descendant of Nasser.”
- Rostami: “Descendant of Rostam.”
- Soleimani: “Descendant of Soleiman.”