Persian names to fall in love with
by Ruth Fitzpatrick
For the last month or more, we here at Nameslist have been at the edge of our seats waiting to hear the names of Beyoncé’s twins. It now seems (maybe!) the wait is over, with most media outlets reporting Rumi and Sir as the new baby Carters. Neither the names nor the genders have been definitively confirmed yet, but there has been speculation that Beyoncé and Jay-Z have named their new arrival after the Persian poet, Rumi, and taken ‘Sir’ from a line in one of Rumi’s famous poems. We’re not 100% convinced, but any chance to compile a list, and we’ll take it! In honor of twin Carters maybe-baby names, here are a selection of our favorite Persian names:
For you little princesses
Emerald This highly-valued precious stone takes its name from the Persian for ‘green’. It’s the birthstone of May and has a number of associations with Ireland and Irish diaspora. It has a huge amount of cross-cultural appeal, and neither the spelling nor the pronunciation of the name is going to cause any difficulties in the US. We’re also big fans of the pet name, Esme.
Katana This name could be a unique alternative to Catherine or Kate, and has a fantastic rhythmic beat and exotic twist. It means ‘honorable’, and was originally a boy’s name in Persia, but we think that today it would work much better as a name for your little princess.
Gelsey A really unique looking and sounding name, Gelsey means ‘flower’. It will certainly set your little girl apart, in all the best ways possible.
Zenda Zenda is jazzed up version of a number of “old-fashioned” names like Brenda and Glenda. It means ‘sacred’ in Persian.
Golnar This name looks Germanic in origin and might appear to be too guttural for American parents’ consideration. However, it’s pronounced GOLL-nahr, and it means ‘pomegranate flower’.
Alizeh An alternative to Alissa or Eliza, Alizeh means ‘wind’ in Old Persian. Its sweet breeziness is extremely attractive, but is likely to cause some confusion.
Zarina Definitely fit for a princess. Zarina means ‘a golden vessel’: perfect for your precious girl. It is easy to spell and pronounce, and will be associated with the Russian title for ‘empress’.
Rosetta A fantastic name for a future polyglot! Rosetta will forever be associated with the archaeologically priceless, Rosetta Stone. It means ‘splendid’ in Persian, and we think it is splendid too! Also check out Roxy. Though commonly used as a diminutive for Roxanne, Roxy also has a Persian origin, and means ‘dawn’.
For your little princes
Kasper Children of the 80s and 90s will think of him as the friendly ghost, but we think it’s time to reclaim the name Kasper and bring it back into the world of the living. It means ‘treasurer’ in Persian.
Jasper Similar to Kasper, Jasper means ‘bringer of treasure’, and is one of the most popular Persian names in the US currently.
Cyrus An incredibly powerful and influential Persian emperor, this ultra-regal name means ‘throne’. Once the preserve of the Iranian-American community only, this name has wide appeal and potential.
Daric A super cool Persian variant of Derek. We actually prefer it to the original, and it means ‘the people’s ruler’.
Angaros For something really quite unique, look no further than Angaros! It means ‘courier’, but we think it might be just too much for a little boy to carry.
Tamerlane Tamerlane was a fierce Mongol ruler who came to be leader of the Persian Empire. Despite its ferocious associations, it sounds sweet, lyrical and poetic, though, it has the potential to sound a little pompous too.
Xerxes One of the best known of all Persian leaders, Xerxes would be a bold name choice. It’s a name that might be extremely hard to live up to, but is fairly familiar to most Americans (thanks, 300!). It has a great meaning though: ‘hero among heroes’.
Darius Another moniker with regal associations, this very approachable boy’s name means ‘kingly’ in Old Persian. It sounds more high-brow than Darren, but remains very sweet and friendly.
