Persian Girl Names
Few naming traditions are as poetic as Iran’s. Persian girl names turn flowers, dew, the moon and the dawn into names — Nilufar (“water lily”), Shabnam (“dew”), Mahtab (“moonlight”), Sepideh (“daybreak”) — and many are built from small, lovely words like gol (flower), mah (moon) and naz (grace, charm).
Below you’ll find 100+ Persian girl names with meanings, grouped by theme: modern favorites, flower and gem names, celestial names, heroines of the Shahnameh and ancient queens. Browse the Persian names hub for the bigger picture, our Persian boy names for brothers, or names that mean moon from other cultures.
Popular Persian girl names today
These names appear near the top of Iran’s birth registrations and among Iranian families abroad.
| Name | Meaning | Origin |
|---|---|---|
| Fatemeh | Fatima; the Prophet’s daughter; “one who abstains” | Arabic |
| Zahra | “Radiant, bright” | Arabic |
| Helia | Possibly from Greek helios, “sun” | Modern |
| Asal | “Honey” | Arabic |
| Setayesh | “Praise, worship” | Persian |
| Kiana | “Essence, nature” | Persian |
| Hasti | “Existence, being” | Persian |
| Raha | “Free, liberated” | Persian |
| Nika | “Good, beautiful” | Persian |
| Yasna | “Worship”; the central Zoroastrian liturgy | Avestan |
| Ava | “Voice, song” | Persian |
| Mobina | “Clear, evident” | Arabic |
| Rosha | “Bright, luminous” | Persian |
| Hana | “Happiness, bliss” | Arabic |
| Melika | “Queen” | Arabic |
Persian flower names for girls
Persian poetry is full of gardens, and so are its names. The prefix gol means flower. See more in flower names for girls.
| Name | Flower / meaning | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| Yasaman | Jasmine | yah-sah-MAHN |
| Yas | Jasmine (short form) | YAHS |
| Laleh | Tulip | lah-LEH |
| Nasrin | Wild rose | nas-REEN |
| Nastaran | Dog rose, white wild rose | nas-tah-RAHN |
| Nilufar | Water lily, lotus | nee-loo-FAR |
| Banafsheh | Violet | bah-naf-SHEH |
| Sousan | Lily | soo-SAHN |
| Narges | Narcissus | nar-GES |
| Shaghayegh | Red poppy or anemone | sha-gha-YEGH |
| Golnar | Pomegranate blossom | gol-NAR |
| Golnaz | “Graceful flower” | gol-NAHZ |
| Golbahar | “Spring flower” | gol-bah-HAR |
| Golshan | “Rose garden” | gol-SHAHN |
| Golrokh | “Rose-cheeked” | gol-ROKH |
Moon, star and dawn names
The word mah (moon) appears in dozens of Persian girl names. Pair these with names that mean star or names that mean light.
| Name | Meaning | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Mahtab | “Moonlight” | Classic and soft |
| Mahsa | “Like the moon” | Popular since the 1980s |
| Mahnaz | “Pride of the moon” | mah + naz |
| Mahshid | “Moonlight, moon-radiance” | mah + shid |
| Mahin | “Moonlike” | Vintage feel |
| Mahrokh | “Moon-faced” | Poetic compliment |
| Setareh | “Star” | Also spelled Setara |
| Tara | “Star” | Works in English |
| Soraya | “The Pleiades” | Famous from Queen Soraya |
| Soheila | “Canopus”, a bright star | Arabic origin |
| Nahid | “Venus”; linked to Anahita | Vintage |
| Pegah | “Dawn, early morning” | Fresh and modern |
| Sepideh | “Dawn, whiteness of daybreak” | Very popular |
| Sahar | “Dawn” | Arabic origin |
Nature, water and gemstone names
From the Caspian Sea to Nishapur turquoise, Iran’s landscape and treasures inspire these names. More in nature names for girls.
| Name | Meaning | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Darya | “Sea” | Easy in English |
| Baran | “Rain” | Also used for boys |
| Shabnam | “Dew” | Soft and lyrical |
| Zhaleh | “Dew; hailstone” | Classic |
| Parastou | “Swallow” (the bird) | Symbol of spring |
| Bahar | “Spring” | Short and bright |
| Dena | After Mount Dena in the Zagros | Also a Hebrew name |
| Ghazal | “Gazelle”; also a love poem | Arabic origin |
| Tarlan | “Falcon, hawk” | Turkic origin, used in Iran |
| Marjan | “Coral” | Also “small pearls” |
| Morvarid | “Pearl” | Elegant |
| Negin | “Gem set in a ring” | Popular |
| Firouzeh | “Turquoise” | Iran’s famous gemstone |
| Almas | “Diamond” | Sparkling and rare |
Poetic Persian names with beautiful meanings
These names read like a line of verse. Several describe grace or charm; others carry a wish for the child.
| Name | Meaning | Origin |
|---|---|---|
| Shirin | “Sweet”; heroine of Nezami’s Khosrow and Shirin | Persian |
| Nazanin | “Delicate, charming” | Persian |
| Parisa | “Like a fairy” | Persian |
| Roya | “Dream, vision” | Persian |
| Azadeh | “Free, noble” | Persian |
| Shadi | “Joy, happiness” | Persian |
| Farzaneh | “Wise, learned” | Persian |
| Arezou | “Wish, desire” | Persian |
| Taraneh | “Song, melody” | Persian |
| Afsaneh | “Legend, fairy tale” | Persian |
| Negar | “Beloved; a painted image” | Persian |
| Delaram | “Heart’s ease, beloved” | Persian |
| Parvaneh | “Butterfly” | Persian |
| Fereshteh | “Angel” | Persian |
| Mojgan | “Eyelashes” | Persian |
| Donya | “World” | Arabic/Persian |
| Mehri | “Kind, sunny” | Persian |
| Kimia | “Elixir, alchemy” | Persian |
Ancient queens and heroines
Girls’ names from Persian history and the Shahnameh carry real stories. Also see our names that mean queen.
| Name | Who she was | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Anahita | Ancient Iranian goddess of waters and fertility | “Immaculate, pure” |
| Atoosa | Atossa, Achaemenid queen and mother of Xerxes | Possibly “well-bestowing” |
| Mandana | Mother of Cyrus the Great | Possibly “eternal” |
| Pantea | Panthea, noblewoman in Xenophon’s <em>Cyropaedia</em> | Greek, “all divine” |
| Roshanak | Roxana, wife of Alexander the Great | “Little star, luminous” |
| Purandokht | Sasanian queen who ruled in 630 CE | “Daughter of the prince” |
| Azarmidokht | Sasanian queen, Purandokht’s sister | “Honored daughter” |
| Tahmineh | Rostam’s wife and Sohrab’s mother | Possibly “strong” |
| Rudabeh | Mother of Rostam | Possibly “shining like a river” |
| Manijeh | Princess who saved the hero Bijan | Shahnameh heroine |
| Gordafarid | Warrior woman who fought Sohrab | “Maker of heroes” |
| Katayoun | Byzantine princess, wife of Goshtasp | Shahnameh heroine |
| Vis | Heroine of the romance Vis and Ramin | Short and ancient |
| Homa | Mythical bird that brings good fortune | Symbol of luck |
| Mitra | The deity Mithra; “covenant, friendship” | Ancient Iranian |
Arabic-origin girl names common in Iran
Used in Iran for centuries, these names are shared across the Muslim world. Explore more in Muslim girl names.
| Name | Meaning | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Maryam | Mary, mother of Jesus | Always popular |
| Leila | “Night” | Heroine of Leili and Majnun |
| Zeinab | Possibly “fragrant plant”; granddaughter of the Prophet | Religious classic |
| Samira | “Companion in evening talk” | Friendly |
| Sara | “Princess” | Hebrew via Arabic |
| Mona | “Wish, desire” | Short and easy |
| Rana | “Beautiful, eye-catching” | Easy in English |
| Farah | “Joy” | Famous from Empress Farah |
| Hoda | “Right guidance” | Soft sound |
| Elham | “Inspiration” | Popular in the 1980s |
| Masoumeh | “Innocent”; honors Fatima Masumeh of Qom | Religious |
| Mahboubeh | “Beloved” | Traditional |
| Najmeh | “Star” | Traditional |
How to choose a Persian girl name
- Learn the building blocks. Gol (flower), mah (moon), naz (charm) and dokht (daughter) combine into dozens of names, so you can find variations you love.
- Test it in English. Names like Tara, Darya, Ava, Mina and Roya need no explaining; Shaghayegh and Zhaleh are gorgeous but take practice.
- Mind the final -eh. Names such as Laleh and Setareh end in a soft “eh”; many families abroad write them Lale or Setare.
- Honor a grandmother with a modern twist. Pair a vintage name like Mahin or Nahid with a fresh middle name like Helia or Raha.
- Look beyond Iran. Many Persian names are shared with Afghan (Dari) and Tajik families and with our Turkish girl names.
Frequently asked questions
What is the most beautiful Persian girl name?
Beauty is personal, but Nilufar (“water lily”), Shirin (“sweet”), Mahtab (“moonlight”), Soraya (“Pleiades”) and Parisa (“like a fairy”) are often praised for both sound and meaning.
What are popular Persian girl names in Iran?
Fatemeh, Zahra, Helia, Asal, Setayesh, Kiana and Hasti have been among the most registered girl names in Iran in recent years.
What Persian girl names mean moon?
Mahtab (“moonlight”), Mahsa (“like the moon”), Mahin (“moonlike”), Mahshid (“moon-radiance”) and Mahrokh (“moon-faced”) all include mah, the Persian word for moon.
What does Anahita mean?
Anahita means “immaculate” or “pure”. She was the ancient Iranian goddess of water, fertility and wisdom, and the name is loved by families who want a pre-Islamic Persian name.
Is Roxanne a Persian name?
Yes, indirectly. Roxanne comes from Roxana, the Greek form of the Old Iranian Roshanak, meaning “little star” or “luminous”.