تهران

تِهْران (canonical)
tihrān (romanization)
tehrân (romanization)
طِهْران (alternative dated)
تِهْرون (alternative Tehrani colloquial)

[t̪ʰe̞ɦ.ɾɑ́ːn]

[t̪ʰe̞ɦ.ɾɑ́ːn]

[t̪ʰɪ.ɾɑ́ːn]

[t̪ʰi.ɾɔ́ːn]

[t̪ʰeɦ.ɹɒ́ːn]

[t̪ʰeɦ.ɹɒ́ːn]

[t̪ʰeɦ.ɾɔ́n]

There are various theories pertaining to the origin of the name Tehran:
* One theory is that the word "Tehran" is derived from Tiran/Tirgan, "The Abode of Tir", a Zoroastrian deity. The ancient Parthian town of Tiran was a neighbour to the town of Mehran, "The Abode of Mihr", the Zoroastrian deity of light. Both of these were mere villages in the suburbs of the great city of ری (“Ray”).
* Another theory is that Tehran means "a warm place", opposed to Shemiran, a cooler district in northern Tehran.
* The official City of Tehran website claims that "Tehran" comes from the Persian words ته (tah, “end, bottom”) and ران (rân, “mountain slope”, literally “bottom of the mountain slope”). Given Tehran's geographic position at the bottom of the slope of the Alborz Mountains, this appears to be the most plausible explanation of the origin of the name of the city.

Tehran (a county of Iran, around the city)


سرباز

head

سَرْباز • (sarbâz)

fa-proper noun

سَرْباز • (sarbâz)

سَرْباز (canonical)
sarbâz (romanization)

From سر (sar, “head”) + باز (-bâz, “to loose, to let go”).

compound

Sistan and Baluchestan
w:Sistan and Baluchestan

Sarbaz (a city and county of Sistan and Baluchestan Province, Iran)


بن

Chaharmahal and Bakhtiari Province#English

Ben (a county of Chaharmahal and Bakhtiari Province, Iran)


مشهد

Mashhad (a county of Iran, around the city)


شیراز

head

شیراز • (širâz)

fa-proper noun

شیراز • (širâz)

Shiraz (a county of Iran, around the city)


یزد

From Middle Persian 𐭩𐭦𐭣𐭲𐭩 (yzdty /yazd/, “god, divinity”), from Avestan 𐬫𐬀𐬰𐬀𐬙𐬀 (yazata, “yazata, (an entity that is) worthy of worship”).

der

Yazd (a county of Iran, around the city)


کرمان

kirmān (romanization)
kermân (romanization)

Kerman (a county of Iran, around the city)


خوی

Khoy County (a county of West Azerbaijan Province, Iran)


تبریز

[t̪ʰäb.ɾéːz]

[t̪ʰäb.ɾéːz]

[t̪ʰäb.ɾéːz]

[t̪ʰäb.ɾéːz]

[t̪ʰæb.ɹíːz]

Mount Sahand
Sarpol-e Zahab County
de:Gilzanu
fa:تبریز

Unknown.
After the earliest resemblance it has been implied of Urartian origin by being equated with Neo-Assyrian mentions of cities [script needed] (Tarwi, Tarui) and [script needed] (Tarmakisa, Tarwakisa) in the Sangibutu = Gilzanu = Baru = Bāri district occupied by Urartu, which equation however has been reckoned far-fetched, seemingly because this region is to the west of Lake Urmia, “though it must be stressed that the concept of a linear boundary wholly fails to express the complex patterns of relationships which existed between neighbouring regions and interspersed peoples,” leading to the suggestion of Iranian origin since the area of Tabriz was territory of the Medes known by another homonymous Sangibuti, possibly equivalent to تو (taw, “pool, puddle”) + ریز (rēz, “flow”) as in إِبْرِيق (ʔibrīq) referring to the springs of mineral water that rise on the slopes of Mount Sahand; however a place-forming suffix ـویج (-vīj) is known, attached to تر (tar, “fresh, moist”) in the Sarpol-e Zahab County village name ترویج (tarvij, literally “watery place”).

Tabriz (a county of Iran, around the city)


اصفهان

head

اصفهان • (isfahān /esfahân or isfihān /esfehân)

isfahān (romanization)
esfahân (romanization)
isfihān (romanization)
esfehân (romanization)
اصفهانم (first-person singular)
اصفهانیم (first-person plural)
اصفهانی (second-person singular)
اسپهان (alternative)
سپاهان (alternative)

[ʔɪs.fä.ɦɑ́ːn]

[ʔɪs.fä.ɦɑ́ːn]

[ʔɪs.fɑːɑ́ːn]

From earlier form, سپاهان (sipahān /sepahân) from Middle Persian [script needed] (spʾhʾn /Spāhān/) ultimately from Old Persian *spādānah (“connected with the army”) or *spādānām (“of the armies”), from 𐎿𐎱𐎠𐎭 (s-p-a-d /spādaʰ/, “army”), from Proto-Iranian *cwáHdah (“army”); see there for further information.

اصفهانی

isfahānī / esfahâni or isfihānī / esfehâni

Isfahan (a county of Iran, around the city)


رشت

head

رشت • (Rašt)

fa-proper noun

رشت • (Rašt)

English: Rasht

Rasht (a county of Iran, around the city)


ساری

head

ساری • (sārī /sâri)

fa-proper noun

ساری • (sārī /sâri)

Sari (a county of Iran, around the city)


قزوین

qazwīn (romanization)
ġazvin (romanization)

Qazvin (a county of Iran, around the city).


قم

qum (romanization)
ġom (romanization)
کنب (alternative obsolete)
کمب (alternative obsolete)
کم (alternative obsolete)
قنب (alternative obsolete)

→ Chagatai: قم

Uzbek: Qum

Dehkhoda Dictionary
Dehkhoda Dictionary Institute
Tarikh-i Qum
University of Tehran Press
fa:قم

Immediately from Arabic, since the city was founded by Arabs in 685 and because ق (q) does not occur in native Persian words. The 988 book History of Qum offers several etymologies:
* An Arabic corruption of Classical Persian کُومَه (kūma, “shed; hut”), since the site of the city was previously used by shepherds for shelter. This may be the most plausible.
* An Arabic corruption of the nearby Persian village of کُوب (kūb).
* From Arabic قُمْ (qum, “stand up!”, singular imperative of قَامَ (qāma, “to stand up”)), with various religious etymologies (e.g. because the Prophet Muhammad was ordered to "stand up" on the site of the city during his heavenly journey); these are obvious cases of folk etymology.
Ali-Akbar Dehkhoda claims that the alternative spellings کُنْب (kunb), کُمْب (kumb), and کُم (kum), which are attested in Classical Persian, are the original forms, and that قُم (qum) is an Arabicised derivative of them.

cog

singular imperative of <i class="Arab mention" lang="ar">قَامَ</i> (qāma, “to stand up”)


گرگان

head

گرگان • (gorgân)

fa-proper noun

گرگان • (gorgân)

From Middle Persian 𐭢𐭥𐭫𐭢𐭠𐭭 (Gurgān), from Old Persian 𐎺𐎼𐎣𐎠𐎴 (Varkāna), from Proto-Iranian *wr̥kāna- (compare Avestan 𐬬𐬆𐬵𐬭𐬐𐬁𐬥𐬀 (Vəhrkāna)).
Equivalent to گرگ (gorg, “wolf”) + suffix.
Borrowed into Ancient Greek as Ὑρκᾱνίᾱ (Hurkāníā).

Gorgan (a county of Iran, around the city)


بیرجند

bīrjand (romanization)
birjand (romanization)

[biːɹ.d͡ʒæn̪d̪̥]

Birjand (a county of Iran, around the city)


میامی

meyâmi (romanization)
mayâmi (romanization)
mayâmey (romanization)

Meyami (a city and county of Semnan Province, Iran)


زنجان

zanjān (romanization)
zanjân (romanization)

Zanjan (a county of Iran, around the city)


سمنان

head

سمنان • (simnān /semnân) (Tajik spelling Симнон)

simnān (romanization)
semnân (romanization)
spelling Симнон (Tajik)

Semnan (a county of Iran, around the city)


اردبیل

ardebil (romanization)
ardabil (romanization)
اردویل (alternative archaic)

Ardabil (a county of Iran, around the city)


بوشهر

بوشهر • (bušehr)

fa-proper noun

بوشهر • (bušehr)

Bushehr (a county of Iran, around the city)


کرمانشاه

head

کرمانشاه • (kirmānšāh /kermânšâh)

fa-proper noun

کرمانشاه • (kirmānšāh /kermânšâh)

kirmānšāh (romanization)
kermânšâh (romanization)

[kʰɪɾ.mɑːn.ʃɑ́ːʱ]

[kʰɪɾ.mɑːn.ʃɑ́ːʱ]

[kʰɪɾ.mɑːn.ʃɑ́ː]

[kʰiɾ.mɔːn.ʃɔ́ː]

[kʰʲeɹ.mɒːn.ʃɒ́ːʰ]

کرمان (kermân, “Kerman”) + شاه (šâh, “king”).

Kermanshah (a county of Iran, around the city)


اهواز

head

اهواز • (ahwāz /ahvâz) (Tajik spelling Аҳвоз)

ahwāz (romanization)
ahvâz (romanization)
spelling Аҳвоз (Tajik)

From Arabic أَهْوَاز (ʔahwāz), a shortened form of سُوق الْأَهْوَاز (sūq al-ʔahwāz), a partial-calque of Middle Persian Hūǰestān-wāzār (literally “the market of Khuzestan”), name of a major town in Sassanian-era. The word is the broken-plural form of Middle Persian hwc (Hūz). Related to هویزه (hoveyze) and خوزستان (xuzestân); see there for more.

der

Ahvaz (a county of Iran, around the city)


همدان

[ʔä.mä.d̪ɑ́ːn]

[ʔä.mä.d̪ɔ́ːn]

Hamadan (a county of Iran, around the city)


سلماس

head

سلماس • (salmâs)

fa-proper noun

سلماس • (salmâs)

Salmas County (a county of West Azerbaijan Province, Iran)


مرند

[mä.ɾän̪d̪̥]

[mæ.ɹæn̪d̪̥]

Unknown, see Arabic مَرَنْد (marand) above.

Marand County (a county of East Azerbaijan Province, Iran)


سنندج

Sanandaj (a county of Iran, around the city)


خرم‌آباد

خرمآباد (canonical)
xurram-ābād (romanization)
xorram-âbâd (romanization)

Khorramabad (a county of Iran, around the city)


کرج

karaj (romanization)
کَرَه (alternative archaic)

[kʰä.ɾǽd͡ʒ̥]

[kʰʲæ.ɹǽd͡ʒ̥]

Uncertain. Some possibilities include:
* Related to کرج (karj or karaj, “collar's button, hole or gap (in general or in clothes)”), because of the city's location in a crevice.
* Contraction of کرجی (karaji, “small boat”), referring to the fact of having to use one to cross the nearby river of the same name.
*Most likely related to کرمانشاه (kermânšâh, “Kermanshah”) and other place names starting with "کر", from Avestan 𐬔𐬀𐬌𐬭𐬌 (gaⁱri, “mountain”), again referencing the city's terrain. Cognate with غور and Baluchi گر.

quote-book

از صید ماهی تا پادشاهی

1969, Hamzeh Sardadvar, از صید ماهی تا پادشاهی [From Fishing to the Kingdom], →ISBN:

quote-journal

Karaji dialect

2012 September, Reza Aghazadeh, “Karaji dialect”, in Iranian Society for the Promotion of Persian Language and Literature, volume 1, page 86:
فریدون جنیدی در مقاله "گزارشی پیرامون معنی واژه کرمان" بخش نخست این واژه یعنی "کر" را در واژه کرمان، کرمانشاه (کرماشا)، کرند، کراج، کرج و بسیاری از جایهای دیگر از واژه کئری kaeri (گَئِری gaeri) اوستایی به معناي رشته کوه میگیرند […]
Fereydun Janidi in the article "A report on the word Kerman's meaning" derived the first part of this word "kar" attested in Kermân, Kermânšâh (Kermâšâ), Kerend, Karâj, Karaj and many other places from Avestan kaeri (gaeri) meaning mountain range […]

Karaj (a county of Iran, around the city)


شهرکرد

[ʃäɦ.ɾɪ.kʰʊɹd̪]

[ʃäɦ.ɾɪ.kʰʊɹd̪]

[ʃɑː.ɾɪ.kʰʊɹd̪]

[ʃɔː.ɾu.kʰuɹd̪̥]

[ʃæɦ.ɹe.kʰoɹd̪̥]

Shahr-e Kord
Shahr-e Kord#English:_Q1279085

Shahr-e Kord (a county of Iran, around the city)


بندر عباس

head

بندر عباس • (bandar abbās /bandar abbâs)

bandar abbās (romanization)
bandar abbâs (romanization)

Bandar Abbas
Bandar Abbas#English:_Q154757

Bandar Abbas (a county of Iran, around the city)


ایلام

ایلام • (īlām /ilâm)

fa-proper noun

ایلام • (īlām /ilâm)

īlām (romanization)
ilâm (romanization)
عیلام (alternative)

From the name of the civilization, عیلام. See there for more.

Ilam (a county of Iran, around the city)


بویراحمد

buyir-ahmad (romanization)
boyer-ahmad (romanization)

Kohgiluyeh and Boyer-Ahmad
Kohgiluyeh and Boyer-Ahmad#English

Boyer-Ahmad (a county of Iran, with Yasuj, capital of Kohgiluyeh and Boyer-Ahmad Province, as its capital)


اراک

head

اراک • (arāk /arâk) (Tajik spelling Арок)

arāk (romanization)
arâk (romanization)
spelling Арок (Tajik)

Persianization of earlier عراق (irāq, arāq /erâġ, arâġ), from Arabic اَلْعِرَاق (al-ʕirāq), possibly a reference to عِرَاق الْعَجَم (ʕirāq al-ʕajam, “Persian Iraq”). The origin of Arabic اَلْعِرَاق (al-ʕirāq) itself is uncertain, and some say it is an Arabization of اراک, not the other way around. That would ultimately derive it from Middle Persian [script needed] (ˀyrg /ērag/) or [script needed] (ˀl'k' /erāg/, “lowlands”).

fa-xlit

عِرَاق, عَرَاق

der

Arak (a county of Iran, around the city)


بجنورد

head

بجنورد • (bujnūrd /bojnurd) (Tajik spelling Буҷнурд)

bujnūrd (romanization)
bojnurd (romanization)
spelling Буҷнурд (Tajik)

Bojnord (a county of Iran, around the city)


زاهدان

زاهدان • (zāhidān /zâhedân) (Tajik spelling Зоҳидон)

zāhidān (romanization)
zâhedân (romanization)
spelling Зоҳидон (Tajik)

[zɑː.ɦɪ.d̪ɑːn]

[zɑː.ɦɪ.d̪ɑːn]

Zahedan (a county of Iran, around the city)


ارومیه

ارومیه • (urūmiya /orumiye) (Tajik spelling Урумия)

urūmiya (romanization)
orumiye (romanization)
spelling Урумия (Tajik)

Urmia (a county of Iran, around the city)