Iran vs. Persia: Understanding the Names and History

The names “Iran” and “Persia” evoke images of ancient empires, poetic traditions, and vibrant cultures. Yet many are unsure why one country carries two distinct names, and what each represents. In this post, we’ll explore the origins of these names, their historical usage, and the nuances that persist in modern times.

1. Etymology and Ancient Roots

• Persia

  • Derived from Pars (also “Fars”), a region in southwestern Iran that was the heartland of the ancient Achaemenid Empire (c. 550–330 BCE).

  • Greek historians called the empire “Persis,” which became “Persia” in Latin and later in European languages.

  • Over centuries, “Persia” came to denote not only Fars but the entire Iranian plateau and its ruling dynasties.

• Iran

  • From the Old Persian word Aryānām, meaning “Land of the Aryans.”

  • In Middle Persian (the Sassanian era, 224–651 CE), the name evolved into Ērān, referring to the people rather than a specific province.

  • Locally, the country’s inhabitants have long referred to their land as “Ērān” or “Iranshahr” (“Empire of the Iranians”).

2. Persia in Western Imagination

For much of Europe’s contact with the East—from Alexander the Great’s campaigns (4th century BCE) to the Silk Road era—the land of the Achaemenids, Parthians, and Sassanians was “Persia.” Western literature, art, and scholarship used “Persia” to describe:

• Artistic Traditions: Persian rugs, miniatures, and poetry by Rumi or Hafez.

• Orientalist Scholarship: 19th‑ and early 20th‑century explorers, archaeologists, and painters who documented “Persian” monuments and customs.

“Persia” thus acquired romantic and exotic overtones in Europe and America—a place of jasmine‑scented courtyards, scholarly …