A directory of names used by Iranians during the rule of the House of Arsaces (Parthian Dynasty)
~200 BCE - 220 CE

The list of names you see here are extracted from the immensely important bookkeeping/trade memos/documents found in Nisa that includes a large number of personal names that we could deduct were used in Iran during the Parthian rule. See Parthian Economic Documents from Nisa. Plates III. Diakonoff, I. M. Livshits, V. A. & MacKenzie, D. N.

Reading Guide

Ā,ā = tall, ball = آ
A,a = bat, apple
Ī,ī = Teeth
Ō,ō = Goat
Ē,ē = Read

Ž,ž = (jh) Boujee
Č,č = Chin, Chew
Θ,θ = Thin, Third
Š,š = Sheep, Sugar
X,x = nacht (German) hear it

👑 Names marked by a crown, shows is an indication that, that name has been used by a Parthian King as well.
*Name: Names marked by a star and bolded, are names that are used to this day in the Iranian world with little change

A (Ā,U,Ō)

Āgōz
Ahurmazd-ak
Ahurmazd-dāt
Ahurmazdik
Am-pād
Am-tanook
Am-tāw
Am-tōn
Anu-Pash-ak
Apur-sīk
Afzarwat
Ark-Mihr
Ark-Mihr-ak
Arš-ak 👑
Arš-tīm
Arta-dāt
Arta-dāt-ak
Arta-pān
Arta-wahišt-ak
Arte-warčič
Arwast
Arwastič
Arwatič
Arya-Bām
Arya-Bānuk
Arya-Barzan
Arya-Bōžan

Arya-xšahrak
Arya-ni(a)st-ak
Arya-friyān-ak
Arya-sāxt
Arya-zan
Aržak
Asp-ičak
Asp-i(a)k
Asp-ēnak
Astaxw
Āθi-dāt
Āθi-zāt
Ātar-dāt
Ātar-mihrak
Ātar-ēn
Ātar-ēnak
Ātur-špat
Ōg-dātak
Ōg-tanūk
Upmaxšahr
Upnisānak
Upastā(w?)k
Upastānak
Aw-pāšak
Uzbartak
Āzak
Āzn

B

Bāf-Kārin
Bag-dāt
Bag-ēnak
Baxt-dātak
Baxt-mart
Baxt-sāsān
Baxt-ik
Bard-.. (?)
Barkāmak

Barz-mihrak
Barz-ān
Barz-pādik/Barz-pādak
Barz-pāš
Barz-ēn
Bitixšakān
Buxt-ak
Bōž-ak
Bōž-māh

D

Dbēšič
Dadbīk
Dahyum
Dahyum-it
Dām-dāt
Dām-yāt

Dēn-Barik
Dēn-darič
Dēn-mazd-ak
Dēn-bāt-ak
Dēn-ič/Dēn-iš

F

Frāy
Fra-baxt-ak
Frād-buxt
Frādah
Frādahak
Fradāhič
Frād-ak 👑
Frād-mihr
Frād-aramn
Frādāt
Frax-wāšt-ak
Frāhak
*Frahāt 👑
Frahātak
Frāhēn
Frāhēn-ak
Farn-bag
Farn-bāzān

Farn-axw
Farn-xwandak
Fraš-dātak?
Frat
Frat-akān
Frat-am
Frawart-bōžan
Frōtak(?)
Friya-dāt-ak
Friya-dāt-ī(?)
Friya-dāt-ī-mihr
Friya-dāt-ī-mihr-ak
Friya-dāt-ī-pāt
Friya-dāt-ī-pāt-ak
Friya-mihr-ak
Friya-pāt
Friya-pāt-ak

G

Gar-fam
Gar-zik
Gō-dāt
Gō-dātit

Gōr
Gōtarz 👑
Gōtarz-ak

X (kh)

Xšahr-rām-nak
Xšēt
Xšēt-ak

Xwarzēn-ak
Xwatā(o)rān

H

Hāmān
Hukār
Hōm
Hōm-dātak
*Hu-man

*Humāy
Humāy-ak
Humazdīk
Huwaspēnak

K

Kārin
Kōfēzāt

Kawēnak
Kawiaršak

M

Mah-bōž
Mah-bōž-ān
Mah-dāt
Mah-dāt-ak
Mah-čihr
*Mah-ēn
Mah-ēnak
Manušen
Mānīk
Margārīt(may be a non Iranian name)
Mart-bōžān
Mihr-barzan
Mihr-buxt
Mihr-bōž-ān

*Mihr-dāt 👑
Mihr-dāt-ak
Mihr-xšahr
Mihr-xwāšt-ak
Mihr-ak
Mihr-fradāt-ak
Mihr-farn
Mihr-frawart
Mihr-sāsān
Mihr-sāsān-ak
Mihr-ičak
Mihr
Mihr-ēnak
Māyak

N

Nanē-farnak

P

Pātēn
Pandānak
Par-farn

Pašīr
Pat-wēšīk
Pat-karān-ak

R

Rām-ān-ak
Ramn
Ramn-ak
*Rām-ēn
Rām-ēn-ak
Rašn

Rašn-dāt-ak
Rašn-mihr
Rōxš
Rōxšn
Rōk
Rēwēn

S

Sakān
Spād-sar-ak
Spādēn
Spand-dāt-ak
Spand-dāt-ič
Spōs
Spōsak
Spōsičak
Saričak
*Srōš-dāt
Srōš-dāt-ak

Srōš-ak
Srōš-Sāsān-ak
Srōš-īk
*Sāsān
Sāsān-Buxt
Sāsān-dāt
Sāsān-ak
Stūr
Stūr-ak
Stūtik
Sēnak

Š (sh)

Šīr
Šīr-ak

Šīr-kir-pak
Šīr-farn

T

Taxm-dāt
Taxm-ak
Tīr
Tīr-i-Bām
Tīr-i-dāt 👑

Tīr-i-dāt-ak
Tīr-i-mihr-ak
Tīr-ēn
Tīr-ēn-ak

W

Wās-dāt-ak
Wahišt-bōž-an
Wahišt-bōž-an-ak
Wahišt-ak
Wahkār
*Wahman/Wahmen
Wahmen-ak
Wahmaničak
Wahman-ič
Waharš-ak
Wafrak
Wifrāy?
Wardak
Warxšētak
Warčak
Warčičak
Warčēnak
Warhragn
Warhragn-Bōž-an
Warhragn-dāt-ak
Warhragn-ak
Warhragn-māy-ak
Warhragn-Bāt
Warhragn-Bāt-ak

Warhragn-Sarak?
Warhragn-Sāsān
Warhragn-ič/iš
Warhragn-zanak
Wispwāzak
Wičārič
Wāy-Bōž-an
Wāy-Bōž-an-ak
Wehtar-ān
Wind-Farn-ak
Wāy-Farn-ič
Wīrām-ak
Wīrnās-ak
Wīrāšt-ān
Wīr-tanūk
Wēs
Wisp-gōn-ak
Wisp-zan-ak
Wistam
Wistam-ak
Wist-Farn-ak
Wiš-Farn
Wiwān

Etymology - Link to a dictionary (In progress)

-ak: Diminutive suffix
Arta: Avestan: 𐬀𐬴𐬀 'truth' and 'right(eousness)', 'order' and 'right working'
Arya: Aryan, Iranian
Asp: Horse
Ātar: Ādur, Fire, Fire Deity (Modern form: Āzar)
Baxt: Allotted
Bōž: -Buxt: Parthian /buxtan, bōž-/, “to free, liberate, save”, “saved by…“
-Dāt: Given/Gave - dād (Modern Persian, meaning given)
Farn: Farnah: Parn: Splendor
Fria: Frya: Dear (Kr), beloved, affectionate; a friend, a well-wisher
Hu: Ahu: Lord
Mah: Māh, the Moon
Man: 1. to think; 2. to resemble
Mihr: Mithr, Mitr, the Sun, Mithra
Rām: Ramn: Peace
Sāsān: Old Iranian, translating to *Sāsāna ("defeating the enemy")
Šīr: Lion
Tīr: Avestan: 𐬙𐬌𐬱𐬙𐬭𐬌𐬌𐬀, Tištrya | name of a Zoroastrian benevolent divinity associated with life-bringing rainfall and fertility
Wahišt: Avestan 𐬬𐬀𐬵𐬌𐬱𐬙𐬋-𐬀𐬢𐬵𐬎𐬱-‎ vahištō-aŋhuš-, “paradise”, literally “the best existence”
Warhragn: Verethragna (Avestan: 𐬬𐬆𐬭𐬆𐬚𐬭𐬀𐬖𐬥𐬀‎ vərəθraγna) is an Indo-Iranian deity and meaning ‘victorious‘ = Vahrām = Bahrām (Modern Iranian Name)

Learn more about Parthian names from Iranica: