What Was Iran Called Before 1935? Persia, Irān, and Airyanem Vaejah

Before 1935, the country now known as Iran went by different names depending on who was speaking, when, and in what language.

1. “Persia” — The Western Exonym

• Origin: Greek Persis (from Old Persian Pārsa), the name of the southwestern province (modern Fars) where the Achaemenid Empire arose.
• Usage: Standard in European languages, diplomacy, maps, and literature from antiquity until 1935.
• Why it stuck: Greeks knew the empire through its heartland (Parsa); the name generalized to the whole realm.

2. “Irān” (Īrān) — The Endonym

• Etymology: Middle Persian Ērān “Land of the Aryans” < Old Persian aryānām (genitive plural of arya “Aryan/noble”).
• Used internally: Sassanid inscriptions (3rd c. CE) call the empire Ērānšahr “Empire of the Aryans.”
• Continuity: Persians always called their country Iran; “Persia” was for foreigners.

3. “Airyanem Vaejah” — The Mythical Homeland

• Source: Avesta (Zoroastrian scripture), Vendidad 1.1.
• Meaning: “Expanse of the Aryans” or “Land of the Nobles.”
• Cosmology: First of 16 perfect lands created by Ahura Mazda; associated with severe winter (mythic Ice Age memory?).
• Symbolic: Not a political territory—sacred geography of Zoroastrian origins.

The 1935 Name Change

• Reza Shah Pahlavi requested foreign governments use “Iran” (the endonym) in official correspondence.
• Motivation: Nationalist modernization; “Persia” evoked ancient empire, “Iran” emphasized Aryan identity and continuity.
• Implementation: 21 March 1935 (Nowruz); diplomatic notes sent; League of Nations notified.
• Reversal attempt: 1959, Mohammad Reza Shah allowed “Persia” and “Iran” interchangeably after pushback from scholars/cultural figures.
• Today: Official name = Islamic Republic of Iran (since 1979). Both “Iran” and “Persia” used in English; “Persian” for language/culture.

Summary Table

The shift from “Persia” to “Iran” was a deliberate act of national self-definition—reclaiming the name Persians had used for millennia, while the world caught up.