Isfahan name meaning in Urdu and English
- Meaning
- Of the armies; the place where armies gathered
- Urdu meaning
- لشکروں والا، فوجوں کے جمع ہونے کی جگہ
- Gender
- Girl or boy
- Origin
- Persian
- Pronunciation
- Is-fa-haan (in Iran: Es-fa-haan)
- Other spellings
- Esfahan, Ispahan, Isfahaan, Asfahan
About the name Isfahan
Isfahan (اصفہان) is the name of one of Iran's great historic cities. It goes back to the older Iranian forms Spahan and Sepahan, built on the Persian word for an army (sepah, the root of sipahi, soldier). That is why the name is explained as "of the armies" or the place where armies gathered. Hamza al-Isfahani, a 10th-century scholar from the city, wrote that Isfahan means "the armies".
As a personal name Isfahan is uncommon, which is part of its appeal for parents who love Persian culture and history. It is used for both boys and girls; there is no long naming tradition either way.
Isfahan in history
Isfahan flourished under the Seljuqs in the 11th and 12th centuries and became the capital of Safavid Iran under Shah Abbas I, who moved the capital there in 1598. Its great square, Naqsh-e Jahan, with the Shah (Imam) Mosque and the Sheikh Lotfollah Mosque, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
The city's mosques, palaces, bridges, gardens and crafts gave rise to the Persian saying "Isfahan nesf-e jahan": Isfahan is half the world.
Is Isfahan an Islamic name?
Isfahan is a Persian place name, not an Arabic or Quranic name, and it does not appear in the Quran. The city has a long and important place in Islamic history, and the meaning of the name is not objectionable. If you want a religious ruling on using it as a child's name, ask a mufti.
اصفہان نام کا مطلب
اصفہان فارسی زبان کا ایک تاریخی نام ہے اور ایران کے ایک قدیم اور مشہور شہر کا نام بھی۔ یہ پرانے ایرانی ناموں سپاہان اور سپہان سے نکلا ہے، جن کی بنیاد لفظ سپاہ (لشکر، فوج) ہے۔ اسی لیے اصفہان کے معنی لشکروں والا یا فوجوں کے جمع ہونے کی جگہ بیان کیے جاتے ہیں۔
اصفہان اپنی مساجد، محلات، باغات، فنِ تعمیر اور علمی و ادبی ورثے کی وجہ سے مشہور ہے، اور صفوی دور میں ایران کا دارالحکومت رہا۔ یہ نام قرآن میں نہیں آیا۔ بطور نام یہ لڑکوں اور لڑکیوں دونوں کے لیے رکھا جاتا ہے۔
Similar names
Questions
What is the meaning of Isfahan in Urdu?
In Urdu, Isfahan (اصفہان) means لشکروں والا، فوجوں کے جمع ہونے کی جگہ. In English it means: Of the armies; the place where armies gathered.
Is Isfahan a boy's or a girl's name?
Isfahan is first a place name. As a modern given name it is used for both boys and girls; there is no settled tradition either way.
Is Isfahan an Arabic name?
No. It is Persian. The Urdu and Persian spelling اصفہان uses the Arabic script, but the word itself comes from old Iranian forms such as Spahan.
Is Isfahan mentioned in the Quran?
No. Isfahan does not appear in the Quran, as a personal name or as a place.
How do you pronounce Isfahan?
In Pakistan it is usually said Is-fa-haan; in Iran it is closer to Es-fa-haan.
اصفہان نام کا مطلب کیا ہے؟
اصفہان کا مطلب ہے: لشکروں والا، فوجوں کے جمع ہونے کی جگہ۔ یہ فارسی زبان کا نام ہے۔
Sources
- Encyclopaedia Iranica: Isfahan, pre-Islamic period (origin of the name)
- UNESCO World Heritage: Meidan Emam (Naqsh-e Jahan), Esfahan
Meanings are checked by hand against Arabic, Persian and Urdu usage; English spellings vary. Found a mistake? Tell us.
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