Personal names in the Sasanian Empire

Many Middle Persian names in religious and non-religious texts followed the same naming patterns as earlier times. New type of names were also created during the Middle Iranian period. A unique habit in the Zoroastrian tradition was to simply translate Avestan names into the Pahlavi script.^[1]

Overall, the popularity of different name types changed compared to older times. Two-part names still existed but were no longer the most common choice. Only a very small number of names were direct continuations of Old Iranian names. For example, the Middle Persian name Gunda-farr comes from Old Persian Vinda-farnah, Husrav from Hu-sravah, and Mihr-dād from Mithra-dāta.^[1]

Fathers and sons frequently shared a name component, such as "Dād-Farrox, son of Dād-Ādur", or had the same names, such as "Dād-Ohrmazd, son of Dād-Ohrmazd". Recording a paternal or family name involved specific grammatical forms. Suffixes like -an or -agan were added to the fathers name to indicate a parent. This modified father's name was usually linked to the son or daughters personal name using the word ī, such as names like Ardaxšīr ī Pābagān ("Ardaxšīr, son of Pābag"). Due to Parthian influence, the ī was sometimes excluded. Alternatively, the father's name followed the son's personal name without any grammatical changes, appearing with or without the Middle Persian word pus ("son").^[1]

During the Old Iranian era, theophoric names were widespread and possibly became even more widespread in later generations. Ādur, Anāhīd, (Ādur-)Farrbay, (Ādur-)Gušnasp, Māh, Mihr, Ohrmazd, and Vahrām were amongst the most common names. Some Sasanian rulers also had theophoric names, such as Ardaxšīr, Šābuhr, Narseh, Vahrām, and Husrav. Some names that include the name of a divinity also has a calendar reference, such as Māh-dād ("Given by Māh" [the Moon-god]), the divinity of the twelfth day of the month. There has been suggestions that these names refer to planets or the zodiac, but according to the German Iranologist Rüdiger Schmitt that is "pure speculation".^[1]

New naming methods emerged for women because traditional names no longer had clear features to separate them from the names of men. One common method was to use the name of a goddess. This could be done either by using the name of the goddess alone, like Spandarmad, or by placing it at the end of a two-part name, like Ādur-Anāhīd. Another method relied on the Middle Persian word duxt ("daughter"). This word was used loosely rather than literally, such as in the case of Yazdān-duxt ("daughter of the gods"). Some names relied on the adjective anōš, which directly translates to "immortal" but also means "sweet", "charming", or "dear". This naming method is the same as Armenian names that end in anoyš, such as Xosrov-anoyš.^[1]