The 12 Persian Month Names: Order, Meanings and Dates
Farvardin, Ordibehesht, Khordad, Tir, Mordad, Shahrivar, Mehr, Aban, Azar, Dey, Bahman and Esfand are the twelve month names used in this Iranian calendar.
Babylon Encyclopedia · Published November 2, 2026 · Companion to Babylon Persia ↗
The names in order
The names preserve older Iranian religious vocabulary and dedications. This table carries forward the historical associations already documented in Babylon Persia’s month-name register.
| Name | Persian | Association | Background |
|---|---|---|---|
| Farvardin | فروردین | Guardian spirits (fravashis) | Preserves the Zoroastrian dedication to the fravashis. |
| Ordibehesht | اردیبهشت | Best truth / highest order | From Asha Vahishta, associated with truth and right order. |
| Khordad | خرداد | Wholeness / completeness | From Haurvatat, associated with wholeness and waters. |
| Tir | تیر | Tishtrya / Sirius | A star-associated divine name connected with rain in Iranian tradition. |
| Mordad / Amordad | مرداد | Immortality | The older Amordad preserves the sense of not dying; associated with plants. |
| Shahrivar | شهریور | Desirable dominion | From Khshathra Vairya, associated with worthy rule and metals. |
| Mehr | مهر | Mithra / covenant | Preserves the name of Mithra, associated with covenant. |
| Aban | آبان | The waters | A Middle Persian plural; an old dedication to the waters. |
| Azar | آذر | Fire | Preserves the Iranian word and religious association of fire. |
| Dey | دی | Creator | An old divine epithet, rather than a weather description. |
| Bahman | بهمن | Good mind | From Vohu Manah, associated with good thought or purpose. |
| Esfand | اسفند | Beneficent devotion | From Spenta Armaiti; associated with devotion and the earth. |
A month name and a date do different work
The name identifies a month within the solar year. Its historical association explains a word or dedication. Neither supplies a measurement of an individual’s feelings or the day’s weather.
Aban, for example, carries an association with waters. The calendar still determines its civil dates through the Solar Hijri year. To locate a particular day, use the printed calendar rows rather than a symbolic meaning.
Mordad and Amordad
The site’s register presents both Mordad and the older Amordad form. Its background note connects Amordad with immortality and plants. Keeping the alternative spelling visible helps readers recognize different transliterations and historical forms.
Find a month in 1405
The companion annual guide lists the exact Gregorian beginning and ending date of each month for the loaded year. The interactive calendar adds each day’s published lunar date and observances. Read the name here, then follow it into the calendar to see the dates it contains.
Explore this in Babylon Persia.
Choose a day and follow the published calendar, Moon view and prayer-clock explanations.
Explore the months in the calendar ↗