An official at the National Organization for Civil Registration announced that since the beginning of the current Iranian year (started March 21), 65,000 surnames as well as 23,500 first names have been changed at the request of citizens.
Mohsen Esmaili told MNA that while in the past name change required judicial permission, now it can be done at the civil registration offices. He further said that if the change is for a better name, permission will be granted. “However, if one’s current name has a better meaning than the new name, it won’t be agreed to,” he added.
Esmaili explained that a council made up of Persian language professors and local experts decides on the new names proposed and “usually they are rejected if they have foreign etymology.” He also said there is a shortage of names, as for every 1.45 million babies who are born annually there exist only 1,200 names to choose from.
