Mehrdād ( fa, مهرداد, ) is a common
Persian male given name in
Iran and other Persian speaking countries. The name is derived from ''
Mehr'', an angelic
Zoroastrian divinity (''
yazata'') of
covenant,
light, and
oath. The Persian word ''mehr'' (مهر) also means "sun" or "love", while ''dād'' (داد) means "given". So, the literal meaning of Mehrdād (مهرداد) is "given by sun" or "given by love".
Mehrdad is a historical Persian name that derives from
Middle Persian ''Mihrdāt'' (Old Persian ''Miθradāta''), a
theophoric name meaning 'given by Mehr'.
In modern-day Iran, the name Mehrdad is also retroactively applied to several historic Persian figures that appear in western literature as
Mithridates
Mithridates or Mithradates ( Old Persian 𐎷𐎡𐎰𐎼𐎭𐎠𐎫 ''Miθradāta'') is the Hellenistic form of an Iranian theophoric name, meaning "given by the Mithra". Its Modern Persian form is Mehrdad. It may refer to:
Rulers
*Of Cius (al ...
, a Hellenized or philhellenic form of Mehrdad.
People
*
Mehrdad Pahlbod
Mehrdad Pahlbod (; 16 March 1917 – 9 August 2018), born as Ezatollah Minbashian ( fa, عزتالله مینباشیان, links=no), was an Iranian politician who served as the first culture minister of Iran from 1964 until 1978.
Biograph ...
(1917–2018), Iranian politician
*
Mehrdad Kia
Mehrdad Kia is Professor of History and Director of Central and Southwest Asian Studies at the University of Montana. He focusses on the history of the Middle East, Central Asia, North Africa and on the civilizational history of Islam. He received ...
, historian
References
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Given names
Persian masculine given names
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