Mehriban

Syllable breakdown

Name meaning and origin

Origin

Azerbaijani (Azerbaijan)

Meaning

a Persian-derived Azerbaijani feminine name meaning kind, gentle, affectionate, or loving, from Persian mehr (مهر, love, affection, the sun, as well as the Zoroastrian deity of covenant) and the suffix -ban (keeper, guardian, one who tends); the name combines two semantic layers: mehr as love and devotion in the Persian literary tradition, and mehr as the sun in the ancient Iranian religious tradition, giving Mehriban a meaning that encompasses both warm affection and solar radiance; the name is widely used in Azerbaijan, Iran, and Tajikistan and is considered one of the most classical and poetic feminine names in the Persian-Turkic naming tradition; in contemporary Azerbaijan the name is most prominently associated with Mehriban Aliyeva, the First Lady and First Vice President, who has made the name internationally recognisable in diplomatic contexts

Gender

female

Also spelled

Mehribon, Mehribanu