Persian (Jalali) calendar months in order, with meanings

If you only remember one thing: the Persian year front-loads its long months. Six 31-day months, then five 30-day months, then a short Esfand to close it out. That structure isn’t arbitrary. It tracks the Sun.

The 12 months at a glance

Here’s the full set in order, with lengths and roughly where each one sits on the Gregorian calendar:

The first six months add up to 186 days, the next five to 150, and Esfand brings a common year to 365. In a leap year Esfand gets a 30th day for 366 — that rare 30 Esfand being the calendar’s leap day.

Why the long months come first

The split (31, then 30, then a short month) isn’t a quirk. The Persian calendar is astronomical: the Sun moves slightly slower through the sky during the northern spring and summer (Earth is near aphelion around July), so the first half of the year is a touch longer. The calendar mirrors that by giving the spring and summer months an extra day each. It’s one of the more accurate calendars in everyday use.

What the names mean

Most of the month names come from Zoroastrian tradition: they’re the names of Yazatas, the divine or sacred concepts of ancient Iranian religion.

• Farvardin: from Faravahar / Fravashi, the guardian spirits of the departed.
• Ordibehesht: Asha Vahishta, “best truth” or “best righteousness.”
• Khordad: Haurvatat, “wholeness” or “perfection.”
• Tir: linked to Tishtrya, the star associated with rain.
• Mordad: Ameretat, “immortality.”
• Shahrivar: Khshathra Vairya, “desirable dominion.”
• Mehr: Mithra, the deity of covenant, light, and the Sun.
• Aban: Apas, “the waters.”
• Azar: Atar, “fire.”
• Dey: from Dadvah / Dathush, “the creator.”
• Bahman: Vohu Manah, “good mind” or “good purpose.”
• Esfand: Spenta Armaiti, “holy devotion.”

There’s real poetry in a calendar where the months are named for truth, the waters, fire, and the good mind. It’s a window into how the year was understood, not just counted.

Converting and counting

If you’re reading a Persian date and want its Gregorian equivalent (or vice versa), the Jalali ⇄ Gregorian converter does it instantly. And if you want your age in Persian months and days, the age calculator breaks it down in whichever calendar you prefer.