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NAZARIAN Origin of surname

This family name derives from a personal characteristic or nickname. Nazarian is a surname found among the Jews of Iran, derived from Nazar, which means "opinion" in Farsi (Persian). The suffix "-ian" designates the plural form in Iranian family names. The surname Nazarian is recorded as a Jewish family name with the Nazarian family, originally from the town of Urmia (now in Azerbaijan). According to tradition, the first Jews arrived at Urmia with the Assyrians, before the Babylonian exile. In modern times the Jews of Urmia also spoke Kurdish and Turkish dialects, in addition to Farsi. Distinguished bearers of the family name Nazarian include the Iranian-born American businessmen and philanthropists Ishak Parviz Nazarian (born 1930), president of Magbit Foundation, and his brother Younes David Nazarian (born 1931), as well as Samuel Nazarian (born 1975) (the son of Younes Nazarian), an Iranian-born American businessman and CEO of the SBE Entertaiment Group.
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NAZARIAN Origin of surname
This family name derives from a personal characteristic or nickname. Nazarian is a surname found among the Jews of Iran, derived from Nazar, which means "opinion" in Farsi (Persian). The suffix "-ian" designates the plural form in Iranian family names. The surname Nazarian is recorded as a Jewish family name with the Nazarian family, originally from the town of Urmia (now in Azerbaijan). According to tradition, the first Jews arrived at Urmia with the Assyrians, before the Babylonian exile. In modern times the Jews of Urmia also spoke Kurdish and Turkish dialects, in addition to Farsi. Distinguished bearers of the family name Nazarian include the Iranian-born American businessmen and philanthropists Ishak Parviz Nazarian (born 1930), president of Magbit Foundation, and his brother Younes David Nazarian (born 1931), as well as Samuel Nazarian (born 1975) (the son of Younes Nazarian), an Iranian-born American businessman and CEO of the SBE Entertaiment Group.
Written by researchers of ANU Museum of the Jewish People