Armenian Last Name Generator
Surnames in -yan and -ian, homeland and diaspora
500 Armenian surnames, from Eastern forms such as Petrosyan and Darbinyan to Western and diaspora spellings such as Hagopian and Boyajian. Ter- and Der names and old noble houses like Bagratuni are included.
About Armenian last names
Most Armenian surnames end in -yan or -ian, a suffix that means roughly "of" or "belonging to", so Petrosyan is the family of Petros. The root is usually an ancestor's given name, and otherwise a trade, a hometown or a nickname. Noble houses carried family names from antiquity, while most ordinary families settled on a fixed surname much later.
The same name often has two spellings. Eastern Armenian, the standard of the Republic of Armenia, gives Hakobyan, Grigoryan and Karapetyan. Western Armenian, the speech of the Ottoman Armenians and of most of the older diaspora, gives Hagopian, Krikorian and Garabedian. Western trade names lean on Ottoman Turkish words with the ending -ji: Boyajian for a dyer, Ekmekjian for a baker, Kuyumjian for a goldsmith. Eastern families used Armenian words for the same trades, as in Darbinyan, the smith, and Voskerchyan, the goldsmith.
A few prefixes carry history. Ter- in the East and Der in the West mark descent from a married parish priest, as in Ter-Minasyan and Der Hovanessian. Melik- recalls the meliks, the hereditary lords of Karabakh and Syunik. Names in -uni, such as Bagratuni, Artsruni and Rshtuni, belong to the great houses of ancient and medieval Armenia and suit historical fiction better than a modern character.
How to choose Armenian last names
- Choose Eastern or Western and stay with it. A character from Yerevan is Hakobyan, while one whose grandparents left Aleppo, Beirut or Fresno is far more likely to be Hagopian.
- Let the diaspora country shape the spelling. French Armenian families often write ou and dj, as in Kouyoumdjian and Aznavourian, where an American family would write Kuyumjian.
- Match the given name to the branch. Hagop, Krikor and Garabed belong with Western surnames, and Hakob, Grigor and Karapet with Eastern ones.
- Keep the -uni names for history and fantasy. Bagratuni or Mamikonian on a medieval prince reads well, but on a present-day accountant it looks like a costume.
- If you are researching your own family, search under several spellings. Ottoman, Russian, French and American clerks all transliterated the same Armenian name in different ways.
Frequently asked questions
What does -yan or -ian mean in an Armenian last name?
It is a suffix that means roughly "of" or "belonging to" and turns a root into a family name. Sargsyan is the family of Sargis, and Darbinyan is the family of the smith. The spelling -yan follows Eastern Armenian and modern Armenia, while -ian is the older and mostly Western or diaspora spelling of the same ending.
Why are Hakobyan and Hagopian both in the list?
They are the same surname in the two standard forms of the language. The two branches swap sounds: Eastern b, g and d are Western p, k and t, and Eastern p, t and k are Western b, d and g, so Hakobyan becomes Hagopian and Petrosyan becomes Bedrossian. Both forms are in everyday use, so the list gives them as separate entries.
What do Ter- and Der mean in front of a surname?
Both come from the Armenian word for "lord", the title of a married parish priest, and show that a priest stood somewhere in the family line. Eastern Armenians write Ter- with a hyphen, as in Ter-Gabrielyan, and Western Armenians usually write Der as a separate word, as in Der Sarkissian. Derderian simply means a priest's family.
Does a surname ending in -ian prove Armenian ancestry?
No. The ending is a strong hint, but many Persian surnames end in -ian as well, and some Armenian families carry names with no suffix at all, such as Karsh and Vartan in this list. Treat a surname as a clue for research, never as proof of ancestry or faith.
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All 500 Armenian last names
A: 62 names
- Abeghyan
- Abkarian
- Abovyan
- Abrahamyan
- Acharyan
- Adamyan
- Adanalian
- Adoian
- Adonts
- Afeyan
- Agbabian
- Aghabekyan
- Aghajanyan
- Aghayan
- Aghbashian
- Aharonyan
- Aintablian
- Ajemian
- Alaverdyan
- Aleksanyan
- Alikhanyan
- Altounian
- Amatuni
- Amirkhanyan
- Amiryan
- Ananyan
- Andreasyan
- Antonyan
- Apahuni
- Apkarian
- Aprahamian
A, continued
- Arabajian
- Arabian
- Arakelyan
- Aramyan
- Aramyants
- Arevshatyan
- Aronian
- Arshakuni
- Arshakyan
- Arslanian
- Artashesian
- Artinian
- Artsruni
- Arustamyan
- Arzoumanian
- Arzumanyan
- Asadourian
- Asatryan
- Aslanian
- Atabekyan
- Attarian
- Avagyan
- Avakian
- Avanesyan
- Avedikian
- Avedisian
- Avetisyan
- Ayvazyan
- Azaryan
- Azatyan
- Aznavourian
B: 33 names
- Babajanian
- Babayan
- Babikian
- Badalyan
- Bagdasarian
- Bagdikian
- Baghdasaryan
- Baghramyan
- Bagratuni
- Bagratyan
- Bakalian
- Bakhchinyan
- Bakunts
- Balakian
- Balayan
- Balian
- Bardakjian
- Barkhudaryan
- Baronian
- Barseghyan
- Basmajian
- Bayrakdarian
- Bedoukian
- Bedrossian
- Beglaryan
- Beknazaryan
- Berberian
- Bezjian
- Boghossian
- Bogosian
- Bournoutian
- Boyajian
- Bznuni
C: 8 names
- Cavoukian
- Chaderjian
- Chakmakjian
- Charents
- Chilingaryan
- Chilingirian
- Chitjian
- Chobanian
D: 39 names
- Dabaghian
- Dadayan
- Dadrian
- Dallakyan
- Damadian
- Danielyan
- Darbinyan
- Darchinyan
- Davidian
- Davtyan
- Deirmenjian
- Demirchyan
- Demirjian
- Der Bedrossian
- Der Boghossian
- Der Garabedian
- Der Ghazarian
- Der Hagopian
- Der Hovanessian
- Der Kaloustian
- Der Kevorkian
- Der Manuelian
- Der Matossian
- Der Mugrdechian
- Der Nersessian
- Der Parseghian
- Der Sarkissian
- Der Stepanian
- Der Torossian
- Derderian
- Derdzakyan
- Deukmejian
- Devedjian
- Diarbekirian
- Dildilian
- Dimaksian
- Djerejian
- Dolmayan
- Donabedian
E: 4 names
- Egoyan
- Ekmekjian
- Elbakyan
- Eurnekian
G: 22 names
- Gabrielyan
- Galoyan
- Galstyan
- Garabedian
- Garibian
- Gasparyan
- Gevorgyan
- Ghahramanyan
- Gharibyan
- Ghazanchyan
- Ghazaryan
- Ghukasyan
- Gntuni
- Gnuni
- Gregorian
- Grigoryan
- Guédiguian
- Guiragossian
- Gulbenkian
- Gulesserian
- Guzelian
- Gyurjyan
H: 26 names
- Hadjian
- Hagopian
- Hairabedian
- Hakhnazaryan
- Hakhverdyan
- Hakobjanyan
- Hakobyan
- Halajian
- Hamalian
- Hambardzumyan
- Hampartsoumian
- Haroutunian
- Harpootlian
- Harutyunyan
- Hasan-Jalalyan
- Hayrapetyan
- Hekimian
- Helvadjian
- Hetumian
- Hovagimian
- Hovakimyan
- Hovanessian
- Hovhannisyan
- Hovnanian
- Hovnatanyan
- Hovsepian
I: 6 names
- Ipekian
- Isahakyan
- Ishkhanyan
- Iskenderian
- Israelyan
- Izmirlian
J: 4 names
- Jahukyan
- Jamgochian
- Janigian
- Julfalakyan
K: 57 names
- Kahvejian
- Kalantaryan
- Kalaydjian
- Kalfayan
- Kaloustian
- Kalpakian
- Kamalyan
- Kamsarakan
- Kanayan
- Kaprielian
- Kaputikyan
- Karagozian
- Karakashian
- Karakhanyan
- Karamanian
- Karamanoukian
- Karapetyan
- Karayan
- Kardashian
- Karsh
- Kasabian
- Kasparian
- Katanyan
- Kazanjian
- Kazarian
- Kazazian
- Kebabjian
- Keleshian
- Kentikian
- Keosseian
- Kerkorian
- Keshishian
- Kevorkian
- Khachadourian
- Khachatryan
- Khachaturian
- Khachikyan
- Khalatyan
- Khanjian
- Khanzadyan
- Khorkhoruni
- Khrimian
- Khudaverdyan
- Kirakosyan
- Kocharyan
- Kondakjian
- Konialian
- Koshkarian
- Kostandyan
- Kostanyan
- Kouyoumdjian
- Krikorian
- Kuchukian
- Kurdian
- Kurkjian
- Kuyumjian
- Kyurikian
L: 4 names
- Lalayan
- Lazaryan
- Levonian
- Libaridian
M: 62 names
- Mahdessian
- Makaryan
- Maksoudian
- Malakian
- Malkhasyan
- Malkhasyants
- Mamikonian
- Mamoulian
- Manandyan
- Manasyan
- Mandakuni
- Manoogian
- Manouchian
- Manoukian
- Mansurian
- Mantashyants
- Manucharyan
- Manukyan
- Manvelyan
- Marashlian
- Mardirossian
- Margaryan
- Markarian
- Martirosyan
- Matevosyan
- Matossian
- Mazmanyan
- Melik-Adamyan
- Melik-Beglaryan
- Melik-Hakobyan
- Melik-Haykazyan
M, continued
- Melik-Israelyan
- Melik-Ohanjanyan
- Melik-Pashayan
- Melik-Shahnazaryan
- Melik-Tangyan
- Melik-Yeganyan
- Meliksetyan
- Melikyan
- Melkonian
- Melkumyan
- Mesrobian
- Mesropyan
- Mikaelian
- Mikayelyan
- Mikoyan
- Militosyan
- Minassian
- Minasyan
- Mirzoyan
- Missakian
- Mkhitaryan
- Mkrtchyan
- Mnatsakanyan
- Momjian
- Mouradian
- Movsesian
- Movsisyan
- Mugrdechian
- Mukuchyan
- Muradyan
- Musayelyan
N: 10 names
- Nahabedian
- Nahapetyan
- Najarian
- Nakashian
- Nalbandian
- Navasardyan
- Nazarian
- Nersessian
- Nersisyan
- Nigoghossian
O: 10 names
- Odabashian
- Odadjian
- Odian
- Ohanian
- Ohanjanyan
- Ohannessian
- Orbelian
- Oshagan
- Ouzounian
- Ozanian
P: 19 names
- Pahlavuni
- Pahlevanyan
- Pakradounian
- Paluni
- Pamboukian
- Panossian
- Papazian
- Papikyan
- Papyan
- Paronyan
- Parseghian
- Pashayan
- Patapoutian
- Patkanyan
- Pehlivanian
- Petrosyan
- Poghosyan
- Portukalian
- Proshian
R: 2 names
- Rshtuni
- Rubenian
S: 41 names
- Sabounjian
- Safaryan
- Saghatelyan
- Sahagian
- Sahakyan
- Saharuni
- Sahatjian
- Samuelian
- Sarafian
- Sargsyan
- Sarkissian
- Saroyan
- Sarukhanyan
- Saryan
- Sassounian
- Sayadyan
- Sedrakyan
- Semerdjian
- Seropian
- Setrakian
- Shahbazyan
- Shahinian
- Shahnazaryan
- Shahverdyan
- Shekerjian
- Shirinian
- Shishmanian
- Simjian
- Simonyan
- Sinanian
- Sivaslian
- Slkuni
- Soghomonian
- Spendiaryan
- Stamboulian
- Stepanyan
- Sukiasyan
- Sultanyan
- Sundukyan
- Surmelian
- Syuni
T: 51 names
- Tadevosyan
- Tahmazyan
- Takvorian
- Tamanyan
- Tamrazyan
- Tankian
- Tarkhanyan
- Tashjian
- Tatoulian
- Tavitian
- Tavoukjian
- Tekeyan
- Ter-Arakelyan
- Ter-Avetisyan
- Ter-Gabrielyan
- Ter-Ghazaryan
- Ter-Ghevondyan
- Ter-Grigoryan
- Ter-Hakobyan
- Ter-Harutyunyan
- Ter-Hovhannisyan
- Ter-Martirosyan
- Ter-Mikaelyan
- Ter-Minasyan
- Ter-Mkrtchyan
- Ter-Nersesyan
- Ter-Poghosyan
- Ter-Pogossian
- Ter-Sahakyan
- Ter-Simonyan
- Ter-Stepanyan
- Ter-Tadevosyan
- Terlemezyan
- Terterian
- Terzian
- Tevosyan
- Thomassian
- Tigranyan
- Tokatlian
- Tonoyan
- Topalian
- Topchyan
- Toramanyan
- Tornikian
- Torossian
- Torosyan
- Totovents
- Tovmasyan
- Tufenkian
- Tumanyan
- Tutunjian
U: 1 name
- Urfalian
V: 14 names
- Vachutian
- Vaganian
- Vahanyan
- Vahevuni
- Vanyan
- Varazhnuni
- Vardanyan
- Vardapetyan
- Varjabedian
- Vartabedian
- Vartan
- Vartanian
- Voskanyan
- Voskerchyan
Y: 14 names
- Yacoubian
- Yazijian
- Yeghiazaryan
- Yekmalian
- Yemenidjian
- Yengibaryan
- Yenokyan
- Yepremyan
- Yeramian
- Yeremyan
- Yeritsyan
- Yervanduni
- Yesayan
- Yuzbashyan