List of people from Tehran

The following notable people were born in, residents of, or otherwise closely associated with the city of Tehran, Iran. Tehran natives are also referred to as Tehranis.

ʻAbdu'l-Bahá
(1844–1921)

Nasrollah Entezam
(1900–1980)

Sadegh Hedayat
(1903–1951)

Mohammad Reza Pahlavi
(1919–1980)

Mohammad Ali Fardin
(1931–2000)

Forough Farrokhzad
(1935–1967)

Parviz Jalayer
(born 1939)

Googoosh
(born 1950)

Mostafa Mohammad-Najjar
(born 1956)

Reza Pahlavi
(born 1960)

Mohammad Javad Zarif
(born 1960)

Masoumeh Ebtekar
(born 1960)

Rita
(born 1962)

Shaun Toub
(born 1963)

Leila Hatami
(born 1972)

Mehdi Mahdavikia
(born 1977)

Alireza Haghighi
(born 1988)

Hana Makhmalbaf
(born 1988)

Dalita Avanesian
(born 1999)

Born in Tehran

1801–1900

• Bahá'u'lláh (1817–1892), founder of the Bahá'í faith
• Subh-i-Azal (1831–1912), Persian religious leader of Azali Bábism
• `Abdu'l-Bahá (1844–1921), former head of the Bahá'í faith
• Morteza Gholi Khan Hedayat (1856–1911), politician and first chairman of the Iranian parliament
• Mirza Ali Asghar Khan Amin al-Soltan (1858–1907), Prime Minister of Iran
• Mehdi Qoli Hedayat (1863–1955), Prime Minister of Iran
• Vossug ed Dowleh (1868–1951), Prime Minister of Qajar era Iran
• Mostowfi ol-Mamalek (c. 1871–1932), politician; Prime Minister on six occasions from 1910 to 1927
• Ali-Akbar Dehkhoda (1879–1956), linguist
• Hossein Ala' (1881–1964), Prime Minister of Iran in 1951 and from 1955 to 1957
• Abol-Ghasem Kashani (1882–1962), Twelver Shia Muslim cleric and Chairman of the Parliament of Iran
• Mohammad Mosaddegh (1882–1967), politician
• Ali Mansur (1886–1974), Prime Minister of Iran
• Harold Nicolson (1886–1968), English diplomat, author, diarist and politician
• Solayman Haïm (1887–1970), lexicographer, translator, playwright and essayist
• Mirza Javad Khan Ameri (1891–1980), Iranian politician
• Saeed Nafisi (1895–1966), scholar, fiction writer and poet
• Ahmad Matin-Daftari (1896–1971), Prime Minister of Iran
• Gholamreza Rouhani (1897–1985), humorous poet
• Nasrollah Entezam (1900–1980), diplomat
• Mohammad Hejazi (1900–1974), novelist, short-story writer, playwright, essayist, translator

1901–1930

• Haj Ali Razmara (1901–1951), military leader and prime minister of Iran
• Sadegh Hedayat (1903–1951), writer, translator and intellectual
• Bozorg Alavi (1904–1997), writer, novelist, and political intellectual
• Ali Amini (1905–1992), politician and writer, Prime Minister of Iran from 1961 to 1962
• Rahi Mo'ayyeri (1909–1968), poet and musician
• Davud Monshizadeh (1915–1989), founder of Sumka (the "Iranian National Socialist Workers Party")
• Shams Pahlavi (1917–1996), the elder sister of Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, the last Shah of Iran
• Amir-Abbas Hoveyda (1919–1979), economist and politician
• Mohammad Reza Pahlavi (1919–1980), king of Iran (Shah of Iran) from 1941 until his overthrow by the Islamic Revolution (1979)
• Nasser Moghadam (1921–1979), the fourth and last chief of SAVAK
• Heydar Ghiai (born 1922), architect
• Jalal Al-e-Ahmad (1923–1969), writer, thinker and social and political critic
• Hassan Ali Mansur (1923–1965), politician, Prime Minister from 1963 to 1965
• Abdollah Mojtabavi (1925–2012), freestyle wrestling athlete
• Sadegh Nezam-mafi (1925–2009), physician and medical pioneer
• Ali Javan (born 1926), Iranian-American physicist and inventor at MIT
• Simin Behbahani (1927–2014), poet, lyricist and activist
• Ray Aghayan (1928–2011), costume designer
• Masoud Boroumand (1928–2011), footballer
• Ardeshir Zahedi (born 1928), diplomat
• Lotfi Mansouri (1929–2013), opera director and manager
• Ali Mirzaei (born 1929), weightlifter
• Mahmoud Mollaghasemi (born 1929), freestyle wrestler
• Ezzatollah Sahabi (1930–2011), scholar, humanitarian, democracy activist, politician and former Parliament member
• Gholamreza Takhti (1930–1968), Olympic gold medalist wrestler

1931–1950

• Mohammad Ali Fardin (1931–2000), wrestler and actor
• Mostafa Chamran (1932–1981), physicist, politician and commander
• Nasser Givehchi (born 1932), wrestler
• Hossein Nasr (born 1933), University Professor of Islamic studies at George Washington University and Islamic philosopher
• Forough Farrokhzad (1935–1967), poet and film director
• Iraj Ghaderi (1935–2012), film director and actor
• Bahman Nirumand (born 1936), Iranian and German journalist and author
• Kamran Diba (born 1937), architect
• Majid Samii (born 1937), neurosurgeon and medical scientist
• Hossein Zenderoudi (born 1937), painter and sculptor
• Parviz Jalayer (born 1939), weightlifter and Olympic silver medalist
• Dariush Mehrjui (born 1939), director, screenwriter, producer, film editor
• Younan Nowzaradan (born 1944), surgeon and TV personality
• Kamran Shirdel (born 1939), documentarist
• Jamal Ejlali (1947–2025), actor
• Bijan (1940–2011), designer of menswear and fragrances
• Abbas Kiarostami (born 1940), film director, screenwriter, photographer and film producer
• Shahnaz Pahlavi (born 1940), Princess of Iran
• Barbet Schroeder (born 1941), film director and producer
• Khosrow Vaziri (born 1942), professional wrestler and actor
• Ali Hatami (1944–1996), film director, screenwriter, art director and costume designer
• Kamal Kharazi (born 1944), politician and diplomat
• Sohrab Shahid-Saless (1944–1998), film director and screenwriter
• Gholam-Ali Haddad-Adel (born 1945), philosopher and politician
• Mohammad Nassiri (born 1945), weightlifter and Olympic gold medalist
• Abdolkarim Soroush (born 1945), thinker and reformer
• Ali Parvin (born 1946), football player and coach
• Shahrnush Parsipur (born 1946), novelist
• Mohammad Reza Adelkhani (born 1947), footballer
• Mansour Barzegar (born 1947), wrestler
• Shaul Mofaz (born 1948), Israeli politician
• Firouzeh Vokhshouri (born 1948), Princess Firouzeh Asem of Jordan
• Ebi (born 1949), singer
• Nasser Hejazi (1949–2011), football player and coach
• Googoosh (born 1950), Iranian singer and actress of Iranian Azerbaijani origin
• Hassan Mehmani (born 1950), Iranian actor and director

1951–1960

• Andranik Eskandarian (born 1951), Iranian-American footballer
• Mansoor Hekmat (1951–2002), Marxist theorist and leader of the worker-communist movement
• Shohreh Aghdashloo (born 1952), Iranian-American actress
• Seyed Mostafa Azmayesh (born 1952), France based Iranian religious scholar
• Parviz Davoodi (born 1952), hardline conservative politician
• Valentine Moghadam (born 1952), feminist scholar, sociologist, activist and author
• Maryam Rajavi (born 1953), politician
• Daryush Shokof (born 1954),
• Mary Apick (born 1954), Iranian-Armenian stage, television and film actress
• Hadi Teherani (born 1954), German-Iranian architect and designer
• Darius Khondji (born 1955), Iranian-French cinematographer
• Azar Nafisi (born 1955), writer and professor of English literature
• Feizollah Nasseri (born 1955), weightlifter
• Goli Ameri (born 1956), Iranian-American diplomat and businesswoman
• Ramin Jahanbegloo (born 1956), philosopher and academic
• Mostafa Mohammad-Najjar (born 1956), politician and army general
• Mohsen Makhmalbaf (born 1957), film director, writer, film editor and producer
• Abbas Maroufi (born 1957), novelist and journalist
• Andranik Madadian (born 1958), Armenian-Iranian singer-songwriter and actor
• Bita Farrahi (born 1958), actress
• Farzad Bonyadi (born c. 1959), professional poker player
• Majid Majidi (born 1959), film director, film producer and screenwriter
• Ahmad Bourghani (1960–2008), politician, journalist, writer and political analyst
• Masoumeh Ebtekar (born 1960), Vice President of Iran for Women and Family Affairs
• Vali Nasr (born 1960), American academic and author
• Reza Pahlavi (born 1960), crown prince of Persia
• Cumrun Vafa (born 1960), Iranian-American leading string theorist from Harvard University

1961–1970

• Parastou Forouhar (born 1962), installation artist
• Rita (born 1962), Israeli pop singer and actress
• Hassan Bastani (born 1962), Iranian playwright
• Camila Batmanghelidjh (born c. 1963), Iranian-born author and charity executive in the United Kingdom
• Amir Ghalenoei (born 1963), football coach and player
• Farahnaz Pahlavi (born 1963), the eldest daughter of Mohammad Reza Pahlavi
• Shaun Toub (born 1963), film and television actor
• Philippe Blasband (born 1964), filmmaker; writer in French language from Belgium
• Rosie Malek-Yonan (born 1965), actress, author, director and activist of Assyrian ethnicity
• Marina Nemat (born 1965), author
• Afshin Ellian (born 1966), Iranian-Dutch professor of law, philosopher, poet and critic of political Islam
• Reza Mirkarimi (born 1966), film writer and director
• Maryam Namazie (born 1966), secularist and human rights activist, commentator and broadcaster
• Ali-Reza Pahlavi (1966–2011), member of the Pahlavi Imperial Family of Iran (Persia)
• Jasmin Tabatabai (born 1967), Iranian-German actress
• Mani Haghighi (born 1969), filmmaker, screenwriter and actor
• Abbas Jadidi (born 1969), wrestler
• Azam Ali (born 1970), Iranian American singer and musician
• Amir Ansari (born 1970), Chief Technology Officer and co-founder of Prodea Systems
• Shokufeh Kavani (born 1970), contemporary painter, translator and artist
• Leila Pahlavi (1970–2001), youngest daughter of Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, Shah of Iran
• Sharam (born 1970), Iranian-American progressive house DJ and producer

1971–1980

• Arash Hejazi (born 1971), novelist, fiction writer and translator of literary works from English and Portuguese into Persian
• Niki Karimi (born 1971), actress, director and screenwriter
• Mansour (born 1971), Iranian Azerbaijani artist
• Alireza Mansourian (born 1971), football coach and player
• Leila Hatami (born 1972), actress
• Tami Stronach (born 1972), Israeli American dancer and choreographer
• Shadmehr Aghili (born 1973), pop singer, musician, composer, producer and songwriter
• Ali Tabatabaee (born 1973), rapper, singer, musician in band Zebrahead
• Cassandra Clare (born 1973), American author of young adult fiction
• Kirill Pirogov (born 1973), Russian film and theatre actor and composer
• DJ Aligator (born 1975), Iranian-Danish producer and DJ
• Omid Nouripour (born 1975), Iranian-German politician
• Bahar Soomekh (born 1975), Iranian-American actress
• Vahid Hashemian (born 1976), footballer and coach
• Roxana Manouchehri (born 1976), visual artist
• Mahnaz Afshar (born 1977), actress
• Arash (born 1977), Iranian-Swedish singer, entertainer and producer
• Mehdi Mahdavikia (born 1977), football player
• Marsha Mehran (1977–2014), novelist
• Maryam Mirzakhani (born 1977), mathematician
• Laleh Seddigh (born 1977), female race car driver
• Ameneh Bahrami (born 1978), woman blinded in an acid attack
• Antonio Esfandiari (born 1978), professional poker player
• Ramin Karimloo (born 1978), Iranian-Canadian actor and singer
• Yashar Samimi Mofakham (born 1980), Iranian curator and visual artist
• Navíd Akhavan (born 1980), Iranian-German actor
• Tarlan Rafiee (born 1980), Iranian curator and visual artist
• Nazanin Boniadi (born 1980), Iranian-born British American actress
• Samira Makhmalbaf (born 1980), filmmaker and script writer
• Narges Rashidi (born 1980), American-German actress
• Sami Yusuf (born 1980), British singer-songwriter, composer and producer of Iranian Azerbaijani descent

1981–2000

• Masoud Kazemi (born 1981), journalist and human rights activist
• Nasim Pedrad (born 1981), Iranian-American actress and comedian
• Amir Hossein Sadeghi (born 1981), football player
• Sirvan Khosravi (born 1982), pop singer and composer
• Amir Shapourzadeh (born 1982), Iranian-German footballer
• Vahid Talebloo (born 1982), football goalkeeper
• Andranik Teymourian (born 1983), footballer
• Elshan Moradi (born 1985), chess grandmaster
• Gegard Mousasi (born 1985), Dutch mixed martial artist
• Behrang Safari (born 1985), Iranian-Swedish footballer
• Fatemeh Behboudi (born 1985), photojournalist
• Ashkan Dejagah (born 1986), professional footballer
• Mohammad Bagheri Motamed (born 1986), taekwondo practitioner
• Omid Abolhassani (born 1988), football player banned for four years
• Alireza Haghighi (born 1988), goalkeeper
• Marjan Kalhor (born 1988), alpine skier
• Hana Makhmalbaf (born 1988), filmmaker
• Mohammad Parvin (born 1988), football player
• Atousa Pourkashiyan (born 1988), chess player
• Mohammad Kiadarbandsari (born 1989), alpine skier
• Milad Mohammadi (born 1993), footballer
• Dalita Avanesian (born 1999), Armenian singer, participant in Junior Eurovision Song Contest 2011

Full date unknown

• Maryam Eslamdoust, politician and trade union official
• Omid Habibinia, journalist and organization founder
• Hashem Yekezareh, engineer and industrial executive
• Gale Paridjanian, guitarist and co-founder of Turin Brakes (born in Tehran in 1970s)

Lived in Tehran

• Naser al-Din Shah Qajar (1831–1896), King of Persia from 1848 to 1896
• Shirin Ebadi (born 1947), lawyer
• Majid Entezami (born 1948), musician and composer
• Kayhan Kalhor (born 1963), Kamancheh player, composer and master of classical Kurdish and Iranian traditional music
• Hadi Saei (born 1976), taekwondo athlete