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Reza

Boy name · 9 babies recorded · 1974–2025

Reza: 9 babies born in Scotland since 1974, given to boys, peaking at 3 births in 1980.

The name Reza is of Persian origin, meaning “contentment” or “satisfaction,” and has deep roots in the Islamic world, particularly among Shia Muslims as an epithet for the eighth Imam, Ali al-Ridha. One of its most famous bearers was Reza Shah Pahlavi, the founder of the Pahlavi dynasty who modernised Iran, and his son Reza Pahlavi, a prominent figure in the Iranian opposition abroad. In literature, the scholar and author Reza Aslan has brought the name to a wider audience. While the name itself is not directly tied to any specific place, it shares its root with the city of Mashhad in Iran, whose name means “place of martyrdom” and honours Imam Reza. A common variant is Riza, also used in Turkish and Balkan contexts. Though rare in Scotland, Reza has become more familiar through global migration, often chosen by families touched by Persian or Islamic heritage.