So, why did Iran decide to drop the name Persia? It's not like they were trying to hide their past or anything. The reason is actually pretty practical. The term Persia was mainly used by Westerners to refer to the country, while Iranians themselves used the term Iran, which means land of the Aryans. It's like the difference between Nick and Nicholas – both refer to the same person, but one is more formal than the other.
It's also interesting to note that the name change was part of a broader effort to modernize and secularize the country. It's like when you rebrand yourself on social media, but instead of changing your profile picture, you're changing the name of an entire nation. Pretty cool, right?
What Is Persian Now at James Velarde blog
