Mahtab — Meaning, Origin & Everything to Know

A Persian name from Persian, Mahtab carries the meaning 'moonlight'.

Mahtab is a Persian name carrying the meaning 'moonlight'. Because it rests on Persian rather than passing fashion, Mahtab carries a sense of history that many parents look for. Mahtab offers a daughter the idea of intuition, calm and quiet beauty, wrapped in a sound that works almost anywhere. Part of the draw of Mahtab is that it feels current without being invented, and meaningful without being heavy.

Quick facts about the name Mahtab
NameMahtab
MeaningMahtab means 'moonlight', a sense it draws straight from its Persian roots
OriginPersian
LanguagePersian
GenderGirl
Numerology number9
PronunciationMAH-tab
Popularity tierTier 3

What Does the Name Mahtab Mean?

Mahtab means 'moonlight', a sense it draws straight from its Persian roots.

The early history of Mahtab belongs to the Persian world, where 'moonlight' was a quality worth naming a child for. As it travelled, Mahtab kept its 'moonlight' sense intact, handed down to honour relatives and express a hope for the child.

Today Mahtab reads as approachable and contemporary, even though its meaning of 'moonlight' is anything but new. The result is a name in Mahtab that feels both usable and meaningful — its appeal in the 2020s in a nutshell.

Symbolically, Mahtab leans toward intuition, calm and quiet beauty, with its Persian roots adding heritage to that idea.

Origin & Etymology of Mahtab

Persian · Persian

Trace Mahtab back and you reach Persian and the meaning 'moonlight'. Mahtab spread outward with migration, recognised now well beyond its Persian origin and worn across very different cultures.

Mahtab holds a meaningful place in the Persian tradition, its sense of intuition, calm and quiet beauty tied to long-standing cultural values.

How Persian names are chosen

Iranian naming draws on three separate wells: pre-Islamic Persian and Zoroastrian names such as Kourosh and Anahita; Arabic and Islamic names arriving with the conquest; and a modern Persian layer of plain nouns — Setareh, 'star', Laleh, 'tulip', Omid, 'hope'. A striking share, put at ten to fifteen per cent of all Persian names, comes from a single book: Ferdowsi's tenth-century Shahnameh, the source of Dariush, Bijan, Faramarz, Esfandiar and many more. Which well a family draws from has not always been a neutral choice. Shahnameh names rose sharply after the 1979 revolution, chosen over Arabic alternatives as a deliberate assertion of Persian identity.

How to Pronounce Mahtab

MAH-tabBreak Mahtab into MAH-tab and it falls into place. A Persian name: vowels are pronounced fully, with a gentle stress toward the end.

Popularity of the Name Mahtab

In terms of usage, Mahtab is on the way up, most associated with the 2020s.

Personality Traits Associated with Mahtab

Ask around and Mahtab is usually described as gentle and dreamy. Those impressions trace back partly to 'moonlight' and partly to how Mahtab sits in the mouth. In the traditions that link names to temperament, Mahtab lands on the side of intuition, calm and quiet beauty. A name is only a starting impression, and Mahtab's happens to be a kindly one — a quiet plus that frames the numerology and zodiac notes below.

Mahtab Numerology

The name Mahtab carries the numerology number 9.

The numerology number for Mahtab is 9: the Humanitarian — compassion and idealism. Paired with Mahtab's sense of 'moonlight', that 9 gives numerology-minded parents extra to consider.

See the full meaning of number 9 on NumberAngel →

Mahtab & Zodiac Connection

If you like to pair names with star signs, Mahtab leans toward dreamy Cancer and gentle Pisces.

Curious what your baby's zodiac sign reveals? Explore GetMyHoro →

Names Similar to Mahtab

Sibling Names That Go With Mahtab

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Middle Names for Mahtab

Mahtab Mae · Mahtab Claire · Mahtab Rose · Mahtab Faith · Mahtab Hope · Mahtab Grace

Find more with the Middle Name Generator →

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Frequently Asked Questions

+What does the name Mahtab mean?

Mahtab means 'moonlight'. It comes from Persian and is linked with intuition, calm and quiet beauty, which makes it a meaningful choice for a daughter.

+What is the origin of Mahtab?

Mahtab is Persian in origin, from Persian.

+What is the numerology number for Mahtab?

In Pythagorean numerology Mahtab reduces to 9 — the Humanitarian — compassion and idealism.

+Is Mahtab a popular name?

Mahtab has been rising in popularity, with its strongest momentum in the 2020s.

+Is Mahtab suitable for any gender?

Mahtab is most often used as a girl's name, though naming is personal and the meaning 'moonlight' suits any child.

+What names pair well with Mahtab for a sibling?

Names such as Mahsa, Soraya, Hala sit well beside Mahtab, sharing a complementary style.