Naming of Girls' and Boys' Primary Public Schools in the Nineteen Educational Districts of Tehran

From the perspective of social onomastics, names are not merely labels used for identification; rather, they reflect cultural interests, social beliefs, political conditions, and power relations within a society. Among different educational levels, primary education represents a particularly significant stage because fostering students interest in and sense of belonging to school is especially important during this period. Therefore, the selection of names for primary schools requires greater care and attention. This descriptive-analytical study aimed to investigate school-naming patterns and analyze them from a social- onomastics perspective. The statistical population consisted of the names of 1,135 public primary schools (548 girls' schools and 587 boys' schools) located in the nineteen educational districts of Tehran. The data were extracted from the Ostad Bank website classified according to predefined indicators, and analyzed using descriptive statistical methods to determine the frequency and percentage of each category. The findings revealed that most school names are neither simple nor easily comprehensible, do not correspond to students' gender, and are often repetitive. Local culture and history have received little attention in schools- naming practices. Most names are religious in nature or commemorate martyrs, benefactors, and their relatives. The names of prominent figures, particularly especially in girls' schools, account for only a small proportion of school names. Furthermore, only a limited number of names reflect the educational and developmental goals and values ​​of schools, and many lack not positive and inspirational connotations. The findings also indicate that cultural and institutional policies significantly influence the process of school naming.