Esfand

Esfand is the twelfth and final month of the Solar Hijri calendar, which is used in Iran and, to varying degrees, in Afghanistan. It typically spans from late February to late March. In the common year Esfand has 29 days, while in leap years it has 30 days. The month falls before Farvardin, the first month, which begins with Nowruz, the Iranian New Year.

The term Esfand is also used as a Persian given name. It is encountered in Iran and among Persian-speaking communities as a personal name, and may appear in various spellings such as Esfand or Espand when rendered in the Latin alphabet. The name derives from the historical name of the month in the old Iranian calendar and reflects linguistic roots tied to pre-Islamic calendar traditions.

In addition to its calendrical use, Esfand appears in cultural and linguistic contexts as part of the broader Persian tradition of month names carried into modern time. While primarily a time-designator, the word retains contemporary usage as a personal name, illustrating how historical calendar terms can persist in everyday language.