Free online translator for converting English names to Armenian (Հայերեն)
Armenian uses its own unique alphabet created in 405 CE by Mesrop Mashtots specifically to translate the Bible. This historic script has 39 letters and has preserved Armenian language and culture for over 1,600 years.
The Armenian alphabet was created in 405 AD by Mesrop Mashtots, a monk and scholar, specifically to translate the Bible into Armenian and give the language a written form independent of Greek and Syriac. It is one of the oldest alphabets still in continuous use, and it has changed remarkably little in sixteen centuries — a modern Armenian can read fifth-century manuscripts with far less difficulty than an English speaker reads Old English.
Mashtots designed thirty-six letters, with two more added in the twelfth century to give the modern thirty-eight. The design was systematic: the letters were ordered to align with the Greek alphabet where sounds corresponded, while adding characters for the many Armenian sounds Greek lacked. Armenian has a rich consonant inventory, including a three-way distinction between voiced, voiceless and aspirated stops.
Armenian punctuation is entirely its own and catches people out. The question mark is a small mark placed above the stressed vowel of the questioned word rather than at the end of the sentence; the exclamation is similar. The full stop is a colon-like mark, and a Latin period does not do the same job. A name written with Latin punctuation around it will look subtly foreign.
Armenian transliteration converts English names phonetically using the 39-letter Armenian alphabet. The script can accurately represent most foreign sounds with appropriate letter combinations.
The large consonant inventory means English sounds map onto Armenian with good precision. The three-way stop distinction gives options for English consonants that sit between categories, and Armenian has native f, v, z, sh and ch, which many other scripts on this site lack.
Armenian orthography differs between Eastern Armenian, used in Armenia and Iran, and Western Armenian, used by the diaspora descended from the Ottoman Armenian communities. The two traditions pronounce several consonant letters differently — a letter read as a voiced b in Eastern Armenian is read as p in Western — so the same written name is pronounced differently depending on the reader's tradition. Anyone transliterating a name should decide which variety they are writing for.
Here are examples of common English names transliterated to Armenian:
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Use our Armenian translator above. Type your name in English and it converts to Armenian script using standard phonetic transliteration. The result is readable by Armenian speakers worldwide.
The Armenian alphabet was created in 405 CE by Mesrop Mashtots to translate the Bible into Armenian and preserve Armenian culture and Christianity. Before this, Armenian was written using Greek or Syriac scripts.
Eastern Armenian (spoken in Armenia) and Western Armenian (diaspora) have different pronunciation and vocabulary but use the identical alphabet. Our transliteration works for both variants.
Armenian is an independent branch of the Indo-European language family. It's distantly related to English, Greek, and Persian but has evolved uniquely for thousands of years with its own alphabet.
Our transliteration follows standard Armenian phonetic rules. For official documents, verify with Armenian authorities as they may have specific preferences for name spelling.
Mesrop Mashtots in 405 AD, to translate the Bible into Armenian. It is among the oldest alphabets in continuous use and has changed little since.
Armenian places it above the stressed vowel of the word being questioned rather than at the end of the sentence. The full stop is also a distinct mark, not a Latin period.
Yes. The two traditions pronounce several consonant letters differently, so the same spelling is read differently. Decide which variety you are writing for.