United States v. Balsara (2d Cir. 1910)

In 1935, the Iranian government requested that the country formerly known as “Persia” be referred to as “Iran.”  Iran has been said to mean “land of Aryans” in Persian, derived from “arya” or “ariya,” terms for the people of Persia.  In the 20^th Century, the term “Aryan” was often used to refer to non-Jewish persons.  Over time, Aryan has also been used to mean Indo-European, “White,” and non-Arab, as well as to invoke racist Nazi and neo-Nazi ideals of a “pure race” of Aryan blond, blue-eyed people.

Follow this link for an interesting suggestion of how "Persia" became "Iran."

As you read, consider the California Supreme Court's difficulty with definitions and terms in People v. Hall.