Did Persia used to be called Iran?

Answer 1

Yes, until 1935 Iran was called Persia.

Persia was one of many countries where the exonym (the name other people call a country) and the endonym (the name the citizens of that country call it) were different. This came about mainly due to the writings of Greek historians who called Iran "Persis", meaning land of the Persians and this has continued long after the fall of Ancient Greece. A current example would be Germany. Germans have an endonym of Deutschland, but English speakers call it Germany, French speakers call it Allemagne, Polish speakers called it Niemcy, etc. The Persian endonym was Iran and in 1935, Shah Reza Pahlavi of Iran asked that all countries around the world use the term "Iran" in all future correspondence with the state (as opposed to the historic exonym Persia). It has stuck.

Answer 2

No, it was the reverse. Until 1935 Iran was called Persia.

Persia was one of many countries where the exonym (the name other people call a country) and the endonym (the name the citizens of that country call it) were different. This came about mainly due to the writings of Greek historians who called Iran "Persis", meaning land of the Persians and this has continued long after the fall of Ancient Greece. A current example would be Germany. Germans have an endonym of Deutschland, but English speakers call it Germany, French speakers call it Allemagne, Polish speakers called it Niemcy, etc. The Persian endonym was Iran and in 1935, Shah Reza Pahlavi of Iran asked that all countries around the world use the term "Iran" in all future correspondence with the state (as opposed to the historic exonym Persia). It has stuck.

Answer 3

Yes Iran was called Persia though I'm not sure why, I know because I was born there.

Answer 4

Yes.