A Comparative Study of Naming Traditional Cafes and Coffee Shops in Tehran from a Socio-onomastic Perspective

This socio-onomastics research compares naming Tehran traditional cafés (qahveh khaneh) and coffee shops from a multiple identities perspective. Using a descriptive analytic method, this applied study examined around 232 traditional cafés and 296 coffee shops in Tehran. The results display that the individual's identity plays a strikingly more significant role in naming traditional cafes than coffee shops. Moreover, from the perspective of gender identity, the use of masculine name characters is more prevalent in traditional cafés than coffee shops, while there exists no significant gender distinction in naming coffee shops. The role of ethnic identity was almost similar yet noticeable in the two places. On the other hand, while traditional cafes opt for national and religious names, the coffee shops use national names more frequently. Also, the results indicate a significant use of international identity in naming coffee shops.