Armenian names in English letters: why one singer has three spellings

Search for an Armenian singer in English and you may find two or three of them, each with a different spelling and a different set of songs. Usually it is one person. This guide explains why Armenian names change on their way into English letters, shows real examples from the Armenly catalog, and gives you a few ways to find a song whichever spelling it was filed under.

By The Armenly team. Written October 22, 2026.

Key findings

  • There is no single standard for writing Armenian in English letters. At least four formal systems exist [1], and the releases in the Armenly catalog mostly follow none of them.
  • Eastern and Western Armenian read five pairs of consonants the opposite way: b/p, g/k, d/t, dz/ts and j/ch [1]. That is why Կոմիտաս is Komitas in Yerevan and Gomidas in Beirut or Los Angeles [2].
  • Spellings also arrive through other languages: Russian gives "Dzhivan," French gives "Djivan" and "Tatoul."
  • The Armenly catalog spells the duduk master Ջիվան Գասպարյան three ways (Djivan, Jivan and Dzhivan), and lists Harout Pamboukjian beside a Harut Pambukchyan, the same name spelled two ways.
  • The fastest way to find a song is to search the name in Armenian script, or try the Eastern and the Western spelling both.

One alphabet, many spellings

Armenian has its own alphabet, and there is no one agreed way to write it in English letters. Scholars use the Hübschmann-Meillet system, libraries use ALA-LC, maps use BGN/PCGN, and there is an ISO standard, ISO 9985 [1]. They mark some sounds with apostrophes and accents that nobody types into a search box, so record labels, YouTube channels and singers mostly write names by ear.

Eastern and Western Armenian

Armenian has two standard forms. Eastern Armenian is the standard of the Republic of Armenia and is spoken by Armenians in Iran [2]. Western Armenian is spoken in Turkey, Syria and Lebanon, and in diaspora communities from Beirut and Aleppo to Los Angeles, Fresno and Marseille [2].

The two read five pairs of consonants the opposite way: b and p, g and k, d and t, dz and ts, j and ch [1]. The letters on the page are the same; the sounds swap. So the same written name comes out differently:

  • Կոմիտաս: Komitas (Eastern), Gomidas (Western). Armenly has both: Komitas, and Gomidas Vartabed.
  • Պետրոս: Petros (Eastern), Bedros (Western).
  • Յակոբ / Հակոբ: Hakob (Eastern), Hagop (Western).
  • Surnames ending -յան: usually -yan in Eastern-style spelling (Pambukchyan, Altunyan), often -ian in Western and French-style spelling (Pamboukjian, Altounian).

Spellings borrowed from Russian and French

Many Armenian names reached English through a third language. Soviet-era releases spelled names the Russian way, so Ջ became "Dzh": the catalog holds an album titled "Dzhivan Gasparyan. Luchsheye." Releases from France and Lebanon used French spelling, where "ou" is the u sound and "dj" is the j sound: Djivan, Tatoul, Harout.

Put those together and one duduk player appears as Djivan Gasparyan (his artist page), Dzhivan Gasparyan (a Russian release) and Jivan Gasparyan (his duduk ensemble). The rabiz singer Wikipedia calls Tatul Avoyan [3] is Tatoul Avoyan in the catalog. None of these is wrong. They are the same Armenian name, read through different languages.

Examples from the Armenly catalog

Real pairs, from the catalog of September 17, 2026. In each case both spellings appear in artist names or song titles:

  • Komitas and Gomidas (the composer Կոմիտաս)
  • Djivan, Jivan and Dzhivan Gasparyan (the duduk player Ջիվան Գասպարյան)
  • Harout Pamboukjian and Harut Pambukchyan
  • Tatoul Altounian, Tatul Altunian and Tatul Altunyan (the song and dance ensemble)
  • Gevorg Dabaghyan and Gevorg Dabagian (in song credits)
  • Hop Hop Djivani and Hop Hop Jivani (one song, two releases)

How to find a song under any spelling

  • Search in Armenian script if you can. Armenly's search takes Armenian letters, and the script has only one spelling.
  • Try the Eastern and the Western spelling both: Komitas and Gomidas, Hakob and Hagop.
  • Drop the ending: search "Pambuk" or "Altun" to catch -yan, -ian and -jian at once.
  • Swap the usual suspects: j and dj and dzh, u and ou, kh and h, ts and tz.
  • Paste an Armenian name into the converter below to see both spellings at once.

Questions people ask

Is it Komitas or Gomidas?

Both. Կոմիտաս is read Komitas in Eastern Armenian and Gomidas in Western Armenian, because the two read the letters կ and տ differently. Both spellings are in use.

Why do Armenian surnames end in -yan or -ian?

Both spell the same Armenian ending, -յան. Eastern-style spelling usually writes it -yan, and Western or French-influenced spelling often writes it -ian.

What is the official way to write Armenian in English letters?

There is no single official way. Formal systems include ISO 9985, BGN/PCGN, ALA-LC and Hübschmann-Meillet, but most album covers use simpler spellings without accents or apostrophes.

How do I type Armenian names to search for a song?

Search the Armenian script if you have it, or try both the Eastern and Western spellings. Armenly's free converter shows both for any Armenian text you paste in.

Sources

Cite this page

The Armenly team, "Armenian names in English letters: why one singer has three spellings." Armenly, October 22, 2026. https://armenly.com/guides/armenian-names-in-english-letters

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