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Posted on July 23, 2020 By Robert Payne

This article is about the given name. For other uses, see Fiona (disambiguation).

Fiona
Pronunciation/fiˈoʊnə/ fee-OH-nə
GenderFeminine
Language(s)English
Origin
Language(s)Gaelic
Derivationfionn
MeaningWhite and fair
Region of originIreland and Scotland
Other names
Related namesFionnghal, Fíona, Gwen, Gwenn and Wynne

Fiona is a feminine given name of Gaelic origins. It means white or fair, the Irish name Fíona means vine. It was coined by Scottish writer William Sharp. Sharp may have drawn inspiration from Celtic variations of the name Catherine. Initially, the name was confined to Scotland but later it gained popularity in other countries, such as Liechtenstein, Switzerland, Australia, Germany and Canada.

Etymology

Fiona originates from the Gaelic word fionn,[1] meaning white or fair, being a Latinised form; or an Anglicisation of the Irish name Fíona meaning vine.[2] In ninth-century Welsh and Breton language Fion (today: ffion) referred to the foxglove species and is also a female given name as in Ffion Hague.[3]

It was coined by the Scottish writer William Sharp under the pseudonym Fiona Macleod. Sharp may have drawn inspiration from Celtic variations of the name Catherine.[4] Fiona carries connotations of gentility and refinement, often suggesting aristocratic lineage for its bearer.[5] Fiona is commonly shortened to Fi, with other variations including Fina, Fee, and Tiona.[6]

Variations of the name Fiona include Gwenn in Breton, Gwen and Wynne in Welsh. Masculine forms include Fion, Fionn, Finnán, Finnén, Finn, Gwyn and Wyn.[7] The Scottish Gaelic feminine name Fionnghal is also sometimes equated with Fiona.[8]

Popularity

Initially, the name remained largely confined to Scotland until the latter part of the 20th century when it gained popularity in Britain, Australia, and Canada.[9] Additionally, the Ossianic poems of James Macpherson helped to familiarize the name in the English-speaking world. It experienced a surge in popularity during the latter half of the 1960s.[10][11]

It was the 439th most popular female name in Scotland in 2023.[12] Fiona was the 71st most popular name for baby girls born in 2023 in Germany.[13] The name was the most common female name in the ranking of most popular names for baby girls born in Liechtenstein in 2022.[14]In 2023, in Switzerland, Fiona was the 66th most popular name.[15] In Australia it is the 138th most popular baby name since the 1930s.[16] In New Zealand it was particularly popular during the 1960s until around 1980.[17] In Canada, it was the 287th most popular baby girl name.[18] In the US most girls named Fiona were born in the 21h century and the number of Fionas born per year was greater than 1,000 from 2009 until 2021.[19] In the US, it has ranked among the top 1,000 most popular names for girls since 1990 and among the top 500 since 1999.[20]

Notable people with the given name

Fictional characters

Other

See also

References

  1. ^ Hanks, Patrick; Hardcastle, Kate; Hodges, Flavia (2006), A Dictionary of First Names, Oxford Paperback Reference (2nd ed.), Oxford University Press, pp. 99–100, ISBN 978-0-19-861060-1.
  2. ^ Hanks, Hardcastle & Hodges 2006, pp. 348–349.
  3. ^ The University of Wales' Dictionary website; accessed April 21, 2020.
  4. ^ Creswell, Julia (1995). Dictionary of first names. Internet Archive. [England] : Bookmart Ltd. ISBN 978-1-85605-340-2.
  5. ^ Room, Adrian (2002). Dictionary of first names. Internet Archive. London : Cassell ; New York : Distributed in the United States by Sterling Pub. Co. ISBN 978-0-304-36226-4.
  6. ^ Pickering, David (2004). The Penguin dictionary of first names. Internet Archive. London : Penguin. ISBN 978-0-14-101398-5.
  7. ^ Campbell, Mike. "Names Related to the name Fiona". Behind the Name. Retrieved April 30, 2024.
  8. ^ Mark, Colin (2003). The Gaelic-English Dictionary. Routledge. ISBN 0-203-27706-6.
  9. ^ Fergusson, Rosalind (1991). Choose your baby's name : a dictionary of first names. Internet Archive. London : Bloomsbury Books. p. 85. ISBN 978-1-85471-080-2.
  10. ^ Pickering, David (2004). The Penguin dictionary of first names. Internet Archive. London : Penguin. p. 121. ISBN 978-0-14-101398-5.
  11. ^ Hanks, Hardcastle & Hodges 2006, pp. 99–100.
  12. ^ Kelly, Lesley-Anne; Morrice, Emma; Sabljak, Ema (March 28, 2024). "Tarzan, Banksy, Frenchie, and Pasty: The full list of Scottish baby names used in 2023 revealed". The Courier. Retrieved April 30, 2024.
  13. ^ "Die beliebtesten Vornamen des Jahres 2023 – Top 500" (in German). Retrieved April 30, 2024.
  14. ^ "Fiona and Gabriel, Luis (Louis) and Noah most common first names in 2022". www.llv.li. Retrieved September 20, 2024.
  15. ^ "Female first names of newborns by language region and canton". PX-Web. Retrieved September 20, 2024.
  16. ^ Nicholas, Josh. "Close call: most popular Australian baby names of the past century revealed". the Guardian. Retrieved April 30, 2024.
  17. ^ Megan Watts (May 1, 2024). "Revealed: Top Kiwi baby names of 2023". NZ Herald. Retrieved April 30, 2024.
  18. ^ Government of Canada, Statistics Canada (May 9, 2023). "Baby Names Observatory". www150.statcan.gc.ca. Retrieved April 30, 2024.
  19. ^ "Popular Baby Names". www.ssa.gov. Retrieved April 30, 2024.
  20. ^ OACT. "Popular Baby Names". www.ssa.gov. Archived from the original on February 2, 2018. Retrieved September 21, 2009.
source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fiona

    by Robert Payne

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