Girl
Gaelic
3 syllables
Fiona
fee-OH-nah
/fiˈoʊnə/
"The fair one" — a name of luminous Celtic beauty
Fiona is a name with genuine Celtic roots, derived from the Gaelic fionn meaning fair or white. It was largely popularized as a literary name by Scottish poet James Macpherson in his 1760s Ossian cycle, and later by the pen name Fiona Macleod used by writer William Sharp. Today it is known worldwide partly through Shrek's Princess Fiona.
Quick Facts
Letters5
SyllablesFi · o · na
GenderGirl
OriginGaelic
Root WordFionn
MeaningFair, white, pure
PopularityCommon
Peak Year2015
Trend
→ Stable
Nicknames
FiFifiOna
About the Name Fiona
Fiona means fair, white, or pure in Gaelic. It derives from the element fionn, which also gives us the legendary hero Fionn mac Cumhaill.
Fiona has roots in both Scottish and Irish Gaelic. The word fionn is common to both languages, and the name was popularized through Scottish literature.
Fiona ranks in the top 250 in the US and is popular throughout the English-speaking world, particularly in the UK and Canada.
Fiona pairs beautifully with short classics: Fiona Grace, Fiona Mae, Fiona Claire, and Fiona Rose all flow naturally.
Fionas are often described as independent, creative, and quietly confident — a name that suggests both elegance and strength.
Fiona was likely coined or popularized by James Macpherson in the 18th century, based on the Gaelic word fionn. It became widely used through the 19th-century Celtic Revival.
Personality of Fiona
Perceived character traits commonly associated with people named Fiona
Creativity
85%
Elegance
84%
Independence
80%
Intelligence
82%
Strength
74%
Warmth
80%
Famous People Named Fiona
F
Fiona Apple
American singer-songwriter, Tidal and Fetch the Bolt Cutters
F
Fiona Shaw
Irish actress, Harry Potter series and Fleabag
P
Princess Fiona
Heroine of the animated Shrek film franchise
Middle Names for Fiona
Beautiful combinations that flow well with Fiona
Fiona Grace
Fiona Rose
Fiona Mae
Fiona Claire
Fiona Kate
Fiona Jean
Fiona Anne
Fiona Isla
Fiona Elise
Fiona Wren
Names Similar to Fiona
Similar Sound
Similar Meaning
Sibling Name Ideas
History of Fiona
1762
James Macpherson's Ossian poems bring Fiona into literary use
1895
William Sharp adopts pen name Fiona Macleod for his Celtic revival writing
1988
Fiona enters the US top 500 for the first time
2001
Shrek introduces Princess Fiona to global audiences
Numerology & Symbolism of Fiona
9
Destiny Number
Sum of all letters
7
Soul Urge
Sum of vowels
♍
Zodiac Affinity
Cancer
6
Lucky Number
Personal power digit
🎨
Lucky Color
Emerald Green
💎
Lucky Stone
Moonstone
🌸
Lucky Flower
White Clover
Fiona Around the World
How Fiona is written in different languages and scripts
فيونا
Arabic
フィオナ
Japanese
Фиона
Russian
피오나
Korean
菲奥娜
Chinese
Φιόνα
Greek
फिओना
Hindi
פִיוֹנָה
Hebrew
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