Fiona
Fiona was the 470th most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 654 babies. Its best year was 2017, when it ranked 180th with 1,683 babies. Over the last ten years it has moved down 251 places. More babies were named Fiona in the 2010s than in any other decade.
Meaning fair, white · Scottish Gaelic
Say it fee-OH-nuh /fiˈoʊnə/
- Rank in 2025
- #470 girls, down 175 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 654girls
- Girls and boys
- Almost always a girl’s name2021–2025
- Peak year
- 20171,683 babies
- Total since 1880
- 33,964babies recorded
What does the name Fiona mean?
Fiona is based on Gaelic fionn, "fair, white" (also fair-haired). Wiktionary notes it was in use before 1713, was popularized by James Macpherson's Ossian poems in the 1760s, and perhaps by the 19th-century writer William Sharp, who wrote as "Fiona Macleod". It became a regular name in Scotland in the 20th century, then in England; Princess Fiona of the Shrek films made it familiar in the US.
fionn (Scottish Gaelic / Irish, “fair, white”)
How sure is this? Probable. The fionn link is standard; the early history of the name rests on Wiktionary.
Related names: Fionn, Finola, Fionnuala.
See also: Scottish names, names that mean a color.
Sources for this meaning
- Wiktionary, entry 'Fiona', Wiktionary (Wikimedia Foundation)
- Wiktionary, entry 'fionn', Wiktionary (Wikimedia Foundation)
Nicknames for Fiona
The usual nicknames for Fiona are Fi.
| Nickname | Kind | Rank 2025 | Girls, 5 years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fi | Modern | — | — |
Nicknames reviewed by our editors; counts are girls given the nickname as their legal first name. Nobody records how many Fionas go by each one.
Fiona popularity since 1880
A few boys are given the name too: 5 since 2004.
| Year | Rank (girls) | Babies (girls) |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #470 | 654 |
| 2020 | #295 | 1,089 |
| 2010 | #258 | 1,265 |
| 2000 | #461 | 603 |
| 1990 | #930 | 204 |
| 1980 | #1,752 | 63 |
| 1970 | #1,585 | 60 |
| 1960 | #2,763 | 20 |
| 1950 | — | — |
| 1940 | — | — |
| 1930 | — | — |
| 1920 | — | — |
| 1910 | — | — |
| 1900 | — | — |
| 1890 | — | — |
| 1880 | — | — |
How popular is Fiona, counting every spelling?
Fiona is the most common spelling of a name family that ranked #476 for girls in 2025 once every spelling is counted together, compared with #470 for Fiona on its own. Together these spellings went to 667 girls in 2025.
| Spelling | Babies 2025 | Official rank | Babies 2021–2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fiona | 654 | #470 | 4,162 |
| Fionna | 6 | #13,769 | 51 |
| Fianna | 7 | #12,329 | 42 |
Spellings count together when they sound the same in American English and are used for the same sex; nicknames and forms that sound different (such as Theo and Theodore) are kept apart. How we group spellings.
How many kids will share the name Fiona?
654 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Fiona (0.18 per 1,000 births). For a girl named Fiona born in 2025, the chance that another child with the same name is in a class of 20 children the same age is under 1 in 50. If every grade liked the name as much as the 2025 babies do, only about one elementary school in 13 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Fiona.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Fiona?
About 33,500 people born in the US named Fiona are alive today, with a median age of 14; half are between 9 and 22. That makes Fiona mostly worn by children and young adults.
Babies given the name each year (SSA) times the share of that birth year still alive (SSA life tables). Counts people born in the US only. Method.
Fiona by state
How common Fiona was among girls born in each state in 2021–2025. It is notably more common than nationally in New Hampshire (4.2×), Massachusetts (4.2×), District of Columbia (4.1×), Maine (4.0×), Connecticut (3.0×). It is least common, relative to the national rate, in Arkansas, Alabama, Oklahoma.
Names with a similar history
These names rose and fell in step with Fiona: their share of US girls followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Fiona, they share its era and feel.
Middle names for Fiona · Sibling names for Fiona
Questions about the name Fiona
What does Fiona mean?
Fiona means “fair, white” (Scottish Gaelic origin). Certainty: probable.
How popular is the name Fiona?
Fiona was the 470th most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 654 babies. Its best year was 2017, when it ranked 180th with 1,683 babies. Over the last ten years it has moved down 251 places. More babies were named Fiona in the 2010s than in any other decade.
Is Fiona a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, almost always a girl’s name given the name Fiona in the US.
Where is Fiona most popular?
In 2021–2025, Fiona was most common in New Hampshire (2.17 per 1,000 girls), followed by Massachusetts and District of Columbia.