Girl · #457 in 2026

Fiona

Fiona is a feminine given name of Gaelic origins. It means white or fair, while the Irish name Fíona means 'of wine', being the genitive of fíon 'wine'. It was first used by the Scottish writer James Macpherson in his Ossianic poems. Initially, the name was confined to Scotland but later it gained popularity in other countries, such as Liechtenstein, Switzerland, Australia, Germany and Canada.

Current Rank
#457
Peak Rank
#180 (2017)
Total Babies
35K
5-Yr Trend
-41%
1942
First Year
2026
Last Year
2017
Peak Year
#180
Peak Rank
35K
Total Count
81
Years Active

Meaning & Origin of Fiona

What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.

Fiona is a feminine given name of Gaelic origins. It means white or fair, while the Irish name Fíona means 'of wine', being the genitive of fíon 'wine'. It was first used by the Scottish writer James Macpherson in his Ossianic poems. Initially, the name was confined to Scotland but later it gained popularity in other countries, such as Liechtenstein, Switzerland, Australia, Germany and Canada.

Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →

Etymology
Fiona originates from the Gaelic word fionn , meaning white or fair, being a Romantic Era Latinised form; or an Anglicisation of the Irish name Fíona (Scotland Fìona ) meaning 'of wine', being the genitive of fíon (Scotland fìon ) 'wine', from which is also derived the terms (Irish) fíniúin , (Irish, Scottish) crann fíona ( crann 'tree'), and (Scottish) craobhfhìona ( craobh 'tree, bush') 'grape-vine'. An alternative suggested by Hanks (2006) is that Fíona means vine . In ninth-century Welsh and Breton language Fion (today: ffion ) referred to the foxglove species and is also a female given na

The Story of Fiona

Fiona first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a baby girl name in 1942, with 9 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 2017, when 1,683 Fionas were born — ranking #180 that year. As of 2026, Fiona ranks #457 for baby girls with 672 births, falling sharply (-41%). In total, more than 35K Fionas have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1940s through the 2020s.

Popularity Over Time

Popularity by State

ME
WA
MT
ND
MN
WI
MI
NY
VT
NH
MA
OR
ID
SD
IA
IL
IN
OH
PA
NJ
CT
RI
CA
NV
WY
NE
MO
KY
WV
VA
MD
DE
DC
UT
CO
KS
AR
TN
NC
SC
AK
AZ
NM
OK
LA
MS
AL
GA
HI
TX
FL
Top 10
11-50
51-100
101-500
500+
No data

Notable people named Fiona

A small selection from Wikipedia. Tap "Read more" below to see the full list on Wikipedia.

  • Fiona Adams (1935–2020), British photographer
  • Fiona Allen (born 1965), English comedian and actress
  • Fiona Alpass , New Zealand academic
  • Fiona Apple (born 1977), American singer
  • Fiona Argyle , Australian politician
  • Fiona Baan (1938–1994), Scottish-born American sports administrator
  • Fiona Balfour (born 1958), Australian business executive
  • Fiona Bloom , music industry publicist

Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →

Names that sound like Fiona

Phonetically similar names — useful when Fiona is the vibe but a different syllable count or letter feel might suit better. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.

Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.

Frequently Asked Questions about Fiona

What does the name Fiona mean?
Fiona is a feminine given name of Gaelic origins. It means white or fair, while the Irish name Fíona means 'of wine', being the genitive of fíon 'wine'. It was first used by the Scottish writer James Macpherson in his Ossianic poems. Initially, the name was confined to Scotland but later it gained popularity in other countries, such as Liechtenstein, Switzerland, Australia, Germany and Canada.
How popular is Fiona in 2026?
In 2026, Fiona ranks #457 among girls' names in the U.S., with 672 babies given the name that year.
When was Fiona most popular?
Fiona reached its peak popularity in 2017, ranking #180 that year with 1,683 babies given the name.
In which U.S. states is Fiona most popular?
Fiona has historically been most popular in U.S. Territories, Maine, Massachusetts. Rankings vary year to year, but these states show the strongest concentration of births named Fiona.
Is Fiona a unisex name?
In U.S. Social Security records, Fiona is primarily a girl's name. We don't have meaningful data for it as a boy's name.
What names go well with Fiona?
Names that share a similar style or popularity range with Fiona include Sonja, Maci, Cierra. These pairings are based on rank proximity and naming era in U.S. data.

About the name Fiona

Fiona is a girl baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1942 and has accumulated 35K births in the dataset. Fiona's peak popularity came in 2017 when it ranked #180. Use the chart and map above to compare Fiona's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.

Continue exploring

Data sources

  • Birth statistics (counts, ranks, years 1880–2026) — U.S. Social Security Administration . Predictions for years not yet released by SSA are computed by Peek a Name from historical trends; we update with official data as soon as it ships.
  • Etymology, cultural origins, and related forms — Behind the Name (used under their public API terms).
  • Meaning prose and editorial summary — Wikipedia article extracts, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 .
  • Predicted nationality distribution — Nationalize.io .
  • Phonetically similar names — Datamuse .

Peek a Name aggregates and presents the above data for informational purposes. Statistical predictions and external attributions are clearly labelled where shown; we make no guarantee of accuracy beyond what each source provides.