The first name Fiona
A girl’s name from Scottish Gaelic meaning “fair”, “white”, “fiona macleod”.
Pronounced /fiˈoʊnə/ 3 syllables Female
Meaning and origin
Scottish Gaelic origin
Fiona means “fair”, “white”, “fiona macleod” in Scottish Gaelic.
From Irish fionn (“fair, white”). In use before 1713. Popularized by James Macpherson (see 1765 quotation), and perhaps by the 19th-century Scottish writer William Sharp, who chose “Fiona Macleod” as his pen name. * (Sara Duterte): After the fictional character Princess Fiona from the Shrek series, who transforms from princess to ogre.
More names that mean white.
From Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Popularity
Babies registered in England and Wales, 1996–2025
In 2025, 23 girls were named Fiona, making it the 1,362nd most popular girls’ name. It peaked in 1997, with 282 births (#160).
Office for National Statistics; years with fewer than three births are not published and show as zero. Compare Fiona with other names.
Popularity in the United States
Babies named Fiona at birth, 1880–2025
In 2025, 654 girls born in the United States were named Fiona, the 470th most popular girls’ name that year. It was used most in 2017, when 1,683 were.
US Social Security Administration, from applications for a Social Security card. A name is only published for a year when at least five babies were given it, so quieter years show as zero.
Fiona in other languages
Equivalent forms of the name, from Wiktionary
Spelled Fiona in French, German, Polish and Spanish too.
Nicknames and spellings
Nicknames for Fiona
- Fee
- Fi
Famous people named Fiona
27 on Wikidata, most written-about first
- Fiona GrahamAustralian anthropologist, geisha (1961–2023)
- Fiona MayBritish-born Italian long jumper, born 1969
- Fiona DourifAmerican actress and producer (born 1981)
- Fiona FerroFrench tennis player, born 1997
- Fiona GubelmannAmerican actress (born 1980)
- Fiona FullertonBritish actress and singer, born 1956
- Fiona BruceBritish television producer, newsreader, presenter, born 1964
- Fiona HillAmerican foreign policy adviser (born 1965)
- FionaAmerican rock singer and actress, born 1961
- Fiona RobinsonAustralian basketball and handball player, born 1969
- Fiona MaAmerican politician, born 1966
- Fiona BigwoodBritish equestrian, born 1976
More Scottish Gaelic girls’ names
Questions
- What does the name Fiona mean?
- Fiona means “fair”, “white”, “fiona macleod” in Scottish Gaelic.
- What is the origin of the name Fiona?
- From Irish fionn (“fair, white”). In use before 1713. Popularized by James Macpherson (see 1765 quotation), and perhaps by the 19th-century Scottish writer William Sharp, who chose “Fiona Macleod” as his pen name. * (Sara Duterte): After the fictional character Princess Fiona from the Shrek…
- How popular is the name Fiona?
- In 2025, 23 girls born in England and Wales were named Fiona, ranking 1,362nd. Its peak was 1997, with 282 births.
- What are nicknames for Fiona?
- Common nicknames for Fiona include Fee, Fi.
- Is Fiona a boy's or a girl's name?
- Mostly a girl's name: 100% of the 33,964 US babies named Fiona since 1880 were girls.
- When was Fiona most popular?
- 2017 in the United States, when 1,683 babies were named Fiona, its highest rank at 180th.
- How do you pronounce Fiona?
- Fiona is /fiˈoʊnə/, 3 syllables.