Fiona

Part of speech: noun, proper noun

Definitions

1. A female given name of Gaelic origin often associated with fairness or white; a character name in various literary and media works; a personal name used for identification of individuals
2. A traditional first name for women derived from Irish roots implying purity or brightness; a common choice in storytelling and popular culture; an appellation for persons to distinguish identity
3. A feminine personal designation historically linked to Gaelic language meaning fair or blessed; frequently featured in novels, films, and television shows; a name used to address or refer to females in society

Etymology: Fiona is a name that Scottish poet James Macpherson helped put on the map. In 1765, his "Ossian" poems, presented as translations of an ancient Gaelic bard, used the name, and it became widely known as a Highland name from that point. The name is generally derived from the Irish "fionn," meaning "fair" or "white," so a name built on a word for brightness and paleness came to be read as a symbol of Gaelic romance. The name appears in use before 1713, but its later fame owes much to the nineteenth-century Scottish writer William Sharp, who adopted "Fiona Macleod" as his pen name. Sharp's invented persona gave the name a literary aura that carried it well beyond the Highlands. In modern times, many people first encountered the name through the animated character Princess Fiona from the Shrek films, who begins as a princess and becomes an ogre. Her popularity has since kept the name in wide circulation.