English
Fiona
Fiona comes from Irish fionn ‘fair, white’, and goes back to Proto-Celtic *windos.
- Proto-Celticc. 1300–800 BCE*windos‘white’reconstructed
- Old Irishc. 600–900find‘white’
- Irishc. 1200–presentfionn‘fair, white’
- Englishearliest quotation 1765Fiona
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Earlier history uncertain.
Lineage
- Proto-Celticc. 1300–800 BCE*windos‘white’reconstructed
- Old Irishc. 600–900find‘white’
- Irishc. 1200–presentfionn‘fair, white’
- Englishearliest quotation 1765Fiona
Earliest quotation: 1765, James Macpherson, The Works of Ossian: “Let the sighs of Fiona rise on the dark…”
The story
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.
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *weyd- ‘to see’
story, video, guy, idea, provide, evidence, review, visit, advice, interview, guide, witness, wise, historic, wisdom, visa, vision, advise, invisible, evident, wit, idol, wizard, historian, visibility, vista, witty, revise, guise, prudent, steroid, tabloid, jurisprudence, prudence, revue, improvise, druid, envious, vide, avis, 121 more
Today it means
name A female given name from Scottish Gaelic, in regular use since the 20th century, first in Scotland, then in England.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Celtic *windos / Fiona