Origin of the Name Rhona
Rhona name origins are typically found in both the Scottish and English languages. Its history has been debated, usually circling around an origin shared between Welsh, Old English, and Scottish. Debate has arisen about the origins of the name Rhona. Some have said that it is the feminine variation on the male names of Ronan or Ronald. Another theory states that Rhona’s name origin is based off the Hebridean Island Rona.
There are other names of relatively similar descent, such as the name Rhonwen, which some think Rhona could have been derived from. With the large number of tribes and cultures that populated the countries of these languages its difficult to pin down exactly. However with the number of similar names in the surrounding areas its safe to place Rhona’s name origin within the Welsh, Scottish, and Old English vicinity.
Meaning of the Name
The meaning of Rhona is also debated as the name’s foggy origins make a clear meaning hard to attain. In Old English Rhona means fare, white, blessed, and holy. The Welsh meaning of Rhona boils down roughly to good spear.
Rhona’s Popularity
In 2012, Rhona was the 467th most popular baby girl’s name (Scottish Government data).
Famous People
Rhona Cameron, the Scottish comedian, is one of few well known women to bare the name Rhona.
Useful Resources
- Our comprehensive list of Scottish girls names.
- See the most popular Scottish girls names.