Rona
A girl's name with 5,444 recorded U.S. births.
Meaning & Origin
A female given name.
Rona is a girl's baby name of Scottish Gaelic origin, derived from the Hebridean island name Rona, meaning 'rough island' in Old Norse. It is also sometimes considered a short form of Veronica, from Greek meaning 'she who brings victory.'
Rona has a clean, strong sound with genuine Celtic heritage — small in letters but carrying the rugged beauty of Scotland's remote islands.
EtymologyShow more
Though Rona dates back to 1896 in U.S. records, its etymological path is not always straightforward. Names that predate modern naming databases sometimes resist easy classification — they may have been oral traditions, regional family names, or adaptations that were never systematically recorded.
Rona’s 5,444 recorded births provide enough of a footprint to establish it as a real, chosen name in American culture — not a typo or a one-off, but a deliberate selection by hundreds of families.
At a Glance
Popularity Over Time
Rona was #9156 twenty years ago and has since drifted to #13149, but its charm endures.
Popularity by Decade
| Decade | Births | Trend |
|---|---|---|
| 2020s | 48 | ▼ |
| 2010s | 204 | ▲ |
| 2000s | 103 | ▼ |
| 1990s | 176 | ▼ |
| 1980s | 208 | ▼ |
| 1970s | 766 | ▼ |
| 1960s | 1,333 | ▲ |
| 1950s | 1,054 | ▲ |
| 1940s | 922 | ▲ |
| 1930s | 358 | ▲ |
| 1920s | 153 | ▲ |
| 1910s | 103 | ▲ |
| 1900s | 11 | ▲ |
| 1890s | 5 | — |
The Story of Rona
A Gen X name
Peaking in 1966, Rona is a Gen X staple. Girls named Rona are most likely born between 1956 and 1976.
How rare is Rona?
Only about 1 in every 514,286 babies born in 2024 was named Rona — a truly uncommon choice.
The journey through the decades
First appeared in the records in 1896, grew steadily over the decades, peaked in the 1960s with 1,333 births that decade, and has since become a rare, vintage choice.
Rona by the numbers
- Would fill 113 school buses
- Meeting one Rona per day would take 14.9 years
Year-by-Year Data
View complete yearly data(117 years, 1896–2024)
| Year | Births | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 7 | #13149 |
| 2023 | 10 | #10165 |
| 2022 | 8 | #12027 |
| 2021 | 5 | #17192 |
| 2020 | 18 | #6587 |
| 2019 | 26 | #5138 |
| 2018 | 24 | #5429 |
| 2017 | 30 | #4672 |
| 2016 | 27 | #5102 |
| 2015 | 26 | #5269 |
| 2014 | 21 | #6166 |
| 2013 | 12 | #9501 |
| 2012 | 14 | #8546 |
| 2011 | 13 | #9042 |
| 2010 | 11 | #10319 |
| 2009 | 16 | #7987 |
| 2008 | 5 | #19859 |
| 2007 | 11 | #10676 |
| 2006 | 12 | #9785 |
| 2005 | 10 | #10762 |
Source: U.S. Social Security Administration. Showing years with 5+ recorded births.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Rona a boy's or girl's name?
When was Rona most popular?
How popular is the name Rona?
Data source: U.S. Social Security Administration, 1896–2024