Nameberry of the Day: Fiona
April 22
Today’s featured name is Fiona, in honor of the feisty heroine of the Shrek franchise, which premiered on April 22, 2001 at the Mann Village Theatre.
Following its release, Shrek was an instant box office success, and received critical acclaim for how it subverted expectations of fairytales, heroes, and notably, princesses. It won the first ever Academy Award for Best Animated Feature in 2002.
Shrek’s Princess Fiona begins the movie imprisoned in a castle guarded by a dragon, where she awaits the arrival of a prince to rescue her and free her from a curse—which transforms her into an ogress at nightfall—with true love’s kiss. Instead, she is rescued by Shrek, an ogre, whom she eventually falls in love with.
Fiona, who is voiced by actress Cameron Diaz, has been praised for breaking the traditional fairytale princess mold. She is feisty and determined, and throughout the franchise, consistently demonstrates her autonomy. These attributes make her a worthy namesake, despite her fictional status.
The name Fiona is of Scottish origin, the feminine form of the Irish name Fionn, meaning “white, fair”. Although it is among the most well-known of names from this family of Gaelic names, it is the only one without traditional roots. Fiona first appeared in a poem by Scottish author James MacPherson in 1761.
Along with Shrek’s Princess Fiona, the name has appeared in other popular media, including Emmy Rossum’s character in Shameless and singer Fiona Apple.
Fiona’s popularity peaked in 2017 at #180. In 2022, she ranked #357. However, a potential fifth movie in the Shrek franchise, rumored to be in the works, might give Fiona another spike.
In case you missed these Nameberries of the Day:
Nameberry of the Day: Bram
April 20 marks the death of Abraham ‘Bram’ Stoker, an Irish author, best remembered for his Gothic novel, Dracula. In his own lifetime, Bram Stoker was better known as an actor’s assistant and the business manager of a West End Theatre, and as an avid traveler, who collected ideas for his fiction along the way.