Page 2 | Is Fiona classic or outdated?

Lucyyyy133 · 2025-05-24T21:41:52+00:00

Hi everyone! I’m expecting my first daughter next month, and my husband and I have decided to name her Fiona. I know it’s not a super trendy or common name these days, so I’d love to hear your thoughts. Does Fiona come across to you as a classic and elegant name, or does it feel more outdated or “granny-ish”?

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loubielou31 · 25/05/2025 14:36

@DanDin you're right about Ffinn, Ffin is a Welsh word (and therefore I am sure someone will have used it as a name) and I quite like the look of Ffinn written down. Ffion and Fionn are just different versions of the same name, just like Clair, Clare and Claire. (Haven't heard of a baby Claire, in any spelling, for decades. Surely due a resurgence).

DanDin · 25/05/2025 13:08

Ffinn for a boy It isn't a name, @loubielou31 . Ffion gets mixed up with Fionn.

Calliopespa · 25/05/2025 10:22

thenarnianna · 25/05/2025 10:18

Outdated, but could have a nickname like Fifi which sounds younger.

Isn’t that a Nn for something else?

Scaredmamma · 25/05/2025 10:22

I feel it’s outdated. What about Fion? Similar but I think has a different feel to it.

Myleftoryourleft · 25/05/2025 10:19

Very outdated.

Coatsoff42 · 25/05/2025 10:19

Lucyyyy133 · 25/05/2025 08:08

Okay so while it doesn’t really bother me, I get that a lot of people think Fiona is a bit dated.
I guess I’m starting to realize that I probably should think more carefully about the risk of naming a baby after (or overlapping with) a major character from an old or new movie.

But then again, even if we had chosen something like Lily, who’s to say some company won’t release an AI assistant called LILY in the future, or that a new show won’t have a mean or annoying character with that name? 😩

Naming a baby is turning out to be way more pressure than I expected!

You can’t see the future. I think plenty of Alexa’s are naffed off about it.
I know a family with a daughter called Isis, named before it was a well known terrorist organisation. She goes by a nickname now lol!

thenarnianna · 25/05/2025 10:18

Outdated, but could have a nickname like Fifi which sounds younger.

ToKittyornottoKitty · 25/05/2025 10:04

sparrowflewdown · 25/05/2025 10:02

It is hardly relevant tbh. Anyway Princess Fiona is a positive character!

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Yes but she was also a big green ogre for much of it and kids will bully over anything.

sparrowflewdown · 25/05/2025 10:02

Moreteaandchocolate · 25/05/2025 09:58

Shrek 5 is out this year.

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It is hardly relevant tbh. Anyway Princess Fiona is a positive character!

Moreteaandchocolate · 25/05/2025 09:58

theunbreakablecleopatrajones · 25/05/2025 09:21

That was 20 years ago though.

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Shrek 5 is out this year.

Calliopespa · 25/05/2025 09:36

Lucyyyy133 · 25/05/2025 08:08

Okay so while it doesn’t really bother me, I get that a lot of people think Fiona is a bit dated.
I guess I’m starting to realize that I probably should think more carefully about the risk of naming a baby after (or overlapping with) a major character from an old or new movie.

But then again, even if we had chosen something like Lily, who’s to say some company won’t release an AI assistant called LILY in the future, or that a new show won’t have a mean or annoying character with that name? 😩

Naming a baby is turning out to be way more pressure than I expected!

If you like classic, go properly classic op.

It’s the best policy with names I think.

TrolleySong · 25/05/2025 09:34

Put it this way, when I was giving a name to a minor 50something character in my last novel, I called her Fiona.

okydokethen · 25/05/2025 09:26

Outdated but with the more recent shrek connotation as well. I don’t really like it.

sparrowflewdown · 25/05/2025 09:25

I love it. It is a solid beautiful name.

Highfivemum · 25/05/2025 09:23

It’s a classic name. But that is irrelevant it is your choice which Is important.
DD best friend is a Fiona but is called Fi for short. I like it.

dandelion246 · 25/05/2025 09:22

It's Dutch but having a small surge in the UK. My DD is called it and I get lots of compliments 🙂 I don't think it's any closer to Tena than Jenna or Sienna etc. xx

theunbreakablecleopatrajones · 25/05/2025 09:21

Moreteaandchocolate · 25/05/2025 07:26

I think it does feel dated, and because it’s rarely used these days the Shrek association is strong. I don’t think my teen daughter would have thanked me for calling her Fiona.

That was 20 years ago though.

ToKittyornottoKitty · 25/05/2025 09:20

dandelion246 · 25/05/2025 09:19

How about Fenna 🙂 it's similar to Fiona but a bit fresher. Fiona is also lovely and you should go with whatever you like x

I’ve never heard that name before, sounds to easy to mishear as Tena (lady) though

theunbreakablecleopatrajones · 25/05/2025 09:19

It’s a classic. Out of fashion at the moment but not dated.

It’s a good choice, will sound very fresh and original to her peers. It’ll be properly revived in 10 or 20 years, which means she’ll have a young persons name when she’s middle aged, which she’ll probably like.

dandelion246 · 25/05/2025 09:19

How about Fenna 🙂 it's similar to Fiona but a bit fresher. Fiona is also lovely and you should go with whatever you like x

SunshineAndFizz · 25/05/2025 08:56

50 year old lady, sorry.

OakleyStreetisnotinChelsea · 25/05/2025 08:54

MatildaMovesMountains · 24/05/2025 22:51

It's middle-aged rather than grannyish - Fionas seem to be in their 50s! But if you love it that's the main thing.

Oi! There were a fair few around when I was at school at we're 40s not 50s.

I think it's pretty classic. Not too frumpy, not twee, pretty solid. I've never been in love with my name but nor do I hate it. Princess Fiona came up a fair bit approx 20 years ago when I was teaching abroad but Shrek isn't exactly current and doesn't have the same sort of following Frozen has for your Elsas of the world so unlikely to be a problem.

Firsttimebabymummy · 25/05/2025 08:50

mamabluestar · 24/05/2025 22:43

I think it's classic rather than dated. Go with what you love

Agree. Lovely name

Fearfulsaints · 25/05/2025 08:08

I love Fiona. It probably is a bit dated in England but it has a similar feel to names like Mia, Isla, iona, sienna etc which are still popular found here. It's not like Janet or Lorraine which have a different feel.

I am Scottish which might be making me hear it different

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Lucyyyy133 · 25/05/2025 08:08

Okay so while it doesn’t really bother me, I get that a lot of people think Fiona is a bit dated.
I guess I’m starting to realize that I probably should think more carefully about the risk of naming a baby after (or overlapping with) a major character from an old or new movie.

But then again, even if we had chosen something like Lily, who’s to say some company won’t release an AI assistant called LILY in the future, or that a new show won’t have a mean or annoying character with that name? 😩

Naming a baby is turning out to be way more pressure than I expected!

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