Holding steady, #8,362 for girls today.
Popularity of Lona since 1880
Babies named Lona per year in U.S. Social Security records. Raw births topped out in 1918, but relative to how few babies were recorded back then, Lona's real moment was 1890.
Data table (by decade)
| Decade | Girls |
|---|---|
| 1880s | 381 |
| 1890s | 738 |
| 1900s | 926 |
| 1910s | 1,491 |
| 1920s | 1,390 |
| 1930s | 1,193 |
| 1940s | 1,324 |
| 1950s | 1,171 |
| 1960s | 946 |
| 1970s | 503 |
| 1980s | 296 |
| 1990s | 120 |
| 2000s | 188 |
| 2010s | 150 |
| 2020s | 90 |
Meaning & origin
Lona is a name that saw its greatest use in the late 1800s, peaking in 1890 when it was given to a modest number of baby girls. By 2025, it had fallen to rank 8,362, with a frequency of 1 in 133,939 births. The name's trajectory has been stable in recent decades, meaning it has not seen a significant revival or further decline. While Lona's exact origins remain unclear, it likely developed as a variant of Leona or Alona, and its brief period of popularity in the 1890s places it among the many distinctly turn-of-the-century feminine names that later faded from common use.
Lona emerged in the late 19th century as a feminine given name, likely a variant or diminutive of Leona (derived from Latin 'leo' meaning 'lion') or Alona (possibly of Hebrew origin). Its popularity peaked in the 1890s, after which it steadily declined. The name has remained in occasional use, particularly in the United States, without a clear singular etymological root.
Where Lona is most popular
Births per 100,000 girls by state. Press play or drag the slider to watch it move across the decades. The lightest shade means too few recorded births.
“Lona” around the world
Where Lona lands in the latest official birth statistics abroad, matched to the U.S. spelling.
France
10
babies in 2024
Sources: INSEE (France).
Nicknames & variants
Sibling names for Lona
Names that share Lona's style, for a brother or sister.
