Declining since 2018, #5,722 for girls today.
Popularity of Ona since 1880
Babies named Ona per year in U.S. Social Security records. Raw births topped out in 1916, but relative to how few babies were recorded back then, Ona's real moment was 1893.
Data table (by decade)
| Decade | Girls |
|---|---|
| 1880s | 362 |
| 1890s | 681 |
| 1900s | 735 |
| 1910s | 1,384 |
| 1920s | 1,448 |
| 1930s | 920 |
| 1940s | 601 |
| 1950s | 451 |
| 1960s | 250 |
| 1970s | 232 |
| 1980s | 145 |
| 1990s | 128 |
| 2000s | 147 |
| 2010s | 301 |
| 2020s | 154 |
Meaning & origin
Ona is a rare given name that has never ranked high in U.S. popularity. First recorded in 1880, it saw its peak in 1893, yet even then it was uncommon. As of 2025, it ranks 5722, with approximately 1 in every 76,537 newborn girls receiving the name. Though it experienced modest use in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, its trajectory has been falling since 2018, indicating a continued decline in contemporary use. Ona appears in no top state lists, reflecting its dispersed, low-frequency usage across the country. Despite its scarcity, Ona has an appealing simplicity and a melodic sound. Its Irish and Lithuanian connections offer dual cultural heritage, and its brevity aligns with a modern preference for short, vowel-initial names, even as it remains far from a common choice.
Ona may derive from the Irish name Oona (or Úna), whose meaning is often given as 'lamb.' In Lithuanian, Ona is a form of Anna, ultimately from Hebrew Hannah meaning 'grace.' In the United States, Ona first appeared in Social Security records in 1880 and was used sparingly, with a peak in the 1890s. Its use fluctuated but remained rare throughout the 20th century.
Where Ona 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.
“Ona” around the world
Where Ona lands in the latest official birth statistics abroad, matched to the U.S. spelling.
France
5
babies in 2024
Sources: INSEE (France).
Nicknames & variants
Sibling names for Ona
Names that share Ona's style, for a brother or sister.
