Onna

Onna is a Frisian first name that represents the female counterpart of Onno. The meaningful interpretation of the name is 'the Granting' or 'the Allowing'.

What does the name Onna mean?

The first name Onna has its roots in Frisian and is the feminine form of Onno. It means 'the Granting' or 'the Allowing'. The origin of the name is anchored in the Old Saxon word unnan, which means 'to grant', 'to allow', 'to permit', and 'to yield'. Additionally, Onna is regarded as a Romansh variant of the name Anna, which in turn goes back to Hannah. In this sense, it stands for 'the Gracious', 'the Favored', or religiously interpreted as 'God has had mercy' and 'God was gracious'. These meanings derive from the ancient Hebrew term channâh (חַנָּה), which stands for 'grace', 'graciousness', 'elegance', 'charm', 'he was gracious', and 'he showed favor'. Ultimately, this is based on the root ḥanān (חָנַן), which means 'to be kind', 'to be gracious', 'to have mercy', or 'to grant favor'. In the Japanese language, Onna (女) means 'woman'.

Where does the name Onna come from?

Onna is a female first name that has both ancient Hebrew and Old Saxon origins and carries the meaning 'the Granting'. The ancient Hebrew roots come from the term channâh, which stands for 'grace', 'graciousness', 'elegance', and 'charm'. The Old Saxon origin derives from the word unnan, which means 'to grant', 'to allow', 'to permit', and 'to yield'. The languages in which Onna appears are Frisian, Low German, Romansh, and Swiss German.

How do you pronounce Onna?

The pronunciation of Onna is sonorous and two-syllable. In German, the name is usually pronounced as 'On-na' [ˈɔnna]. The sound begins with a rounded, darker vowel that immediately conveys a sense of presence and calm. The doubling of the consonant in the middle enhances the stability of the name and provides a clear form. The final 'a' opens the sound and gives it a warm, soft finish. Overall, Onna radiates calmness, groundedness, and balance, with a clear and harmonious sound effect.

Popularity

In Germany, Onna is among the less common first names. In 2022, it ranked 5,539th on the list of most popular girl names. Its highest ranking was in 2013 at 3,816th place. Over the last ten years, Onna has been chosen as a first name about ten times, placing it at 7,402nd in the ten-year statistics. For the period from 2010 to 2024, Onna holds the 7,669th position.

Famous people

• Onna Maria (Famous Swiss female murderer)
• Onna White (Dancer from Canada)