Ramona

A Spanish feminine form of Ramón, tracing back to Germanic elements meaning counsel and protection. The name gained wide currency in the United States following Helen Hunt Jackson's 1884 novel of the same name. A 1928 chart-topping recording of the title song helped push the name to its historical peak that same year.

A Ramona sounds like someone who does not take notes during meetings because she intends to run them. The name carries two distinct associations: nineteenth-century romantic fiction and a famously stubborn elementary school character. With the average living bearer now fifty-nine years old, it sits comfortably in the territory of decisive department heads and cool aunts. It is currently staging a mild revival among parents looking for mid-century weight without mid-century softness.