Message: "What is the meaning of the Russian female first name Ronja?"

[Facts] What is the meaning of the Russian female first name Ronja?

by Lucille (guest)

10/29/2002, 4:50 AM

I've always loved the name Ronja, it being the name of a character in one of the novels from Astrid Lindgren. But what does it mean?

Thank you in advance for who can tell me.

Regards,

Lucille

#Russian

Replies

- Liza (guest)

10/29/2002, 9:37 AM

Hi Lucille!
I am from Russia and I've never heard that name :).
But I can assume that it may be short form from Arnold.

- Lassia (guest) +1

10/29/2002, 5:08 AM

Well it's definitely not a Russian name! True, Ronja is sometimes used as a male nickname in Russia, but the female name is not of the same origin. Actually, I've read somewhere that Astrid Lindgren, the author of the Ronja books, invented the name. She took the Swedish/Lappish place name "Juronjaure" (which I believe is either a place or a mountain up in northern sweden in the middle of the great forests) and simply cut off the beginning and the end, and voilà, a perfect name for a robber's daughter!

- Satu (guest)

10/29/2002, 7:11 AM

Hi,
it's true, that Astrid Lindgren picked the name from the name "Juronjaure" which is a lake in Lappland. But Ronja can even be short for Veronica in Russia. I found one more meaning: Ronyah being a Hebrew name meaning God's happiness:

http://hem.passagen.se/carina.nilsson/historia.htm

(look for the month of April)

Regards, Satu

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