Question
Shalom! I would like to know which is the Hebrew name for the name `Ramona`.
Thank you very much!
Answer
Shalom,
Thank you for your question. Firstly let me point out that a person may not necessarily use a "translation" of their secular name into hebrew. That is not every Chava is an Eve, and not every woman with the secular name Eve uses the Hebrew name Chava (which was the Hebrew name of the first woman). So one may be a Ramona, and have a Hebrew name that is not even close to it – such as Sarah.
Secondly, some people have only one name that they use as both their secular and Hebrew names. For example I know of a person called "Boris" who uses Boris as his Hebrew name when called to the Torah also. Whilst this is not so common – it is not completely unusual. So Ramona might be Ramona! This would actually sound quite nice in Hebrew – a feminine sounding version of Rimon (which translates as a pomegranate). Not many men use the name Rimon as a first name – but it would not sound so strange. Even though there is no grammatical feminine form of the word Rimon, Rimona would sound unusual – but kind of nice. However it is very far from being a traditional Jewish name.
My research finds that Ramona is of Spanish and Old German origin and means "protecting hands". There is no Hebrew name with this meaning. Many people translate secular names based on the sound of the name – as in Susan becoming a Sarah. If we tried to find a Hebrew name that sounds like Ramona it would probably be a name starting with the "R" sound – such as Rachel, or Rivkah.
I hope this is of some help to you.
Blessings.
