Ronja is a feminine given name predominantly used in Scandinavian countries, best known as an invention of Swedish author Astrid Lindgren for her 1981 fantasy novel Ronja, the Robber's Daughter (sometimes translated into English as Ronia or Ronya). Lindgren crafted the name from the middle portion of the Swedish lake name Juronjaure, drawing on Sámi linguistic elements. While popular perception credits Lindgren with the name's origin, historical records show that in Finland, Ronja was occasionally used as early as the 1920s, suggesting an independent emergence. Additionally, in Sweden, Ronja serves as a rendering of the Russian diminutive Ronja for Veronica, linking it to the tradition of borrowing Eastern European shortenings. The name remained obscure until Lindgren's novel catapulted it to fame, and it has since become especially popular in Scandinavia; for example, it ranked third among baby girls in the Faroe Islands in 2008. Given its literary provenance, Ronja bears an adventurous and independent cultural image. Notable bearers include Swedish footballer Ronja Aronsson (born 1997), German cyclist Ronja Eibl (born 1999), and German politician Ronja Endres (born 1986); the name has also been borne by athletes such as German ice hockey players and track and field competitors. Ronja was selected as a top name for girls in Sweden in the late 1990s and 2000s and remain in common use; its equivalent Italian form less frequent is Ronia. For families seeking a distinctive yet straightforward Scandinavian name, Ronja offers both a spirited literary heritage and a cross-European resonance.