🔼The name Ono: Summary
- Meaning
- [His] Trouble, [His] Vigor
- Etymology
- From the root און ('wn), to experience much trouble or have much vigor.
🔼The name Ono in the Bible
The name Ono was originally applied to a city in the territory of Benjamin (1 Chronicles 8:12). It was built (or fortified) by Shemed, son of Elpaal, who also built Lod and an untold number of satellite towns.
By the time of Nehemiah, the name Ono covered a large plain, which also included the city of Chephirim (Nehemiah 6:2), and apparently also a place called Hadid.
Both Ezra and Nehemiah count the returnees from the Babylonian exile to this whole area together instead of per separate town (Ezra 2:33, Nehemiah 7:37). And Nehemiah makes mention of a "valley of craftsmen" near Lod and Ono, which was probably also part of that same district (Nehemiah 11:35).
🔼Etymology of the name Ono
The name Ono comes from the root group און (wn), meaning either vigor or sorrow:
און
The verb און ('wn) appears to mean to experience a lot, to be subject to much. It doesn't occur in the Bible but in cognate languages it's either negative and means to be tired and troubled, or it's positive and means to be at rest and enjoy a life of plenty.
Nouns און ('awen) and תאנים (te'unim) are of the first category, and mean trouble, sorrow or toil. Noun און ('on) is of the second and describes an surplus of vigor or wealth and specifically of reproductive powers.
The added letter ו (waw) could indicate a personal pronoun of the third person masculine singular: his.
🔼Ono meaning
For a meaning of the name Ono, NOBSE Study Bible Name List reads Strong. Jones' Dictionary of Old Testament Proper Names proposes Strength. And BDB Theological Dictionary has Vigorous.