Ramon

Ramón is the Spanish form of the Germanic masculine name Raginmund which is derived from the elements “ragin” meaning 'advice' and “mund” meaning ‘protector’. The English version of this name is Raymond. Ramon has been a particularly popular name in Catalonia, influenced by Sant Ramon de Penyafort (Raymond of Penyafort) who was a 13th century Catalan Dominican and expert compiler, organizer and codifier of canon law. He is thus the patron saint of lawyers (especially canon law). Another important 13th century Catalan saint, Sant Ramon Nonat (English: Saint Raymond Nonnatus), is notable for a few things. He was born by caesarian section hence his surname (Nonnatus is the Latin word for “not born”) and is therefore considered one of the patron saints of childbirth and midwifery. Saint Ramon became a priest during the Moorish occupation of Iberia and spent much of his life ransoming Christian captives out of North Africa. When money ran out, Ramon offered himself as hostage, and so the Moors pad-locked his lips together to prevent him from preaching. Locks are placed at his alter still to symbolize the pledge to stop false talk and gossip, as well as to protect the secrecy of confession. Both of these medieval Saint Ramons were important to the Spanish, but particularly the Catalonians where the name remains popular. Ramona is the feminine version of this old Germanic name, and the Spanish Ramon has enjoyed a fair amount of cross-over appeal in the United States.