Rishona

Rishona, written in Hebrew as ראשונה, is the feminine form of the adjective rishon, meaning “first.” In Hebrew grammar, rishon denotes first in time, order, or rank, and rishona is used to modify feminine nouns. The term appears in various phrases and names as a result of gender agreement. In toponymy, Rishona is most often encountered as part of compound place names. The best-known example is Rishon LeZion (ראשון לציון), a city in the Central District of Israel founded in 1882 by Jewish pioneers with the support of Baron Edmond de Rothschild. The full name translates as “First to Zion.” While the city is commonly referred to by its full name, transliterations or informal speech occasionally render it as “Rishona” in isolation, though this is not standard usage.

Beyond geography, Rishona is used as a feminine given name in some Hebrew-speaking communities, reflecting the word’s meaning. In literature and media, the form appears in phrases such as ha-rishona (“the first [one],” feminine).

Rishona thus functions chiefly as a linguistic form—expressing feminine firstness—and as a component in place names, most notably in the established city Rishon LeZion. The term also appears in everyday language and names where gender agreement is a structural feature of Hebrew. See also Rishon LeZion.