diff --git a/frontend/messages/de.json b/frontend/messages/de.json
index f1b189ce..8ef11f81 100644
--- a/frontend/messages/de.json
+++ b/frontend/messages/de.json
@@ -423,6 +423,7 @@
 	"person_mention_open_link": "Zur Person",
 	"person_mention_hover_hint": "Klick öffnet Seite",
 	"person_mention_load_error": "Person konnte nicht geladen werden.",
+	"person_mention_loading": "Lade Person…",
 	"person_mention_popup_empty": "Keine Personen gefunden",
 	"person_mention_btn_label": "Person verlinken",
 	"person_mention_create_new": "Neue Person anlegen",
diff --git a/frontend/messages/en.json b/frontend/messages/en.json
index 02111802..c0909263 100644
--- a/frontend/messages/en.json
+++ b/frontend/messages/en.json
@@ -423,6 +423,7 @@
 	"person_mention_open_link": "Open person",
 	"person_mention_hover_hint": "Click opens the page",
 	"person_mention_load_error": "Could not load person.",
+	"person_mention_loading": "Loading person…",
 	"person_mention_popup_empty": "No persons found",
 	"person_mention_btn_label": "Link person",
 	"person_mention_create_new": "Create new person",
diff --git a/frontend/messages/es.json b/frontend/messages/es.json
index 5d416017..4b2fcdaf 100644
--- a/frontend/messages/es.json
+++ b/frontend/messages/es.json
@@ -423,6 +423,7 @@
 	"person_mention_open_link": "Ir a la persona",
 	"person_mention_hover_hint": "Clic abre la página",
 	"person_mention_load_error": "No se pudo cargar la persona.",
+	"person_mention_loading": "Cargando persona…",
 	"person_mention_popup_empty": "No se encontraron personas",
 	"person_mention_btn_label": "Vincular persona",
 	"person_mention_create_new": "Crear nueva persona",
diff --git a/frontend/src/lib/components/PersonHoverCard.svelte b/frontend/src/lib/components/PersonHoverCard.svelte
index 3374de23..74c36260 100644
--- a/frontend/src/lib/components/PersonHoverCard.svelte
+++ b/frontend/src/lib/components/PersonHoverCard.svelte
@@ -41,6 +41,17 @@ const notesExcerpt = $derived.by(() => {
 	if (notes.length <= NOTES_MAX) return notes;
 	return notes.slice(0, NOTES_MAX) + '…';
 });
+
+// Accessible name for the region landmark — required by WCAG 1.3.1.
+// Falls back to a localised loading label so axe-core never sees an unnamed
+// region (Leonie FINDING-02 / Elicit NFR concern).
+const ariaLabel = $derived(
+	state.status === 'loaded' ? state.person.displayName : m.person_mention_loading()
+);
+
+// aria-busy="true" while loading so SR clients know the region's contents
+// will change. Cleared on loaded/error so the new content is announced.
+const ariaBusy = $derived(state.status === 'loading');
 </script>
 
 <div
@@ -49,12 +60,19 @@ const notesExcerpt = $derived.by(() => {
 	id={cardId}
 	role="region"
 	aria-live="polite"
+	aria-label={ariaLabel}
+	aria-busy={ariaBusy ? 'true' : undefined}
 	style:position="absolute"
 	style:top={`${position.top}px`}
 	style:left={`${position.left}px`}
 >
 	{#if state.status === 'loading'}
-		<div data-testid="person-hover-card-skeleton" class="skeleton">
+		<div
+			data-testid="person-hover-card-skeleton"
+			class="skeleton"
+			role="status"
+			aria-label={m.person_mention_loading()}
+		>
 			<div class="bar"></div>
 			<div class="bar"></div>
 			<div class="bar"></div>
diff --git a/frontend/src/lib/components/PersonHoverCard.svelte.spec.ts b/frontend/src/lib/components/PersonHoverCard.svelte.spec.ts
index ac8bb400..0d9dd955 100644
--- a/frontend/src/lib/components/PersonHoverCard.svelte.spec.ts
+++ b/frontend/src/lib/components/PersonHoverCard.svelte.spec.ts
@@ -246,6 +246,54 @@ describe('PersonHoverCard — accessibility', () => {
 		expect(root.getAttribute('aria-live')).toBe('polite');
 	});
 
+	it('sets aria-busy="true" while loading so SR announces the state change on load', async () => {
+		render(PersonHoverCard, {
+			personId: 'p-aug',
+			cardId: 'card-1',
+			position: POSITION,
+			state: { status: 'loading' }
+		});
+		const root = document.querySelector('[data-testid="person-hover-card"]')!;
+		expect(root.getAttribute('aria-busy')).toBe('true');
+	});
+
+	it('does not set aria-busy when loaded (so the loaded content is announced)', async () => {
+		render(PersonHoverCard, {
+			personId: 'p-aug',
+			cardId: 'card-1',
+			position: POSITION,
+			state: { status: 'loaded', person: AUGUSTE, relationships: [] }
+		});
+		const root = document.querySelector('[data-testid="person-hover-card"]')!;
+		// aria-busy is either absent or "false"
+		const busy = root.getAttribute('aria-busy');
+		expect(busy === null || busy === 'false').toBe(true);
+	});
+
+	it('names the region with the person displayName when loaded (WCAG 1.3.1)', async () => {
+		render(PersonHoverCard, {
+			personId: 'p-aug',
+			cardId: 'card-1',
+			position: POSITION,
+			state: { status: 'loaded', person: AUGUSTE, relationships: [] }
+		});
+		const root = document.querySelector('[data-testid="person-hover-card"]')!;
+		expect(root.getAttribute('aria-label')).toBe('Auguste Raddatz');
+	});
+
+	it('names the region with a generic loading label while loading', async () => {
+		render(PersonHoverCard, {
+			personId: 'p-aug',
+			cardId: 'card-1',
+			position: POSITION,
+			state: { status: 'loading' }
+		});
+		const root = document.querySelector('[data-testid="person-hover-card"]')!;
+		// Region must have an accessible name in every state — axe-core flags
+		// role="region" without aria-label / aria-labelledby.
+		expect(root.getAttribute('aria-label')).toBeTruthy();
+	});
+
 	it('exposes the cardId as the host element id (so anchor aria-describedby works)', async () => {
 		render(PersonHoverCard, {
 			personId: 'p-aug',