Winona
WIH-nuh-nuh
Winona is a Dakota Sioux name meaning “firstborn daughter.” In the Dakota language, winona (also spelled Wenonah or Winonah) is a word used for the first female child born to a family, carrying a specific cultural and social meaning within the tribe.
The name entered American mainstream culture through Henry Wadsworth Longfellow’s poem The Song of Hiawatha (1855), which featured a character named Wenonah. The city of Winona, Minnesota, also carries the name into American geography.
Winona peaked at No. 407 in 1924 with 289 births. In 2024 it ranks No. 738 with 381 births—its highest raw count since SSA records began.
What the name Winona means
Actress Winona Ryder (born 1971) transformed the name’s cultural image in the 1980s and 1990s, making it synonymous with a certain alternative, indie sensibility.
Her career revival through Stranger Things (2016) has refreshed the name for a new generation.
Three syllables—wih-NO-nah—feel distinctive and musical. The W opening and the Dakota origin give it a genuinely American character rooted in Indigenous naming tradition.
Parents who choose Winona today are often drawn to its Native American origin, its actress associations, or simply its distinctive sound—a W-name that is neither invented nor imported.
Related Dakota names include Wenonah and Winonah, older spellings of the same word, while Nona offers a natural nickname alternative.
US popularity over time
Numerology and symbolism
Based on Pythagorean numerology — a traditional system linking name letters to numbers. Presented for cultural interest.
Famous people named Winona
Winona - similar names
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