Wenona

Meaning of Wenona

Wenona is traditionally traced to the Dakota word for “first-born daughter,” a meaning that lends it a quiet sense of precedence without pretension. Often viewed as a softer variant of the better-known Winona, it shares literary roots in Longfellow’s 1855 epic “The Song of Hiawatha,” where Wenonah is the ill-fated mother of the hero—a cameo that gives the name a brush with American poetic lore. Usage data hint at a brief flicker of popularity in late-1970s California, topping out at eight births in both 1975 and 1976 and never quite elbowing its way past the 284th spot; in other words, it enjoyed a moment but didn’t start a movement. The pronunciation “wee-NOH-nuh” is straightforward enough to spare future teachers any white-knuckle roll calls, yet distinctive enough to keep the playground full of Emmas guessing. Collectively, these threads paint Wenona as a historically grounded, lightly literary choice with just the right amount of rarity for parents who prefer the road less congested to the road less traveled.

Pronunciation

English

• Pronunced as wee-NOH-nuh (/wiːˈnoʊ.nə/)

• Winona
• Wiona
• Wynonna
• Wenonah