Etymology & Historical Origin of the Baby Name Winona

Winona is a Native American Indian name from “Winúŋna” meaning “firstborn daughter” or “eldest daughter” in the Sioux Dakota language. It was the name shared by both the wife and daughter of a well-known Sioux Chief, Wapasha III (c. 1816-1876), whose people lived on lands along the western banks of the Mississippi River in southeast Minnesota. Wabasha III, like his fathers before him, spent his life defending the land for his people in the midst of constant conflict and uprisings. Eventually they were forcibly stripped of their land and displaced to reservations in Nebraska and South Dakota. The region belonging to the Sioux Dakotas where Wapasha III once ruled as Chief is now located in Winona County, Minnesota (named after the Chief’s firstborn daughter). As a female given name, Winona is mainly restricted to the United States (and probably some areas of Canada).

All About the Baby Name – Winona

Personality

OF THE GIRL NAME WINONA

The number Four personality is marked by stability and discipline. This is the personality that follows the rules and is conservative by nature.  They have an earth-bound energy that prefers to build things methodically on top of firm foundations; they don't cut corners. Fours take their time and don't like to be hurried. But the outcome of their endeavors is likely to result in some strong and useful structure, which makes them great engineers and inventors. Fours are anything but frivolous or controversial. This is a trustworthy, straight-forward personality that embodies dedication and organization. They are the backbone and anchor in their relationships, careers and communities. They are tidy, punctual, and full of integrity. Hard-work comes naturally to a Four and they are immensely reliable. This is the personality you can always count on.

Popularity

OF THE GIRL NAME WINONA

Surprisingly, Winona can be found on the American female naming charts dating back to the late 19th century (which is as far back as we have available data). Although the name has always maintained low-moderate usage in the early part of last century, it did reach a high of #407 on the charts in both 1924 and again in 1931. However, 1957 is the last year Winona claimed Top 1000 standing in the United States, despite the fact that Winona Ryder brought the name to the forefront during her peak career years in the 1990s. In fact, only 32 baby girls were given the name Winona in 2012 making her quite the unique choice today. We love this name for the “firstborn daughter”. We wonder why other Native-American influenced female names like Savannah, Dakota, Cheyenne and Kaya make America’s Top 1000 list but the pretty, easy, breezy Winona does not. Sadly enough, Winona was ranked at position #4552 in 2012 – totally off the radar. In our opinion, this is a lovely choice (but should be reserved for the eldest daughter for obvious reasons).

Quick Facts

ON WINONA

GENDER:

Girl

ORIGIN:

American

NUMBER OF SYLLABLES:

3

RANKING POPULARITY:

N/A

PRONUNCIATION:

wi-NO-nə

SIMPLE MEANING:

Firstborn daughter

Characteristics

OF WINONA

Dependable

Solid

Practical

Hard-working

Industrious

Studious

Conservative

Cultural References to the Baby Name – Winona

Literary Characters

OF THE BABY NAME WINONA

We cannot find any significant literary characters by the name of Winona

Childrens Books

ON THE BABY NAME WINONA

We cannot find any childrens books with the first name Winona


Popular Songs

ON WINONA

Winona
a song by Matthew Sweet

Famous People

NAMED WINONA

Winona Ryder (actress)
Winona LaDuke (Native American activist and writer)
Wynonna Judd (country musician)

Children of Famous People

NAMED WINONA

We cannot find any children of famous people with the first name Winona

Historic Figures

WITH THE NAME WINONA

We cannot find any historically significant people with the first name Winona