Winona
Meaningfirstborn daughter · Dakota
- US rank
- #627
- Syllables
- 3
- Peak
- #405 in 1924
466 babies were named Winona in the US in 2025. It has climbed 791 places in five years.
Found on lists
Save adds it to your list. Vote moves it up the top voted names.
US births per million girls, 1880–2025
Most popular states (2025)
Similar names
Popularity: U.S. Social Security Administration (babies with 5+ births per year).
Did you know?
A few things about Winona you might not know, from US birth records and Wikipedia. Handy for convincing a partner, or a grandparent.
Famous Winona
Winona Ryder
American actress
Choose Winona and your child shares a first name with Winona Ryder, an American actress. A ready-made answer when someone asks “Winona, like who?” Winona Ryder's Wikipedia article is available in 100 languages, a good sign of just how widely known they are.
Read about Winona Ryder on Wikipedia (opens in a new tab)Photo: Harald Krichel, CC BY-SA 4.0 (opens in a new tab), via Wikimedia Commons
- How commonAbout 1 in every 3,449 baby girls born in the US in 2025 was named Winona, 466 babies in all. In a typical school of 500 kids, your Winona would very likely be the only one.
- HistoryWinona has been in use since at least 1880, the first year US birth records were kept. That's 145 years of Winonas, and counting.
- Best yearIts best year was 1924, when it reached #405.
- Then vs nowWinona is 19× more common today than it was in 2000. In 2000 it was given to about 1 in 64,935 baby girls; in 2025, about 1 in 3,449.
- TrendWinona has climbed 791 places in the US rankings over the last five years and now sits at #627. Fast risers like this often keep climbing, so expect to hear it more.
- Where it's lovedWinona is most popular in Maine, where it ranks #176, followed by North Dakota (#195) and Wisconsin (#247). It's in the top 1,000 in 29 states.
- MeaningIn Dakota, Winona means “firstborn daughter”.
- OriginWinona is the #6 most popular Native American girl name in the US. That's out of 420 Native American girl and unisex names in our list.
About the name Winona
Winona is a girl name of Native American origin meaning “firstborn daughter”. It has 6 letters and 3 syllables, starting with W and ending in “-ona”. US birth records list Winona for girls from 1880 to 2025, in 146 of those 146 years. Its best year was 1924, when it ranked #405 among girl names. In 2025 it ranked #627, with 466 babies.
Origin:Native American names
| Decade | Babies per million | About 1 in |
|---|---|---|
| 1880s | 83 | 12,090 girls |
| 1890s | 92 | 10,909 girls |
| 1900s | 128 | 7,840 girls |
| 1910s | 183 | 5,460 girls |
| 1920s | 203 | 4,930 girls |
| 1930s | 177 | 5,639 girls |
| 1940s | 77 | 13,043 girls |
| 1950s | 55 | 18,113 girls |
| 1960s | 39 | 25,323 girls |
| 1970s | 31 | 31,990 girls |
| 1980s | 14 | 69,686 girls |
| 1990s | 19 | 53,248 girls |
| 2000s | 11 | 94,697 girls |
| 2010s | 32 | 31,466 girls |
| 2020s | 181 | 5,524 girls |
More Native American girl names
- Girl name: Savannah · treeless plain
- Unisex name: Dakota · friend, ally
- Girl name: Savanna · treeless grassland
- Girl name: Kaydence · rhythm
- Unisex name: Sora · sky
- Unisex name: Sequoia · giant redwood tree
- Girl name: Ericka · eternal ruler
- Unisex name: Dakotah · friend, ally
Questions about the name Winona
What does the name Winona mean?
Winona means “firstborn daughter” in Dakota.
What is the origin of the name Winona?
Winona has Native American roots in our records. Other Native American names include Savannah, Dakota, Savanna.
Is Winona a boy or girl name?
Winona is a girl name.
How popular is the name Winona?
Winona ranked #627 for US girls in 2025, given to 466 babies. Its best year was 1924 (#405).