W
Feminine
Literature
Meaning & History
Wenonah is a variant of Winona, a name of Dakota or Lakota origin meaning "firstborn daughter." The spelling Wenonah first gained prominence through Henry Wadsworth Longfellow's 1855 epic poem The Song of Hiawatha, where it was used for the mother of the legendary Ojibwe hero Hiawatha. This literary usage helped popularize the name in English-speaking countries, particularly in the United States, and gave rise to several alternative spellings such as Wenona, Wynona, and Wynonna.
Related Names
Sources: Wiktionary — Wenonah