Message: "Winona" - Behind the Name

Winona

by Wordsmith

7/2/2011, 2:14 PM

I'm smitten with Winona. I love that it means "first-born daughter" in Dakota (I have a secondary, undeveloped fascination with Native American languages and cultures, and it's very likely that I'll only have one daughter) and that it exudes a brassy, flapper-like charm; plus, the nicknames Win, Winnie, and Nona are beyond adorable. What are your thoughts? Is it too closely tied to Winona Ryder?

Which of these combinations appeal to you?

Winona Agnes
Winona Albertine
Winona Alice
Winona Amabel
Winona Audrey
Winona Beatrice
Winona Beatrix
Winona Bertille
Winona Beryl
Winona Blanche
Winona Blythe
Winona Bryony
Winona Caroline
Winona Cecily
Winona Celestine
Winona Charlotte
Winona Clare
Winona Clementine
Winona Constance
Winona Delphine
Winona Dorothy
Winona Edith
Winona Eglantine
Winona Eleanor
Winona Eloise
Winona Emeline
Winona Emily
Winona Emmeline
Winona Ermengarde
Winona Esther
Winona Eve
Winona Florence
Winona Frances
Winona Geraldine
Winona Gertrude
Winona Harriet
Winona Hazel
Winona Hesper
Winona Hester
Winona Hortense
Winona Imogen
Winona Ingrid
Winona Iris
Winona Jacqueline
Winona Jamesina
Winona Jasperine
Winona Judith
Winona Juliet
Winona Laurel
Winona Lavender
Winona Leontine
Winona Lilias
Winona Lillian
Winona Lucille
Winona Lucy
Winona Lydia
Winona Margaret
Winona Margery
Winona Marguerite
Winona Marian
Winona Marianne
Winona Marigold
Winona Marion
Winona Marjorie
Winona Mary
Winona Mechtilde
Winona Melisande
Winona Mildred
Winona Millicent
Winona Mirabel
Winona Miriam
Winona Muriel
Winona Myrtle
Winona Octavia
Winona Olive
Winona Ottilie
Winona Ottoline
Winona Patience
Winona Pearl
Winona Philippa
Winona Philomel
Winona Phyllis
Winona Prudence
Winona Rachel
Winona Rosalind
Winona Rosamond
Winona Rosamund
Winona Ruby
Winona Ruth
Winona Sibyl
Winona Sylvia
Winona Ursula
Winona Vashti
Winona Verity
Winona Violet
Winona Violette
Winona Vivian
Winona Viviane
Winona Vivien
Winona Zelda
Winona Zephyrine
Winona Zilpah

#Winona

This message was edited 7/2/2011, 3:01 PM

Replies

- Zeppelin

7/2/2011, 7:56 PM

I've actually been thinking a lot about Winona in the past week or so- it caught my eye because my great grandmother was named Winnifred "Winnie" and I'd love to honor her someday, but while I like Winnifred well enough, I don't like it enough to ever use. So, the nickname Winnie really endears me to Winona. I also just like the flow, the cadence of the name. I've always classified it as a GP name, but maybe it isn't. I'm a bit cautious about what categories I put names into. I had the combo Winona Frances, but of yours Winona Florence definitely caught my eye.

Call me oblivious, but I have no clue who Winona Ryder is.

This message was edited 7/2/2011, 7:56 PM

- guru (BBH) +1

7/2/2011, 7:08 PM

It's my grandmother Alice's middle name. She used to tell us a tall tale of how her mother was smitten with an Indian chief who came to town before she had my grandmother, and that is why she chose the name for her. In reality, my great-grandmother probably saw the name on a letter, as she was a post office worker.

- Alcyone

7/3/2011, 4:26 PM

Alice Winona is a cool combo. It has a Western feel. I wouldn't call it a cowgirl name, though. It just sounds like the name of a woman living out West in the 1800's or early 1900's.

I prefer Winona in the middle name slot, but it's decent as a first name, too. I'm not too sure about the Wi- part, but I like the -nona part.

This message was edited 7/3/2011, 9:58 PM

- Dracotorix

7/2/2011, 6:53 PM

I like it! I'd love to meet a little Winona. And I don't even know who Winona Ryder is :P

I like:

Winona Amabel
Winona Audrey
Winona Beatrice
Winona Beatrix
Winona Blythe
Winona Bryony
Winona Cecily
Winona Charlotte
Winona Constance
Winona Delphine
Winona Edith
Winona Eglantine
Winona Eleanor
Winona Emily
Winona Esther
Winona Eve
Winona Florence
Winona Harriet
Winona Hazel
Winona Hesper
Winona Hester
Winona Iris
Winona Jasperine
Winona Judith
Winona Laurel
Winona Lavender
Winona Lilias

... Load Full Message

- mirfak

7/2/2011, 6:09 PM

No, not too closely tied to Ryder. I like it. I don't think it's brassy or flapper-like, though. To me it is rustic and outdoorsy. The only reason I find not to like it is because of the Ns (I don't like N) and the "no" in it.

I like:

Winona Edith
Winona Frances
Winona Iris
Winona Zephyrine

- Orsino (bananarama)

7/2/2011, 5:14 PM

Winona is beautiful. I like it!

- gail (guest)

7/2/2011, 2:58 PM

By the time your little girl is 20 or 30, associations with Winona Ryder will most likely have dimmed, so I don't think that should be your biggest consideration. I think Winona's a great name, with good nn possibilities, and thought you might narrow down the mn depending on the first initial of your last name--decide by the flow of the initials, steering clear of any that make funny words, such as WAP. The list was too long for me to fully absorb, but I did like Winona Esther a lot for some reason.

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