Winona
From the Dakota winuna, a term for a firstborn daughter. The name entered wider American use through 19th-century literature and place names.
Winona in 2025
Winona was given to 466 babies in the United States in 2025, making it the 1,236th most popular name of the year. That is roughly one in every 7,114 babies born.
The history of Winona
Winona reached its highest point in 2025, when 466 babies were given the name, ranking 1,236th that year. Its best-ever ranking was 742nd, in 1931.
Across the 146 years of records since 1880, 12,953 babies have been named Winona. Half of them were born before 1939, which places the name's centre of gravity with the Silent Generation.
Winona by decade
| Decade | Babies named Winona | Best rank |
|---|---|---|
| 1880s | 108 | 1,072 |
| 1890s | 206 | 942 |
| 1900s | 376 | 783 |
| 1910s | 1,517 | 799 |
| 1920s | 2,430 | 745 |
| 1930s | 1,888 | 742 |
| 1940s | 1,076 | 1,078 |
| 1950s | 1,057 | 1,399 |
| 1960s | 726 | 1,900 |
| 1970s | 481 | 2,510 |
| 1980s | 245 | 3,981 |
| 1990s | 340 | 3,861 |
| 2000s | 195 | 7,324 |
| 2010s | 550 | 3,031 |
| 2020s | 1,758 | 1,236 |
Where Winona is heading
Winona has grown more than 13 times over the past decade, from 37 babies in 2015 to 466 in 2025.
Names like Winona
Names that rose and fell at the same time as Winona.