Wynonna
A blend of names of Native American and English origin.
Name Census estimates that about 462 living Americans carry the first name Wynonna. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Wynonna today is around 13 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Wynonna births was 2024 (67 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Wynonna. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
People living today
462
~ 1 in 741,893 Americans
Peak year
2024
67 babies that year
Average age
13
years old
2024 SSA rank
#2,627
Tracked since 1985
Popularity
Wynonna: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Wynonna from the 1980s through to the 2020s, spanning 5 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2020s, with 251 total registrations. The name continues to be given at rates close to its all-time high, suggesting it has not yet fallen out of fashion.
Babies born per year
Decades
Wynonna by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Wynonna during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Wynonnas live
The SSA's state-level files cover 6 states and territories. Texas, Pennsylvania, California recorded the most babies named Wynonna, while Iowa, Wisconsin, Michigan recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 8 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Wynonna
The name Wynonna has its origins in the English language and is a derivative of the name Winona. It is believed to have been derived from the Dakota Sioux word "winohna," which means "firstborn daughter" or "first-born child."
The name Wynonna gained popularity in the United States during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. It was particularly popular among families with Native American heritage or those who admired Native American culture.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Wynonna is found in the 1880 United States Census, where a small number of individuals were listed with this name. However, it was not until the mid-20th century that the name gained wider recognition.
One of the most notable individuals named Wynonna was the American country music singer Wynonna Judd, born Christina Ciminella on May 30, 1964. She rose to fame as part of the mother-daughter duo The Judds, alongside her mother, Naomi Judd.
Another historical figure with the name Wynonna was Wynonna Smith (1838-1923), a Cherokee woman who was one of the last surviving participants of the Trail of Tears, the forced relocation of Native Americans from their ancestral homelands.
In literature, the name Wynonna appeared in the novel "The Grapes of Wrath" by John Steinbeck, published in 1939. One of the characters in the novel was named Wynonna, although her role was minor.
The name Wynonna was also borne by Wynonna Ward (1914-2001), an American actress and singer who appeared in several Broadway productions and films throughout the mid-20th century.
Another notable individual with the name Wynonna was Wynonna Whitegoat (1884-1969), a prominent member of the Northern Cheyenne tribe and a respected advocate for Native American rights.
While the name Wynonna is not as common today as it once was, it still holds significance for those with ties to Native American culture and heritage, as well as for those who appreciate its unique and melodic sound.
People
Wynonna + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Wynonna as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with W
Other first names starting with W with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Wynonna: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Wynonna?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 462 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Wynonna going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 741,893 US residents.
Is Wynonna a common name?
We classify Wynonna as "Very Rare". It ranks above 83.8% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 469 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Wynonna most popular?
The single biggest year for Wynonna was 2024, when 67 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Wynonna is about 13 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Wynonna a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Wynonna in the SSA data are female. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.