Wana

♀ Girl

How to Pronounce Wana

Pronounced WAH-nuh /ˈwɑː.nə/Low

Meaning: Wana reads most naturally as a trimmed form of Wanda, a Slavic name of uncertain root, sometimes linked to the Wends, a Slavic people, and sometimes to a word for a wanderer. Dropping the d gives a softer two-beat name, and Wana most likely carries Wanda's associations, though the exact intent behind the short form is uncertain.Low

In 30 seconds: Wana is a rare girl's name, likely a short form of Wanda. It appeared thinly in the early-to-mid nineteen-hundreds (said WAH-nuh).

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Origin LowSlavic

MeaningWana reads most naturally as a trimmed form of Wanda, a Slavic name of uncertain root, sometimes linked to the Wends, a Slavic people, and sometimes to a word for a wanderer. Dropping the d gives a softer two-beat name, and Wana most likely carries Wanda's associations, though the exact intent behind the short form is uncertain.

U.S. rank (1965)#7504 ↗ Rising

1965 U.S. births5 girls (0.00% of U.S. girls)

Peak year1927

Total births (all-time)≈ 195

Popularity in the U.S. · SSA data

U.S. births per year (Social Security Administration, 1880–present). Pink marker = peak year.

SSA data updated May 2026. How we source & verify this data.

History & Origin

Wana looks best explained as a clipped form of Wanda, a Slavic name variously tied to the Wends or to wandering. Its thin American showing sits alongside Wanda's mid-century popularity, and we keep its meaning loosely tied to that parent while noting the uncertainty.

Wana appeared only lightly in the American records across the early and middle twentieth century, reaching about fourteen girls a year at most. A girl named Wana around 1927 would belong to a generation now approaching a hundred.

Did you know? Wanda entered wide use partly through a nineteenth-century novel, and short forms like Wana rode along quietly with its popularity.

Overall data confidence 30%

References - Wana — Likely short form of Wanda (Slavic, tied to Wends or 'wanderer'); intent uncertain; low frequency.

Variations

WandaWannaWanitaVana

Nicknames

NanaWandie

Famous Bearers

Famous bearers coming soon.

If you like Wana…

Wanda— the likely parent name

Wilma— a comparable vintage girls' name

Wava— a like short W- name

Nona— another soft two-beat name

Explore names like Wana

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Frequently Asked

What does the name Wana mean?

It is most likely a short form of Wanda, a Slavic name linked to the Wends or to 'wanderer.'

How do you pronounce Wana?

It is said WAH-nuh /ˈwɑː.nə/ - two syllables, stress on the first.

Is Wana a boy or girl name?

Wana is used as a a girl's name.

How popular is Wana?

It was always rare in the United States, given to only about fourteen girls a year even at its peak in the early nineteen-hundreds.