At a Glance: Name: Minnehaha – Meaning: waterfall, or rapids (literally 'water' + 'falls/curls') – Origin: Dakota (Sioux) – Gender: Girl – Pronunciation: min-ee-HAH-hah
Minnehaha is a Dakota (Sioux) girl's name meaning “waterfall, or rapids (literally 'water' + 'falls/curls')”. It appears in our list of 200+ Native American Baby Names Honoring Indigenous Heritage.
Meaning & Origin of Minnehaha
Meaning: Waterfall, or rapids (literally 'water' + 'falls/curls').
Origin: Dakota (Sioux).
A common claim: Means 'laughing water' Actually: Longfellow's poem glosses Minnehaha as 'laughing water,' but that's poetic license -- the Dakota source word literally means 'waterfall' or 'rapids,' not anything about laughter.
Source: Wiktionary.
How to Pronounce Minnehaha
Phonetic: min-ee-HAH-hah IPA: /ˌmɪniːˈhɑːhɑː/
Popularity of Minnehaha
Minnehaha doesn’t appear in U.S. Social Security birth records, which include every name given to at least five babies in a year — so it’s rare in the U.S.
Lists That Include Minnehaha
Similar Names
Nibi · Migizi · Nokomis · Makwa · Noodin · Ma'iingan
