Meaning & History
Meaning unknown. It is most likely derived from the name of the town in the American state of Illinois, the meaning of which is uncertain. It was apparently misunderstood by the city's founder, Matthew T. Scott, as a Native American word meaning "Kentucky", his state of birth; actually, Chenoa (or Chenoka) is one of many Native American names for the Kentucky River.Contrary to popular belief, Chenoa is not a traditional Native American name meaning "dove", "white dove", "mourning dove" or "dove of peace" in Cherokee. The Cherokee word for dove is "woya".