"Wild rice" (Potawami) In 1849, Frank Hudson, a surveyor, suggested third lake he called Monona, said to signify "beautiful." In 1855 on February 14 th legislature passed a bill legalizing the name. "The word Monona I have sought in a good many Indian vocabularies without success, yet I trust Mr. Hudson had reason to say that its import is beautiful" (James Davie Butler) "Tchee-ha-bo-kee-xa(or ha)-kay-ta-la" Ho-Chunk word meaning "tepee lake," obtained by Oliver Lemere from Henry White, an Indian whose father once resided in the vicinity of Madison.

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[Source: A. Skinner in Milwaukee Public Museum Bulletin. v. 6 p. 399James A. Butler in Wisconsin History Collections, v. 10, p.67\See article on Lake Monona by C.E. Brown in Wisconsin Archaeologist N.S. vol 1., p. 122]