His name has been spelled in a variety of ways, including Wabaunsee, Wah-bahn-se, Waubonsee, Waabaanizii in the contemporary Ojibwe language, and Wabanzi in the contemporary Potawatomi language (meaning "He Causes Paleness" in both languages).
His name has been spelled differently depending on the language and dialect. It is commonly known as Wabaunsee, Wah-bahn-se, Waubonsee, Waabaanizii in Ojibwe, and Wabanzi in Potawatomi, all of which mean "He Causes Paleness" in their respective languages.