Their name is also spelled Weyanock,[2] as British colonist John Smith recorded on his map.[3] Alternative spellings include Weanoc,[4] Weanock, Winauh, Winauk, Wynauh, and Wynauk.[3] Their name may mean "at the bend" of a river,[2] coming from either the Eastern Niantic or Nipmuck language.[3]
At the beginning of the 17th century, when the tribe had early contact with English colonists, the Weynock traded with Wahunsenacawh (Powhatan, c. 1547–c. 1618).[6] Some historians considered them to be a part of the Powhatan Confederacy.[5]
Remnants of the Weyanock and the Nansemond joined the Nottoway in the early 18th century.[7]
By 1727, they lived along the Nottoway River.[5]At the end of the 18th century, the Weyanock merged completely into the Nottoway, with the surnames Wynoake and Wineoak occasionally appearing on public documents.[8]