 It was at first named Negwegon County, after the name of a well-known Chippewa chief, also known as "Little Wing".He was honored as having been an American ally against the British in the War of 1812.It was renamed to Alcona County on March 8, 1843, after a neologism created by Henry Rowe Schoolcraft from parts of words from Native American languages, plus Arabic, Greek and Latin.