When Was the Word Gonna First Used?

According to the OED, the origin of 'gonna' dates back to the early 19th century representing a regional or colloquial pronunciation ('ganna'). 'Gonna' and 'wanna' have also frequently been used in popular songs since the 1950s.

When did gonna become popular?

For instance, gonna (originally ganna) had its origins in the late 19th century as representing a regional or colloquial pronunciation (mostly in the U.S.), its use increasing from around 1910 onward.

Is Gonna an actual word?

—used for "going to" in informal speech and in representations of such speech "It's not gonna be easy.""They're gonna get married in July.""I felt like something bad was gonna happen."