Hawaiian names are currently experiencing unprecedented levels of popularity, even far beyond the Hawaiian islands.
From traditional Hawaiian names like Leilani and Kai to new innovations based on Hawaiian sounds and style, like Meilani, their flowing sounds and energetic appeal speak to mainstream American tastes as never before.
Hawaiian names are also particularly popular with Hispanic and Latin American parents, due to their bright, simple sounds that work in many languages.
If you are considering a Hawaiian name for your child, please take the time to understand the cultural context before deciding if one is right for your family.
Here, an insider's guide to Hawaiian names, naming practices and pronunciation.
Traditional Hawaiian Naming
Name meaning is among the most important components of traditional Hawaiian naming. Traditional Hawaiian names carry literal meanings as well as subtle poetic associations. Noelani literally means "heavenly mist", but mist was considered to represent a sense of romance.
A name's meaning may convey hopes for the child, family history, or spiritual guidance. Old Hawaiians often had various names, both formal and informal throughout their lifetimes. Names were changed to commemorate life events or if they were thought to be bringing harm to the bearer.
Parents would change the names of their sick children into something with an unpleasant meaning, such as Kapela ("the filth") or Pupuka ("ugly") to ward off evil and protect the child.
Because these early Hawaiian names were personally tailored to the bearer, there was little overlap. Many Hawaiians had one-of-a-kind names, or else shared their name with only a few others.
A child's name had to match the social class they were born into. Kauwā, the lowest class, were limited to straightforward names with ties to nature.
The chief class had the exclusive rights to names beginning with Kealiʻi, meaning "the chief", and ending in -lani, meaning "sky" or "heaven". Old royal names were also much longer, such as that of Keaweʻīkekahialiʻiokamoku, a Hawaiian king whose name means "Keawe, the foremost chief of the island".
Traditional Hawaiian names were considered unisex, even names we think of as feminine, such as Leilani, or masculine, such as Keanu. It is relatively recent that old Hawaiian names have become associated with a particular sex.
Modern Hawaiian Naming
In modern Hawai’i, ethnicities and cultures are very diverse. Currently, about 39% of the population is Asian, 24% of multi-ethnic background, 25% Caucasian, and only 10% Pacific Islander, including Hawaiian. This diversity is reflected in the islands' names.
Like many other states, the most popular names in Hawai’i for 2022 were Olivia and Noah. Further down the list, however, you'll find many names with Hawaiian roots, like Kailani and Keanu, that rank relatively high on the charts.
Names like Luna and Mila, Luca and Micah are also more common than average in Hawai’i, in part because they are made up of sounds native to the Hawaiian language.
Below, the most popular Hawaiian origin names in Hawai’i.
Top Hawaiian Names in Hawai’i
1KaiaChevron - Right 2KailaniChevron - Right 3MaliaChevron - Right 4LeilaniChevron - Right 5AlanaChevron - Right 6MahinaChevron - Right 7AnelaChevron - Right 8HaliaChevron - Right 9KaleaChevron - Right 10LilinoeChevron - Right
1KaiChevron - Right 2MakoaChevron - Right 3KeanuChevron - Right 4KaimanaChevron - Right 5KoaChevron - Right 6KekoaChevron - Right 7IkaikaChevron - Right 8KainoaChevron - Right 9NakoaChevron - Right 10KainaluChevron - Right
Hawaiian Pronunciation
The Hawaiian language, which is a Polynesian dialect, has simple and strict rules when it comes to spelling and pronunciation.It consists of thirteen letters, which include the okina.
A basic Hawaiian language pronunciation guide follows. For more detailed and accurate information, consult a Hawaiian language resource such as Kanaeokana, Ulukau, or better yet, a Hawaiian speaker!
Hawaiian Vowels
A — short “ah” as in father
E — “eh” as in bed
I — “ee” as in tree
O — “oh” as in go
U — “oo” as in room
Hawaiian Diphthongs
The sounds in Hawaiian diphthongs blend together unless interrupted by an okina (ʻ), indicating a glottal stop.
ae —"eye"
ai —"eye-ee"
ao —"ah-oh"
au — "ow" as in cow
ei —"ay-ee", like a long A followed by "E"
eu — "eh-oo"
oi —“oy” as in oyster
ou —"oh-oo"
Hawaiian Consonants
H, K, L, M, N, P — these letters are pronounced the same way as in standard English
W — This one can be tricky for non-native speakers; pronounced as a cross between an English W and V
Okina (ʻ) — this consonant, unique to Hawaiian and its cousin languages, represents a glottal stop, like before each syllable of “uh-oh” in English. Because this symbol is often missing from non-Hawaiian keyboards, an apostrophe is often used in its place.
Emphasis is always put on the second-to-last syllable in a word. The only exception to this rule is if a vowel has a macron or kahakō — a straight bar — over it, which indicates that’s where the emphasis should be.
Double consonants are nonexistent in Hawaiian.
Hawaiian Baby Names
There are many more eligible Hawaiian names beyond Leilani and Kai. If you have Hawaiian roots and want to incorporate your heritage into your child's name, you might consider some of these rarer options.
Here is a selection of some of the most appealing Hawaiian baby names, many of which have historically been used for both sexes.
AilaniChevron - Right AlakaiChevron - Right AlohiChevron - Right AuleleiChevron - Right ElikaiChevron - Right HanaleiChevron - Right HanaleiChevron - Right HaukeaChevron - Right HaunaniChevron - Right HokuChevron - Right HualaniChevron - Right HualiChevron - Right InoaChevron - Right IolaniChevron - Right KahekiliChevron - Right KaikoaChevron - Right KaimanaChevron - Right KainaluChevron - Right KaipoChevron - Right KalamaChevron - Right KaleoChevron - Right KamaehuChevron - Right KamakaChevron - Right KananiChevron - Right KanoaChevron - Right KaponoChevron - Right KaulanaChevron - Right KeahiChevron - Right KeoniChevron - Right LehuaChevron - Right LeinaniChevron - Right LilinoeChevron - Right LikoChevron - Right LuanaChevron - Right MahanaChevron - Right MahealaniChevron - Right MakaiChevron - Right MakaniChevron - Right MaileChevron - Right ManuChevron - Right MeliaChevron - Right MililaniChevron - Right MomiChevron - Right NainoaChevron - Right NalaniChevron - Right NanalaChevron - Right NaneaChevron - Right NoheaChevron - Right NoelaniChevron - Right PaliChevron - Right PeleChevron - Right PualaniChevron - Right UilaniChevron - Right UlulaniChevron - Right
See more Hawaiian namesChevron - Right
Pseudo-Hawaiian Names
With Hawaiian names becoming fashionable throughout the US and the world, spinoffs based on Hawaiian sounds and style have sprung up.
Many sound attractive and on-trend to the non-native ear, but if you're looking for an authentic Hawaiian name it's worth double-checking the origin of your favorite choices!
One common way that non-native speakers adapt Hawaiian names is to respell them to feel either more familiar or more unique. For example, Leilani might become Laylani by association with Layla, or Lailonni for a distinctive spin.
Others take parts of Hawaiian names, such as the popular -lani suffix, and add a non-Hawaiian beginning like Jay, creating the Anglo-Hawaiian smoosh Jaylani. This may make for an attractive name, but it’s no longer authentically Hawaiian.
Eight pseudo-Hawaiian names, all with the -lani suffix, currently rank in the US Top 1000. Find them below, in order of popularity.
Top Pseudo-Hawaiian Baby Names
1MilaniChevron - Right 2KaylaniChevron - Right 3MalaniChevron - Right 4JaylaniChevron - Right 5KhalaniChevron - Right 6LaylaniChevron - Right 7MeilaniChevron - Right 8KahlaniChevron - Right
Hawaiian Versions of English Names
In 1860, Hawai’i’s King Kamehameha IV signed the Act to Regulate Names, mandating that all Hawaiians receive an English given name. Hawaiian names were used as middle names, and a child's surname could come from their father's first name. This law was finally repealed in 1967.
During this century, many Hawaiian parents used translations of English names for their children, as many English sounds are not pronounceable in Hawaiian. Royal names like Wikolia (Victoria) and Alapaki (Albert) were often used, along with biblical names such as Luka (Ruth) and Ioane (John). In most cases, an English name was used on the birth certificate, while the person would be called the Hawaiian version in their daily life.
In the mid-20th century, it became more common to put Hawaiian translations directly on the birth certificate. The first Hawaiian variation of an English name to appear on the charts was Kimo (James) in 1949, followed by Malia (Mary) in 1958 and Keoni (John) in 1969.
In the 1970s, Alika (Alex, male), Paulo (Paul), Palani (Frank), Kiana (Diana), Mele (Mary), Kale (Charles), and Lopaka (Robert) joined the charts in Hawai’i.
Here, a selection of Hawaiian versions of English names.
Ailika —Iris
Aka —Ada, Arthur
Akamu —Adam
Akelina —Adeline
Alapaki — Albert
ʻAlika —Alex
Aleka —Alice
Anakoni —Anthony
Apikalia —Abigail
Ekewaka —Edward
Ekika — Edith
Elenola —Eleanor
Elikapeka— Elizabeth
Ewa — Eva
Ewalina —Evelyn
Iakopa — Jacob
Iekika — Jessica
Ikaia —Isaiah
Ioane —John (biblical)
Iokepa —Joseph
Iokepine —Josephine
Iakona —Jason
Iokua — Joshua
Kala — Sarah
Kalaki —Charlotte
Kalala —Claire
Kale —Charles
Kakalina — Katherine
Kamuela —Samuel
Kana —Hannah
Kaniela — Daniel
Kāwika — David (biblical)
Keke —Kate
Keoki —George
Keoni — John (English)
Kepano — Stephen
Kiana —Diana
Kikilia —Cecilia
Kilikina — Christina
Kimo —James
Kina —Dinah, Gina, Tina
Kini — Dean, Gene, Jane, Jean
Kona —Don, Donna
Lāhela — Rachel
Lalena — Lauren
Likeke —Richard
Loke —Rose
Lopaka —Robert
Luka — Luke, Ruth
Makaio — Matthew
Maleko — Mark
Makaleka — Margaret
Makelina —Madeline
Malia — Mary (biblical), Maria
Mele —Mary (English)
Melika — Melissa
Mikala — Michael
Noa — Noah
Palani — Frank
Paulo — Paul
Pela —Bella, Belle
Peleke — Frederick
Peniamina — Benjamin
Polola —Flora
Wikolia —Victoria
