Hawaiian Names

  1. Kalea
    • Origin:

      Hawaiian
    • Meaning:

      "joy, happiness"
    • Description:

      Kalea is a Top 100 name for girls in Hawaii. Sources differ on the meaning of the name, but the most authoritative land on joy or happiness...though kalea is also the Hawaiian word for orgasm.
  2. Nakoa
    • Origin:

      Hawaiian
    • Meaning:

      "the warriors"
    • Description:

      Nakoa is a Top 100 name for boys in Hawaii. It became more widely known after actors Lisa Bonet and Jason Mamoa chose it for their son.
  3. Alani
    • Origin:

      Hawaiian
    • Meaning:

      "orange tree"
    • Description:

      One of those names you may not even be aware of if you haven't been paying attention to recent naming trends, Alani was given to more than 700 baby girls in the US in one recent year, to be the second most popular feminization of Alan after Alana. It's certainly the most modern-sounding female version of Alan.
  4. Koa
    • Origin:

      Hawaiian
    • Meaning:

      "warrior; flowing tree native to Hawaii"
    • Description:

      The popularity of the Biblical Noah has led to a rise in Koa for boys, and since it boosted Noa up the charts for girls too, it was only so long before the rhyming Koa caught on as a unisex possibility. While it remains predominantly masculine and is given to boys 10 times more often in the states, a not insubstantial 114 girls were called Koa in a recent year.
  5. Luana
    • Origin:

      Combination of Louise and Anna or Hawaiian
    • Meaning:

      "content, at ease"
    • Description:

      In the slipstream of Luna, this everywhere-and-nowhere international name, with its attractive liquid sound, is popular in several European countries along with Hawaii.
  6. Makoa
    • Origin:

      Hawaiian
    • Meaning:

      "brave man"
    • Description:

      One of the most popular native language names for boys in Hawaii, Makoa joins Nakoa and Koa as Hawaiian boys' names finding a wider audience in the US.
  7. Kona
    • Origin:

      Hawaiian or Norse
    • Meaning:

      "leeward or woman, wife"
    • Description:

      Kona is strongly associated with the Kona coffee of Hawaii. The Hawaiian word kona means "leeward" or "dry side of the island," and Kona districts are where Kona coffee is grown. It's a unisex name in Hawaii, with an appealing simple, strong sound.
  8. Hoku
    • Origin:

      Hawaiian
    • Meaning:

      "night of the full moon"
    • Description:

      Like a large proportion of traditional Hawaiian names, Hoku can be used for both girls and boys.
  9. Kiana
    • Origin:

      Modern invented name
    • Description:

      Kiana (or more appropriately, Quiana) is the original polyester name, now falling fast out of favor.
  10. Kainoa
    • Origin:

      Hawaiian
    • Meaning:

      "the namesake"
    • Description:

      Intriguing Hawaiian option that combines two popular boys' names—Kai and Noah.
  11. Kealoha
    • Origin:

      Hawaiian
    • Meaning:

      "loved one"
    • Description:

      An appealing Hawaiian name with a lovely meaning and vibrant sound – reminiscent of rising Hawaiian stars Kai, Koa and Kainoa. It derives from the words ke "the" and aloha "love". Keahloha is also a common Hawaiian surname.
  12. Kalani
    • Origin:

      Hawaiian
    • Meaning:

      "the heavens"
    • Description:

      Kalani is a rhythmic name that can be used for either gender though it is predominantly used on girls in the US. With its celestial meaning, and cool K beginning, it only entered the US Top 1000 for the first time in 2015. Now in the Top 400, it joins Kai and Leilani as popular choices with Hawaiian origins.
  13. Lilo
    • Origin:

      German, diminutive of Liselotte; Hawaiian
    • Meaning:

      "generous one"
    • Description:

      Lilo is the name of the spunky little Hawaiian girl character in the Disney movie Lilo & Stitch-- and is also Lindsay Lohan's nickname. Multi-cultural, it can be found in Hawaiian, German and Hebrew nomenclature.
  14. Nalani
    • Origin:

      Hawaiian
    • Meaning:

      "calm skies"
    • Description:

      Evocative of tranquil island escapes. One of several Hawaiian (and pseudo-Hawaiian) names ending in "-ani" that's soaring in popularity, Nalani made its debut on the US Top 1000 in 2016.
  15. Noelani
  16. Moana
    • Origin:

      Maori, Samoan
    • Meaning:

      "deep ocean, sea"
    • Description:

      This Maori name, often heard in New Zealand, is an attractive, evocative choice for lovers of the ocean made famous – perhaps too famous – by the Disney heroine. Moana was also an alternate name for the heroine Ofelia in Pan's Labyrinth. Moana may also be a color name for a deep ocean blue ("lanu moana"). Moana and other Disney Princess Names are the subject of a featured blog.
  17. Hani
    • Origin:

      Arabic; Hawaiian
    • Meaning:

      "light-footed, to move softly, to touch; joyful"
    • Description:

      Sweet multicultural name.
  18. Ailana
    • Origin:

      Kazakh
    • Meaning:

      "moonlight"
    • Description:

      A pretty Kazakh name derived from Turkish ayla, meaning "moonlight". The Hawaiian name 'Ailana (with the 'okina mark) means "loving".
  19. Elikai
    • Origin:

      Hawaiian variant of Elisha
    • Description:

      A well-established (if rare) Hawaiian name that combines two trendy names: Elijah and Kai.
  20. Kaikoa
    • Origin:

      Hawaiian
    • Meaning:

      "sea warrior"
    • Description:

      A bold and energetic Hawaiian name which blends two fashionable favorites: Kai and Koa.