Hawaiian Names

A cutesy Hawaiian name with a pretty meaning.

In the 2006 film Pan's Labyrinth, Moanna is the name of a Spanish princess, but it's the Moana spelling that has become more famous of late, thanks to the eponymous Disney heroine.

For a baby with beautiful eyes.

Iolani feels quintessentially Hawaiian, a stylish origin for baby names these days thanks to Malia, the Hawaiian name of the Obamas' older daughter. The initial I is pronounced with a long e sound, as in Waikiki, and the name Iolani has four syllables.

Hawaiian names tend to evoke sunshine and warm weather — this option is more appropriate for a wintertime baby.

Evocative of hulas, leis, and luaus.

One of the Hawaiian names being discovered by stylish parents, especially Californians.

Overly teasable.

As Makenna, Makenzie, and Makayla lose their spark, Hawaiian Makani feels fresh as ever.

A Hawaiian dad name, Keola ranked among the top names in Hawaii in the 1970s. Keola is derived from the Hawaiian ke, "the" and ola meaning "life" or "health".

Girl names ending in -lani are invented every year — Ehlani is among the latest pseudo-Hawaiian inventions.

Pacific island member of the currently-in-favor Lila/Leila family and one of the most attractive and unique girls' names starting with P.

Kapono is seen as both a given name and a surname in Hawaii. One notable bearer is musician Kapono Beamer, from an influential Hawaiian family.

Hawaiian teen prodigy Auli'i Cravalho burst onto the scene as the star of Disney's animated "Moana" in 2016, bringing this distinctive name to the forefront. The glottal stop, or "okina," between the two I's makes it a somewhat tough sell off the islands, though Cravalho's stunning performance of "How Far I'll Go" at the 2017 Oscars is almost winning enough to overcome that.

The strong sounds in this energetic Hawaiian name mirror its meaning.