Hawaiian families did not carry surnames at all until 1860, when a naming law required every subject of the kingdom to take one. Most were built from a father’s given name, a place, or a trait, which is why so many Hawaiian last names still translate straight into words like sea, sky, chief, and snow.
Some have since become first names Americans use every day. Leo ranked 19th and Kai 93rd among U.S. baby names in 2025, and Kalani sat at 387th after climbing about 362% on the previous decade of births (1). Others barely register at all: Kamaka was recorded five times that same year.
The kingdom Kamehameha the Great unified by 1810 (2) treated a name as something alive. “A name became a living entity,” wrote Mary Kawena Pukui, the Bishop Museum scholar behind the standard Hawaiian dictionary, and it “identified a person and could influence health, happiness and even life span.” All 100 names below come with meanings, pronunciations, and the story behind them.
Popularity at a Glance
The most popular names on this list in the United States, 1965 to 2025: Leo, Kai, Alana, Kalani and Kane.
100 Popular Hawaiian Surnames
Take a tour through the islands with these Hawaiian last names for those lucky enough to call it home.
‘Akamu
‘Akamu is the Hawaiian form of Adam, the first man in the Bible, and it keeps the same earthbound sense: red clay, sometimes read as red earth. That ties it to soil rather than sky, which sets it apart from the many Hawaiian names built on lani. It reads equally well as a surname or a given name.
- Origin: Hawaiian
- Meaning: From the earth
- Pronunciation: Ah-KAA-Muw
- Popularity: No federal birth record under this spelling; the SSA publishes only names reaching at least five births in a year.
Akina
Akina works in two languages at once. In Hawaiian it reads as bright, while its Japanese line adds bright greens and autumn, along with older readings of name and south. It is used as a given name too, and the spelling Akinah turns up as well.
- Origin: Hawaiian, Japanese
- Meaning: Bright
- Pronunciation: Ah-KIY-naa
- Variations: Akinah
- Popularity: As a U.S. given name Akina ranked 9,476th in 2025 with 10 girls, well below its best showing of 3,541st in 1976.
Alana
Alana is glossed as beautiful offering and, more loosely, as fair and harmony. Spelled Alanna it belongs to another tradition entirely, where it reads as exalted as an Arabic girl’s name. It works as a first name too, not just a surname.
- Origin: Hawaiian, Arabic
- Meaning: Beautiful
- Pronunciation: Ah-LAEN-aa
- Variations: Alanna, Alannah
- Popularity: As a girl’s given name in the U.S., Alana ranked 140th in 2025 with 2,085 births, the best rank it has ever held.
Alika
Alika is the Hawaiian answer to Alex, the everyday short form of Alexander. It is rarely used as a given name on its own, since Hawaiian speakers reach for Alekanekelo, the full Hawaiian Alexander, instead. The root behind both is the Greek Alexandros, guardian of the people. Four spellings circulate, from Aleeka to Alycka.
- Origin: Hawaiian, Greek
- Meaning: Of noble kin
- Pronunciation: Ah-LIY-kaa
- Variations: Aleeka, Alicca, Alikah, Alycka
- Popularity: U.S. records last list Alika as a given name in 2024, at 15,404th with five births; its best year was 1984 at 4,741st.
Alohi
Alohi means shining, or brilliant if you want the fuller sense. It sits one letter from Aloha, the traditional island greeting that carries splendor and brightness of its own, so the two get confused constantly. Alohi is the quieter of the pair and the one that still reads as a name rather than a word.
- Origin: Hawaiian
- Meaning: Shining
- Pronunciation: Ah-LOW-HHiy
- Variations: Aloha
- Popularity: Rising slowly in U.S. use: 10,150th in 2025 with nine girls, up about 61% on the previous decade of births.
Anakoni
Anakoni is Anthony rebuilt with Hawaiian sounds, and the layers underneath are older still: of the Antonius family in Latin and priceless one in Greek. It is long, formal, and almost never met outside Hawaii, which is a good part of the appeal.
- Origin: Hawaiian, Greek
- Meaning: Valuable
- Pronunciation: Aen-ah-KOW-Niy
- Popularity: No U.S. birth records list Anakoni as a given name; the SSA publishes only names reaching five births in a year.
Ano
Ano is two syllables and a lot of history. Hawaiian gives it reverence, German offers pristine, and Armenian adds chaste, so the sense of something unspoiled runs through all three. It also sits close to Ani, beautiful in Hawaiian, and to the Japanese surname Anno. Short names like this one pair easily with a longer first name.
- Origin: Hawaiian, German
- Meaning: Reverence
- Pronunciation: AH-Now
- Variations: Anno
- Popularity: Ano has never surfaced in U.S. federal birth data as a given name.
Aukai
Aukai belongs to the water. It reads as sailor, seafarer, or sea traveler, and it works as a surname or a Hawaiian boy’s name. Only a handful of families carried it in Hawaii a century ago, and it has stayed close to the islands ever since.
- Origin: Hawaiian
- Meaning: Sailor
- Pronunciation: Aou-KAEY
- Variations: ‘Aukai
- Popularity: Aukai reached its best U.S. rank in 2025 at 7,729th with 10 boys, up about a third on the previous decade.
Auoli
Auoli looks like something you would spread on bread, but it is the Hawaiian form of Howard and means army guard, which is where the sense of chief comes from. Very little about it is documented.
- Origin: Hawaiian
- Meaning: Chief
- Pronunciation: AOW-liy
- Popularity: No U.S. given name records exist for Auoli.
Elikapeka
Elikapeka is Elizabeth after a full Hawaiian rebuild, and it keeps the original sense of God is my oath, sometimes given as promise of God. Five syllables make it a commitment, though Peka and Eli come ready made as short forms. It is used as a given name too.
- Origin: Hawaiian
- Meaning: God is my oath
- Pronunciation: EH-liy-Kaa-BEH-kah
- Popularity: Elikapeka has never appeared in the SSA’s published U.S. baby name data.
Etana
Etana carries strong in more than one language: Hawaiian use sits alongside a Swahili reading of the strong one and a Hebrew girl’s name meaning dedication and strength. The Babylonian king Etana of Kish gives it a very old namesake. Spelled Etaina it softens a little without losing the sense.
- Origin: Hawaiian
- Meaning: Strong
- Pronunciation: EH-taa-Nah
- Variations: Etaina
- Namesakes: Etana, the 13th Babylonian king of the ancient Sumerian kingdom of Kish.
- Popularity: U.S. birth records last list Etana in 2024 at 16,037th with five births; its best year was 2006 at 10,842nd.
Eusebio
Eusebio comes from the Greek eusebes, read as the merciful and, through Eusebius, as devout and pious. It is far better known as a Spanish and Italian boy’s name than a Hawaiian one, which is exactly how it reached the islands. A Dominican baseball player and a Filipino mayor keep it in circulation.
- Origin: Hawaiian, Greek
- Meaning: Worships well
- Pronunciation: Eay-uw-SEY-biy-Ow
- Variations: Eusebius
- Namesakes: Tony Eusebio, a Dominican baseball player for the Houston Astros. Bobby Eusebio, the Filipino mayor of Pasig from 2007 to 2013 and 2016 to 2019.
- Popularity: Eusebio ranked 5,271st among U.S. boys in 2025 with 18 births, a long way from its 1945 peak at 945th.
Haku
Haku means manager, or supervisor, but the prettier reading is crown of fresh flowers, the lei worn on the head. Japanese adds pure. Younger parents tend to know it from the river spirit in Spirited Away, which has done the name no harm at all.
- Origin: Hawaiian
- Meaning: Manager
- Pronunciation: HHAA-Kuw
- Variations: Ha’iku, Haiku
- Namesakes: Shinkun Haku, a Japanese member of the House of Councillors from 2004 to 2021. Kiyoko Haku, a Japanese manga artist known for the story Chotto dake Biyaku.
- Popularity: Haku is rising in U.S. use, up about 44% on the previous decade, though it still sat at 12,693rd in 2025 with five births.
Halia
Halia means remembrance of a loved one, or simply reminiscence, which makes it a natural choice for a baby named after someone. It also has roots in Greek mythology as a daughter of Thalassa, and it names an Austronesian language spoken in Papua New Guinea. Halya is the usual variant spelling.
- Origin: Hawaiian, Greek
- Meaning: Remembrance of a loved one
- Pronunciation: Hhah-LIY-ah
- Variations: Halya
- Popularity: Halia ranked 3,006th among U.S. girls in 2025 with 55 births, up about 46% on the previous decade.
Haoa
Haoa is another Hawaiian take on Howard, and like Auoli it lands on chief, filled out as exalted protector and chief guardian. Two vowels do most of the work, so it is short to say and hard to misspell once you have heard it.
- Origin: Hawaiian
- Meaning: Chief
- Pronunciation: HHOW-Ah
- Variations: Haki
- Popularity: Haoa does not appear in U.S. federal baby name records.
Haukea
Haukea puts together hau, meaning snow, and kea, meaning white. Snow surprises people who picture Hawaii as beaches only, but the high peaks get it, and Haukea is the word for those white summits. Five spelling variants exist, and it works as a given name across the Pacific.
- Origin: Hawaiian
- Meaning: White snow
- Pronunciation: HHAO-kiy-Ah
- Variations: Haukeah, Haukia, Haukiah, Haukiya, Haukiyah
- Popularity: U.S. records list Haukea only briefly, most recently in 2020 at 14,068th with six girls.
Haunani
Haunani joins hau, snow, to nani, beauty, for beautiful snow. Some readings soften it to beautiful dew, which suits the islands better, and others push it toward splendid ruler. Four variant spellings exist, though the original is the one that scans.
- Origin: Hawaiian
- Meaning: Beautiful snow
- Pronunciation: Hhuw-NAA-niy
- Variations: Haunanee, Haunaney, Haunanie, Haunany
- Popularity: Haunani had its best U.S. year in 1953 at 5,281st and was last recorded in 2016 at 17,190th.
Havika
Havika is David wearing Hawaiian clothes, and it keeps the sense of beloved, or dearest. The near neighbors are scattered: Havikari belongs to Finland, and Havik is a Dutch surname in its own right. Few people guess the connection to David until it is pointed out.
- Origin: Hawaiian
- Meaning: Beloved
- Pronunciation: Hhae-VIY-Kah
- Popularity: Havika has never been recorded in U.S. baby name data.
Hawea
Hawea names a sacred drum used in Hawaiian temples, which is a more concrete image than peacemaker suggests. It carries Māori roots too, where it reads as sacred water, and a Royal New Zealand Navy ship has used it. That second line explains why the name turns up far more often in New Zealand than in Hawaii.
- Origin: Hawaiian
- Meaning: Peacemaker
- Pronunciation: Hah-WEAY-ah
- Popularity: Hawea does not appear in U.S. federal birth records.
Healani
Healani is one of the newer names here, built from hea, mist, and lani, sky, for haze from the heavens. King Kalākaua’s boat house carried the name, which gives it a royal footnote most Hawaiian surnames lack. Halolani is the variant you will occasionally see.
- Origin: Hawaiian
- Meaning: Haze from the heavens
- Pronunciation: Hhu-waa-LAA-niy
- Variations: Halolani
- Popularity: Healani reached its best U.S. rank in 2025 at 8,045th with 13 girls.
Hekekia
Hekekia is the Hawaiian spelling of Hezekiah, the Judean king of the Old Testament, and it keeps the meaning God has strengthened. Uncommon and openly biblical, it suits a family that wants an Old Testament name nobody else in the class will have.
- Origin: Hawaiian, Hebrew
- Meaning: God has strengthened
- Pronunciation: Heh-keh-KIY-ah
- Variations: Hezekiah
- Popularity: Hekekia has no entry in U.S. federal baby name records.
Hokulani
Hokulani sets hoku, meaning star, against lani, heavens, for a name that reads as star in heaven. Hoku on its own is the short form and carries the same idea. It is one of the quietly grand names on this list, and it wears well on an adult.
- Origin: Hawaiian
- Meaning: Star in heaven
- Pronunciation: Hhow-kuw-LAAN-iy
- Variations: Hoku
- Popularity: Hokulani ranked 12,391st among U.S. girls in 2025 with seven births, up about 32% on the previous decade.
Honi
Honi is a greeting before it is a name. The honi is the traditional Hawaiian welcome in which two people touch foreheads and noses, so the meaning to kiss is literal and warm at once. Hebrew adds gracious. The variant spellings run to Honey, which is either charming or a lot, depending on your taste.
- Origin: Hawaiian
- Meaning: Friendly
- Pronunciation: HHOW-niy
- Variations: Honee, Honey, Honie, Hony
- Popularity: Honi last appeared in U.S. birth records in 1981 at 9,503rd; its best year was 1952 at 4,654th.
Ikaika
Ikaika is the Hawaiian word for strength, and every gloss circles the same idea: strong man, powerful, sturdy, brave. It is a favorite for boys in Hawaii and one of the few names here that a mainland teacher will pronounce correctly on the second try. Five spelling variants exist, but the standard one is doing fine.
- Origin: Hawaiian
- Meaning: Strong man
- Pronunciation: Ih-kaey-EE-Kah
- Variations: Ikaeka, Ikaica, Ikaka, Ikayca, Ikayka
- Popularity: Ikaika ranked 3,472nd among U.S. boys in 2025 with 33 births, up about 18% on the previous decade.
Ilima
Ilima is a flower first. The ilima is the official flower of O’ahu, sacred to Laka, the goddess of hula, and it is strung into leis. As a name it reads as good luck, and it stays tied to one island in a way most Hawaiian surnames do not.
- Origin: Hawaiian
- Meaning: Flower of Oahu
- Pronunciation: IHL-ih-Mah
- Variations: Illima
- Popularity: Ilima last appeared in U.S. birth records in 2020 at 12,665th with seven girls.
Inoke
Inoke reads as devoted, and the fuller glosses run to faithful one and he who is beautiful. It is used for boys and girls alike, which is normal for Hawaiian names and still surprises people elsewhere. Innoke is the alternate spelling.
- Origin: Hawaiian
- Meaning: Devoted
- Pronunciation: Ih-NOWK
- Variations: Innoke
- Popularity: Inoke has held steady in U.S. records, at 11,183rd in 2025 with six births.
Iona
Iona is the Hawaiian Jonah, and Jonah is dove in Hebrew, the prophet swallowed by the whale. The name also belongs to a small Scottish island, so it arrives with two very different places attached. Four spellings circulate, Ioana among them. Short, soft, and easy to carry as a first name.
- Origin: Hawaiian
- Meaning: Gift from God
- Pronunciation: Aey-OWN-ah
- Variations: Ioana, Ioanah, Ioannah, Ioniah
- Popularity: Iona ranked 2,667th in the U.S. in 2025 with 65 births, up about 56% on the previous decade, though its best year was 1918 at 318th.
Ionakana
Ionakana is Jonathan at full Hawaiian length, and it sits beside Iona the way Jonathan sits beside Jonah. The Hebrew root Yehonathan means Yahweh has given, and the biblical Jonathan was King Saul’s son and David’s closest friend. Five syllables is a lot for a first name, but Iona and Kana are both waiting inside it.
- Origin: Hawaiian, Hebrew
- Meaning: Gift of God
- Pronunciation: Ay-OWN-ah-KAAN-Ah
- Popularity: Ionakana has never been recorded in U.S. baby name data.
Iosua
Iosua is Joshua, by way of the Hebrew Yehoshua and its meaning God is salvation. Romanian uses the same spelling, so the name travels further than most on this list. It looks harder than it sounds.
- Origin: Hawaiian, Hebrew
- Meaning: Wise
- Pronunciation: Ay-OW-shuw-Ah
- Popularity: Iosua was last listed in U.S. records in 2024 at 11,466th, up about half on the previous decade.
Iwalani
Iwalani is built from iwa, the frigatebird, and lani, sky, which gets translated as heavenly seagull and, more grandly, royal seagull. Frigatebirds stand for the god Oro across Polynesia, so the bird is not a decorative choice. The name came into use in the twentieth century and peaked there.
- Origin: Hawaiian
- Meaning: Heavenly seagull
- Pronunciation: Iy-wah-LAA-nee
- Variations: ‘Iwalani
- Popularity: Iwalani’s best U.S. showing was 1966 at 5,031st; it last appeared in 2019 at 16,504th.
Kaanga
Kaanga is a puzzle. In Hawaii it is rare enough that even the meaning corn is offered with a shrug, and the name is better documented elsewhere: as a Native American given name read as raven, and as Kanga, an ethnic group among the Nuba of northern Sudan. If you want a name nobody can place, this is it.
- Origin: Hawaiian, Native American
- Meaning: Corn
- Pronunciation: KAENG-ah
- Variations: Kanga
- Popularity: Kaanga has no U.S. birth records as a given name.
Kahale
Kahale means the home, and in use it stretches to to go home, which is a warm thing to hand a child. The Arabic line is separate, resting on a root read as breathed, and a mountain village in Lebanon carries the same spelling. Both readings point somewhere you belong.
- Origin: Hawaiian, Arabic
- Meaning: The home
- Pronunciation: Kaa-HHAAL-eh
- Popularity: Kahale does not appear in U.S. federal baby name data.
Kahananui
Kahananui breaks into three plain pieces: ka, the, hana, work, and nui, big. Together they make the great work, or, less flatteringly, the hard job. It is a mouthful, and it barely exists outside the islands.
- Origin: Hawaiian
- Meaning: The hard job
- Pronunciation: Kaa-hah-NOAY-niy
- Popularity: Kahananui has never been listed in U.S. birth records.
Kahie
Kahie is ka, the, plus hue, gourd, and that is the whole story. Gourds were everyday objects in island life, so a name this plain is no surprise. Kahiye is the Somali spelling, which is why the name also turns up in the Horn of Africa.
- Origin: Hawaiian
- Meaning: The gourd
- Pronunciation: KAH-hiy
- Variations: Kahue
- Popularity: Kahie has no entry in U.S. federal birth data.
Kahue
Kahue is Kahie’s twin: same pieces, same gourd. It may also lean on kahu, a word covering caretaker, administrator, and keeper of bones, which is a far heavier role than it sounds. Families who choose it usually have the caretaker sense in mind.
- Origin: Hawaiian
- Meaning: Gourd
- Pronunciation: Kah-HUW-ey
- Variations: Kahie
- Popularity: No U.S. birth records list Kahue as a given name.
Kai
Kai is the short, sea-facing name that went global. In Hawaiian it can mean ocean, in Māori it means food, in Celtic it has been read as spear thrower, and in Japanese families it stands on its own. Three letters, one syllable, and no pronunciation trouble anywhere on earth, which explains a great deal about its rise.
- Origin: Hawaiian, Japanese
- Meaning: The sea
- Pronunciation: KAEY
- Namesakes: Toshimitsu Kai, a Japanese golfer who won the Japan Golf Tour in 1988. Haji Kai, a Tanzanian member of Parliament from 2010 to 2020.
- Popularity: Kai is one of only two names here still inside the U.S. top 100, ranked 93rd in 2025 with 3,768 births and up about 135% on the previous decade.
Kai’ana’ana
Kai’ana’ana traces back to Kiana, read as the moon goddess, and the same root shows up in Irish with the sense of ancient one. The surname itself is glossed as the black magic, which is a very different mood.
- Origin: Hawaiian
- Meaning: The black magic
- Pronunciation: KAY-ah-NAH-ah-nah
- Popularity: Kai’ana’ana appears in no U.S. birth records.
Kaiwi
Kaiwi is ka, the, and iwi, bone, and the Polynesian reading takes it further as keepers of the ancestors. The bone stands for lineage and for wisdom carried into old age, not for anything grim. It is one of the shorter Hawaiian surnames and one of the most serious.
- Origin: Hawaiian, Polynesian
- Meaning: Bone
- Pronunciation: KAEY-wee
- Popularity: Kaiwi has never been recorded in U.S. federal baby name data.
Kalama
Kalama means flaming torch, and the queen consort Kalama Hakaleleponi Kapakuhaili carried it, which is where its authority comes from. In northwestern Zambia the same spelling belongs to the Kaonde and reads as keeper. Hawaiian music and big wave surfing have each had a well known Kalama, so the name gets around.
- Origin: Hawaiian, Zambian
- Meaning: Flaming torch
- Pronunciation: Kaa-LAAM-ah
- Variations: Kalamah
- Namesakes: Benny Kalama, an American singer who wrote May Day is Lei Day in Hawaii (1938). Dave Kalama, an American surfer who helped develop the technique of big wave surfing.
- Popularity: Kalama does not appear in U.S. birth records as a given name.
Kalani
Kalani means of the heavens, and plenty of speakers read it as royal one, since lani covers sky and chiefly rank at the same time. The near neighbor Kelani is a Persian name from a root meaning greatness, a coincidence rather than a connection. It works for a boy or a girl, and it has climbed hard in recent years.
- Origin: Hawaiian
- Meaning: Of the heavens
- Pronunciation: Kaa-LAA-niy
- Variations: Kalany
- Namesakes: Mohammad Ja’far Kalani, an Iranian sports shooter who competed at the 1964 Tokyo Olympics. Jyoti Kalani, the Indian president of the Ulhasnagar Municipal Council.
- Popularity: Kalani ranked 387th in the U.S. in 2025 with 800 births, up about 362% on the previous decade of births.
Kalawai’a
Kalawai’a is ka, the, and lawai’a, fisherman, an occupational surname in a tradition that has fewer of them than English does. Kalawaia is the spelling without the okina. For a family with a fishing history, nothing here is subtle.
- Origin: Hawaiian
- Meaning: The fisherman
- Pronunciation: KAA-laa-Waeyy
- Variations: Kalawaia
- Popularity: Kalawai’a has no U.S. federal birth records.
Kalili
Kalili joins ka, the, to lili, jealousy, which sounds harsh until you learn it also names a Hawaiian violet that grows on Kaua’i and O’ahu. A nineteenth century legislator and an Olympic silver medalist have both worn it. Khalili is the spelling that travels.
- Origin: Hawaiian
- Meaning: Jealousy
- Pronunciation: Kaa-LIY-Lee
- Variations: Khalili
- Namesakes: John Kalili, a Hawaiian House of Representatives member from 1851 to 1852. Maiola Kalili, an American swimmer and silver medalist at the 1932 Summer Olympics.
- Popularity: Kalili is absent from U.S. baby name records.
Kālua
Kālua means the second child, though most people meet the word as a cooking method, the imu pit where food is roasted underground for hours. The liqueur spelled Kahlúa is unrelated and Mexican. Kaluwa is the variant, and the name has been used for girls since the nineteenth century.
- Origin: Hawaiian, Polynesian
- Meaning: The second child
- Pronunciation: Kae-LUW-ah
- Variations: Kaluwa
- Popularity: Kālua does not appear in U.S. federal baby name data.
Kama
Kama means child, and by extension person, which makes it one of the plainest names here. Elsewhere it picks up standing grain in Hebrew and dagger in Turkish, and it is a common surname among the Serer of West Africa. Four spellings exist, though the short one is the one that works.
- Origin: Hawaiian
- Meaning: Child
- Pronunciation: Kaa-mah
- Variations: Kamah, Kamma, Kammah
- Namesakes: Mesuli Kama, a South African member of the Western Cape Provincial Parliament for the African National Congress since 2019. Laïty Kama, a Senegalese president of the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda from 1995 to 1999.
- Popularity: Kama was last recorded in U.S. births in 2012 at 15,878th, well down from its 1970 best of 2,097th.
Kamaka
Kamaka means the eye, and the fuller reading, the vision, is the one families tend to prefer. For boys it has also been glossed as beloved child. Māori gives the same sound to rock, and a small island in French Polynesia carries the name. A wrestler and a UFC fighter have kept it visible.
- Origin: Hawaiian
- Meaning: The eye
- Pronunciation: Kaa-MAA-kaa
- Namesakes: Tor Kamaka, an American-Canadian wrestler and the 1978 PWF World Heavyweight Champion in All Japan Pro Wrestling. Kai Kamaka III, an American mixed martial artist who competes in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC).
- Popularity: Kamaka is the rarest name on this list in current U.S. data, ranked 12,953rd in 2025 with five births, roughly one in 333,000.
Kameāloha
Kameāloha assembles ka, mea, and aloha into the beloved one, with the affectionate one and the compassionate one close behind. Most mainland viewers met it through the television series Doogie Kameāloha, M.D. It is long, but the meaning does the carrying.
- Origin: Hawaiian
- Meaning: The beloved one
- Pronunciation: Kah-MIY-ah-LOW-ha
- Popularity: Kameāloha has never appeared in U.S. birth records.
Kana
Kana is the short form of Kanaiela, so the meaning runs from God has helped to God has judged. Japanese gives the same syllables the sense of powerful. In Hawaiian legend, Kana is the Maui god who stretched himself into a rope long enough to reach from Molokai to Hawaii, which is a hard image to forget.
- Origin: Hawaiian, Japanese
- Meaning: God has helped
- Pronunciation: KAA-Naa
- Namesakes: Sébastien Ndjana Kana, a Cameroonian footballer for Union Douala. Johann Kana, an Estonian member of I Riigikogu in the 1920s.
- Popularity: Kana has been steady in U.S. use, at 8,609th in 2025 with 12 births.
Kane
Kane is a god’s name in Hawaii, the man of the eastern sky. It doubles as a Japanese word for golden and a Welsh one for beautiful, and the Irish Kane comes from the Gaelic MacCatháin instead. Four routes, one very short name.
- Origin: Hawaiian, Japanese
- Meaning: Man of the Eastern sky
- Pronunciation: KAA-Neh
- Variations: Kain, Kaen, Kayn
- Namesakes: Nichola Kane, a Scottish broadcast journalist for STV News. Robert Kane, an American comic book writer who co-created Batman.
- Popularity: Kane ranked 451st in the U.S. in 2025 with 695 births, up about 91% on the previous decade.
Kanoa
Kanoa means the free one, and Māori gives a related reading of fire that burns without restraint. A nineteenth century high chief and governor of Kaua’i carried it, and New Zealand has since attached it to a government agency. Kanoah is the alternate spelling.
- Origin: Hawaiian
- Meaning: The free one
- Pronunciation: Kaa-NOW-ah
- Variations: Kanoah
- Namesakes: Paul Kanoa, a Hawaiian high chief and Governor of Kauaʻi from 1847 to 1877.
- Popularity: Kanoa held 4,469th in the U.S. in 2025 with 23 births, close to where it sat a decade earlier.
Kapena
Kapena is captain, borrowed into Hawaiian from English and reshaped to fit the sound system. Two nineteenth century statesmen carried it, and a Hawaiian band from the 1980s made it familiar to a later generation. Once unisex, it now leans male as a given name.
- Origin: Hawaiian
- Meaning: Captain
- Pronunciation: Kah-PEHN-ah
- Variations: Kapono
- Namesakes: Jonah Kapena, a Hawaiian statesman who helped draft the 1840 Constitution of the Kingdom of Hawaii. John Mākini Kapena, the Hawaiian Governor of Maui from 1874 to 1876.
- Popularity: Kapena was last recorded in U.S. births in 2024 at 13,262nd, down from a 1988 best of 3,441st.
Kapono
Kapono is ka, the, and pono, a word covering good, moral, and correct, so the name lands on the righteous one. Pono carries real moral weight in everyday Hawaiian speech, and the name inherits it. A basketball player and a musician have both answered to it.
- Origin: Hawaiian
- Meaning: Righteous
- Pronunciation: Kaa-PAAN-ow
- Variations: Kapena
- Namesakes: Jason Kapono, an American basketball player with the Miami Heat. Henry Kapono, a Hawaiian musician who founded Cecilio & Kapono, a duo awarded the 2009 Hawai’i Academy of Recording Arts Lifetime Achievement Award.
- Popularity: Kapono slipped to 11,330th in U.S. births in 2025, down about 28% on the previous decade.
Kawai
Kawai is water: coming from water, and in its fuller reading, the meeting of two rivers. The same spelling belongs to an old noble Japanese family, and an actress and a speed skater have carried it there. In Hawaii the water sense is the one that counts.
- Origin: Hawaiian, Japanese
- Meaning: Coming from water
- Pronunciation: Kaa-WAEY
- Namesakes: Ami Kawai, a Japanese actress appearing in the series Kyōryū Sentai Zyuranger. Toshinobu Kawai, a Japanese speed skater and bronze medalist at the 1992 Winter Olympics.
- Popularity: Kawai is climbing in U.S. use, up about 85% on the previous decade, and sat at 11,351st in 2025.
Keaka
Keaka means of the shadows, or person of shadows if you want the whole phrase, and it also serves as the Hawaiian Jack. It was most common in the nineteenth century and works for either sex. A Maui beach carries the name too.
- Origin: Hawaiian
- Meaning: Of the shadows
- Pronunciation: KIY-Kah
- Popularity: Keaka last appeared in U.S. birth records in 2017 at 13,286th.
Kealoha
Kealoha is ke, the, and aloha, love, which makes it as direct as a name can be. Māori says the same thing as Te Aroha. Anyone who has signed a note in Hawaii knows the phrase me ke aloha, with love, and the surname sits right inside it. A lieutenant governor and a Hall of Fame swimmer have both carried it.
- Origin: Hawaiian, Maori
- Meaning: The love
- Pronunciation: KEH-ah-LOW-ha
- Namesakes: James Kealoha, the first lieutenant governor of Hawaii from 1959 to 1962. Warren Kealoha, an American swimmer inducted into the International Swimming Hall of Fame in 1968.
- Popularity: Kealoha was last listed in U.S. births in 2024 at 10,412th, up about a third on the previous decade.
Keana
Keana is the Hawaiian Diana, and it holds the meaning divine. Spelled Kiana it belongs to Ireland instead, where it reads as ancient or God is gracious. Kyana is the third spelling in circulation.
- Origin: Hawaiian, Irish
- Meaning: Divine
- Pronunciation: Kiy-AA-Naa
- Variations: Kiana, Kyana
- Popularity: Keana ranked 6,977th among U.S. girls in 2025, down about 45% on the previous decade and far from its 1995 best of 1,033rd.
Keanu
Keanu is ke, the, and anu, coolness, usually given in full as the cool breeze that comes down over the mountains. One actor has carried the name worldwide since the 1990s, and the association has done it nothing but good. It is the rare Hawaiian name a mainland stranger will spell correctly.
- Origin: Hawaiian
- Meaning: Cool breeze
- Pronunciation: Kiy-AH-nuw
- Popularity: Keanu ranked 649th in the U.S. in 2025 with 427 births, up about 192% on the previous decade.
Keawe
Keawe means thread, and the related readings, the strand and the bearer, all point the same way: a line running back through the generations. The House of Keawe was a noble Hawaiian clan, so the name carries rank as well as lineage. A Hawaiian musician made it widely known.
- Origin: Hawaiian
- Meaning: Thread
- Pronunciation: Keh-AH-weh
- Namesakes: Genoa Keawe, a Hawaiian musician who received an honorary doctorate from the University of Hawai’i in 2005.
- Popularity: Keawe rose to 7,956th in the U.S. in 2025 with 10 births, up about 23% on the previous decade.
Kekepania
Kekepania is Stephanie rebuilt in Hawaiian, and it keeps every one of the Greek meanings behind Stephanos: crown, laurel, wreath. The connection is not obvious until someone says both names out loud. Pania makes an easy short form.
- Origin: Hawaiian
- Meaning: Crown
- Pronunciation: Kehk-PAY-nee-Ah
- Popularity: Kekepania has never reached the SSA’s published U.S. baby name data.
Kekoa
Kekoa is built on koa, meaning warrior, and the same word names the koa tree, whose wood went into canoes and weapons. Strength and courage come attached to both. It is one of the most straightforward boys’ names in the islands, and Kekowa is the rare variant.
- Origin: Hawaiian, Tahitian
- Meaning: The warrior
- Pronunciation: Keh-KOW-aa
- Variations: Kekowa
- Popularity: Kekoa ranked 2,296th among U.S. boys in 2025 with 61 births, holding close to its 2017 best of 1,929th.
Kelekolio
Kelekolio may be the longest way anyone has found to say seahorse. Very little else is documented about it, which is a shame, because the smooth seahorses in Hawaiian waters stand for strength and protection. Five syllables, one small animal.
- Origin: Hawaiian
- Meaning: Sea horse
- Pronunciation: KIY-leh-KOW-liy-Ow
- Popularity: Kelekolio does not appear in U.S. federal birth data.
Keli’i
Keli’i means chief, and the name traces to Keli’imaika’i, an eighteenth century high chief and the brother of Kamehameha the Great. Rank is the whole point of it, and Hawaiian families do not hand the word out casually. Kelili is the closest variant.
- Origin: Hawaiian
- Meaning: Chief
- Pronunciation: Keh-LIY-liy
- Variations: Kelili
- Popularity: Keli’i has no entry in U.S. baby name records.
Keona
Keona is ke, the, and ona, attractive, and it gets read as God’s gracious gift as often as divine. Samoan uses the same word for snow, and it also serves as a Native American girl’s name meaning brown hills. Kiona and Kyona are the usual variants.
- Origin: Hawaiian, Polynesian
- Meaning: God’s gracious gift
- Pronunciation: KIY-Ahn-aa
- Variations: Kiona, Kyona
- Popularity: Keona has fallen further than any other name here, down about 47% on the previous decade of births, and ranked 3,188th in 2025.
Kim
Kim is in Hawaii because Korean families are, and it remains the most common of the Korean surnames. The character behind it means gold, or metal. In American use it doubles as a short form of Kimberly, which Hawaiian renders as Kimipele.
- Origin: Hawaiian, Korean
- Meaning: Gold
- Pronunciation: KIYM
- Variations: Kin
- Namesakes: Claudia Kim, a South Korean actress known for the series Queen of the Game (2006 to 2007). Christina Kim, a South Korean-American fashion designer and founder of the design house Dosa.
- Popularity: As a U.S. given name Kim ranked 4,228th in 2025, a long fall from 1960, when it sat at 34th.
Konani
Konani means bright, or shining, and it gets mixed up constantly with Konkani, the language and people of India’s Konkan coast. The two have nothing to do with each other. Konani is soft, symmetrical, and easy to say, which is more than most four syllable names manage.
- Origin: Hawaiian
- Meaning: Bright
- Pronunciation: Koh-NAAN-iy
- Variations: Konkani
- Popularity: Konani is absent from U.S. federal baby name data.
Lee
Lee reaches Hawaii twice over, as a Korean surname and as a spelling of the Chinese surname Li, both meaning plum tree. In Chinese families in the islands it often appears inside a compound name such as Lee-fong. It is short enough to sit inside almost any name, which is part of why it is everywhere.
- Origin: Hawaiian, Korean
- Meaning: Plum tree
- Pronunciation: LEE
- Variations: Li
- Namesakes: Andy Lee, a South Korean singer and member of the boy band Shinhwa. Brandun Lee, an American boxer and the IBO Inter-Continental super lightweight champion in 2021.
- Popularity: Lee ranked 727th as a U.S. given name in 2025 with 366 births, holding steady, though its best year was 1936 at 76th.
Leimomi
Leimomi joins lei, wreath, to momi, pearl, giving string of pearls and, more warmly, beautiful child. It stands a step away from Leilani, the far more familiar heavenly garland. Rare then, rare now, and prettier for it.
- Origin: Hawaiian
- Meaning: String of pearls
- Pronunciation: Laey-MOHM-iy
- Variations: Leilani
- Popularity: Leimomi last appeared in U.S. births in 2022 at 16,683rd; its best year was 1959 at 4,838th.
Leo
Leo surprises people here: in Hawaiian it means voice, or the sound, and it appears in Ka Leo, the voice. Everywhere else it means lion, which is why European boys have carried it for centuries. Two meanings, no spelling trouble, and a sound that has aged extremely well.
- Origin: Hawaiian, Latin
- Meaning: Voice
- Pronunciation: LEE-oh
- Namesakes: Angelo Leo, an American boxer and the WBO junior featherweight champion from 2020 to 2021. Daniel Leo, a Samoan-New Zealand rugby union player for the Queensland Reds.
- Popularity: Leo is the highest ranked name on this list in current U.S. data, 19th in 2025 with 8,173 births, up about 213% on the previous decade.
Likeke
Likeke is Richard after the Hawaiian sound system has finished with it, and the meaning tracks: where Richard is a powerful ruler, Likeke is a courageous chief. Lekeke is the alternate spelling. Say it aloud once and the link to Richard stops sounding far fetched.
- Origin: Hawaiian
- Meaning: Courageous chief
- Pronunciation: Laey-KEHK-iy
- Variations: Lekeke
- Popularity: Likeke has never been recorded in U.S. birth data.
Lilo
Lilo means generous one, and in Hawaiian it also carries lost, which the song He Mele No Lilo, the lullaby of the lost, leans on. Most children know it from Lilo Pelekai, and that film has done more for the name than any dictionary could.
- Origin: Hawaiian
- Meaning: Generous one
- Pronunciation: LIY-Low
- Namesakes: Gordon Darcy Lilo, the Prime Minister of the Solomon Islands from 2011 to 2014. Serge Lilo, a New Zealand rugby union player for the Wellington Lions.
- Popularity: Lilo reached its best U.S. rank in 2025 at 3,231st with 49 births, up about 238% on the previous decade.
Loe
Loe is the Hawaiian word for king, and it appears inside the name of Umi-a-Liloa, one of the islands’ most storied rulers. Outside Hawaii it is mostly a Norwegian surname taken from farms called Lo. A New Zealand rower and a Norwegian journalist carry it today.
- Origin: Hawaiian
- Meaning: King
- Pronunciation: LOW-eh
- Variations: Low
- Namesakes: Olivia Loe, a New Zealand rower and gold medalist at the 2019 World Rowing Championships. Erlend Loe, a Norwegian journalist for the Norwegian newspaper Adresseavisen.
- Popularity: Loe does not appear in U.S. federal baby name records.
Luana
Luana means enjoyment, and the everyday reading is simply happiness. Albanian arrives at the same spelling by another route, as the feminine of Luan, lion, and other traditions offer daughter of the moon and graceful warrior. Luanda is the variant.
- Origin: Hawaiian
- Meaning: Enjoyment
- Pronunciation: Luw-AEN-ah
- Variations: Luanda
- Popularity: Luana is the biggest revival on this list: it peaked in 1947, bottomed out in 1994, and has recovered about 13 times over to rank 1,827th in 2025.
Luda
Luda is the Hawaiian Jude, so it means praised, and it doubles as the Hawaiian word for Jewish. As a Russian girl’s name it means love of the people, a different tradition arriving at a similar warmth. A Montenegrin rapper is the best known bearer.
- Origin: Hawaiian
- Meaning: Praised
- Pronunciation: LUW-Dah
- Namesakes: Dvorska Luda (born Andrija Krivokapić), a Montenegrin rapper and a member of the hip-hop group Barska Stoka.
- Popularity: U.S. records last list Luda in 1935 at 3,617th; its best year was 1917 at 2,497th.
Lui
Lui is one of the Hawaiian surnames with Asian roots, spelled the Hong Kong way rather than the Macau Loi. Chinese gives it thunder, while the Hawaiian reading is famous warrior. An actor and a rugby player keep it in view.
- Origin: Hawaiian
- Meaning: Famous warrior
- Pronunciation: LUW-iy
- Variations: Lu
- Namesakes: Ray Lui, a Hong Kong actor known for the series The Bund (1980). Lolo Lui, a Samoan rugby union player for the Samoa Sevens.
- Popularity: Lui ranked 9,393rd in U.S. births in 2025 with eight, roughly where it has sat for a decade.
Mahelona
Mahelona is the Hawaiian form of Mahlon, one of the two brothers in the Book of Ruth. Its Hawaiian meaning is given as harp, while the Hebrew root underneath reads as pardon. It is long, gentle, and almost unheard outside the islands.
- Origin: Hawaiian
- Meaning: Harp
- Pronunciation: Maa-heh-LOW-nah
- Popularity: Mahelona has no U.S. birth records as a given name.
Mahi’ai
Mahi’ai means farmer, plainly, and it is one of the few occupational surnames Hawaiian offers. It is also the Hawaiian George, which nobody guesses from the spelling. An early twentieth century noble and county clerk of Kaua’i carried it.
- Origin: Hawaiian, Greek
- Meaning: Farmer
- Pronunciation: Maa-HHIY-aey
- Variations: Mahiai
- Namesakes: John Mahi’ai Kāneakua, a Hawaiian noble and County Clerk of Kaua’i from 1906 to 1934.
- Popularity: Mahi’ai does not appear in U.S. federal birth data.
Mahina
Mahina is the moon, and the goddess of the moon, so the name arrives with mythology attached. Japanese reads the same sound as meaning light. Places in Mali and French Polynesia carry it as well, and Masina is the Samoan-shaped variant.
- Origin: Hawaiian
- Meaning: Moon
- Pronunciation: Maa-HHIY-naa
- Variations: Masina
- Popularity: Mahina ranked 3,876th among U.S. girls in 2025 with 38 births, up about 130% on the previous decade.
Mahoe
Mahoe means twins, and it also names a small bushy tree found in the islands, the ala’alahua. Both senses came into use as a surname in the nineteenth century. Parents of twins will spot the obvious use for it.
- Origin: Hawaiian
- Meaning: Twins
- Pronunciation: Maa-HOW
- Popularity: Mahoe has never been listed in U.S. baby name data.
Makani
Makani is the wind, the trade wind that makes the islands livable. The Tonga people of Zambia and Zimbabwe use it too. Pele, who rules volcanoes and fire and dance, holds the wind as well, so the name sits inside her domain. Makany is the variant spelling.
- Origin: Hawaiian
- Meaning: Wind
- Pronunciation: Maa-KAA-niy
- Variations: Makany
- Namesakes: Ramo Makani, a Tanzanian member of Parliament since 2010. Sosha Makani, an Iranian footballer for Mjøndalen.
- Popularity: Makani ranked 6,035th in the U.S. in 2025 with 15 births, up about 34% on the previous decade.
Manu
Manu means bird, and by extension anything winged, down to the wing of a kite. Romanian uses it as a nickname for Manuel, Indonesian gives it bird or chicken, and Hinduism names the first man Manu. Two Romanian namesakes, a prime minister and a footballer, show how far it travels.
- Origin: Hawaiian
- Meaning: Bird
- Pronunciation: MAA-Nuw
- Namesakes: Gheorghe Manu, the Romanian Prime Minister from 1889 to 1891. Gabriel Manu, a Romanian footballer for AFC Rocar București.
- Popularity: Manu ranked 4,486th in U.S. births in 2025 with 23, up about 23% on the previous decade.
Maui
Maui is an island and a demigod at once. The legend says Hawai’iola found the islands and named one for his son, and the trickster Maui of Polynesian myth is the figure most people picture. Animation has since given the name a second life with a much younger audience.
- Origin: Hawaiian, Polynesian
- Meaning: Trickster god
- Pronunciation: MOW-iy
- Popularity: Maui ranked 5,332nd in the U.S. in 2025 with 18 births, up about 193% on the previous decade.
Mauli
Mauli is the Hawaiian Maurice, and its meaning is given as dark-skinned. The same syllables belong to a Sumatran royal dynasty that ruled from the eleventh century into the fourteenth. Maulie is the softer spelling.
- Origin: Hawaiian
- Meaning: Dark-skinned
- Pronunciation: MAOW-Liy
- Variations: Maulie
- Popularity: Mauli appears in U.S. records only for 2007, at 13,476th with eight births.
Mililani
Mililani means love from heaven, and the verb behind it covers praising, giving thanks, and treating someone as a favorite. A large O’ahu town carries the name, so in Hawaii it reads as a place first. Four syllables, all of them soft.
- Origin: Hawaiian
- Meaning: Love from heaven
- Pronunciation: Miy-lee-LAA-niy
- Popularity: Mililani reached its best U.S. rank in 2025 at 6,744th with 17 births, roughly double the previous decade.
Moana
Moana is the open ocean, from vast body of water to deep sea. The 2016 animated film put it in front of every child on earth and reshaped how the name is heard, for better and worse. Four spellings circulate, though the original needs no help.
- Origin: Hawaiian, Polynesian
- Meaning: Ocean
- Pronunciation: MWAH-Naa
- Variations: Moanah, Moanna, Moannah
- Popularity: Moana ranked 4,141st among U.S. girls in 2025 with 35 births, up about 362% on the previous decade.
Nakamura
Nakamura is one of the most common Japanese surnames, and it reached Hawaii with Japanese immigrant families. It breaks into naka, center, and mura, village, for a family that lived in the village in the middle. A figure skater and an award winning actress carry it in Japan today.
- Origin: Hawaiian, Japanese
- Meaning: Middle village
- Pronunciation: Nah-kaa-MUW-rah
- Variations: Nakamurah, Nackamura
- Namesakes: Kento Nakamura, a Japanese figure skater and the 2011 NRW Trophy bronze medalist. Yūko Nakamura, a Japanese actress awarded Best Actress by the 2001 Buenos Aires International Festival of Independent Cinema.
- Popularity: Nakamura does not appear in U.S. federal baby name data as a given name.
Noelani
Noelani joins noe, mist, to lani, heaven, and the readings run from heavenly mist to heavenly dew and beauty from heaven. Because lani also carries royal and majesty, the name is grander than its soft sound suggests. Nohealani is the longer variant.
- Origin: Hawaiian
- Meaning: Heavenly mist
- Pronunciation: Noh-eh-LAH-niy
- Variations: Nohealani
- Popularity: Noelani has held steady in U.S. use, ranking 1,842nd in 2025 with 109 births.
Onaona
Onaona doubles the Hawaiian root ona, sweetness, which is how Hawaiian intensifies a word. The result covers sweet smell, soft fragrance, and gentle disposition at once. Few names describe a scent and a personality in the same breath.
- Origin: Hawaiian
- Meaning: Sweet smell
- Pronunciation: Ow-naa-OW-Naa
- Variations: Onanonah
- Popularity: Onaona has never been recorded in U.S. birth data.
Ōpūnui
Ōpūnui is ōpū, belly, and nui, big, and it began life as a nickname rather than a formal name. It shows up in nineteenth century Hawaiian marriage records, at a time when a full figure signalled prosperity, so the name was a compliment. Blunt, cheerful, and completely unlike anything on a mainland class list.
- Origin: Hawaiian
- Meaning: Big-bellied
- Pronunciation: Ah-puh-NOO-ee
- Popularity: Ōpūnui has no entry in U.S. federal baby name records.
Palakiko
Palakiko is Francis, or Francisco, rebuilt syllable by syllable in Hawaiian. The root behind all three is the Old French franc, free. It has even turned up as a character surname in animation. Palakika is the variant.
- Origin: Hawaiian, French
- Meaning: Free
- Pronunciation: Pael-ah-KIHK-oh
- Variations: Palakika
- Popularity: Palakiko has never appeared in U.S. birth records.
Palapala
Palapala is Barbara underneath, which takes a moment to hear, and it keeps the old meaning foreign woman. The word also names a concrete garden shelter, something like a gazebo. Repeating syllables give it a rhythm most surnames do not have.
- Origin: Hawaiian, Latin
- Meaning: Foreign woman
- Pronunciation: Paal-ah-PAAL-Ah
- Popularity: Palapala does not appear in U.S. federal birth data.
Pekelo
Pekelo is the Hawaiian Peter, so it means stone, a meaning it shares with the Portuguese and Spanish Pedro. Nineteenth century marriage records in Hawaii show it only a handful of times, which makes it rare even by the standards of this list. Pakelo is the alternate spelling.
- Origin: Hawaiian, Polynesian
- Meaning: Stone
- Pronunciation: Peh-KEH-low
- Variations: Pakelo
- Popularity: Pekelo has no U.S. given name records.
Peleke
Peleke is Frederick after a Hawaiian rebuild, and it keeps the Germanic meaning peaceful ruler. It works as a boy’s given name as well as a surname. Say Frederick and Peleke back to back and the shape of the original comes through.
- Origin: Hawaiian, German
- Meaning: Peaceful ruler
- Pronunciation: Peh-LEHK-iy
- Popularity: Peleke is absent from U.S. federal baby name data.
Pilialoha
Pilialoha means beloved, and the fuller readings are loving and dear one. Pili makes the natural short form, and a 2021 film gave the name its widest audience yet through the character Pili Kawena.
- Origin: Hawaiian
- Meaning: Beloved
- Pronunciation: Pih-liy-Ah-LOW-ha
- Popularity: Pilialoha has never been recorded in U.S. birth data.
Pualani
Pualani is pua, flower, and lani, heaven, giving heavenly flower or heavenly offspring depending on who is translating. A Maui district known for its gardens carries the name too. It has been in use in Hawaii for generations without ever becoming ordinary.
- Origin: Hawaiian
- Meaning: Heavenly offspring
- Pronunciation: Puw-aa-LAA-Niy
- Popularity: Pualani was last listed in U.S. births in 2024 at 17,115th, a long way from its 1939 best of 4,796th.
Tilo
Tilo is better known as a German boy’s name meaning people, and its Hawaiian sense is genuinely unclear. It may connect to the seventh century Saint Tillo. In Hawaii it appears as a surname across the nineteenth and twentieth centuries and little since.
- Origin: Hawaiian, Samoan
- Meaning: People
- Pronunciation: TIY-Low
- Variations: Tillo
- Popularity: Tilo does not appear in U.S. federal baby name records.
Ualoheke
Ualoheke comes out of the phrase ualoheke akua, God has listened. Since akua is God, the name itself carries has listened. Its history is hazy, and it seems to have faded soon after Hawaiian families began taking surnames at all.
- Origin: Hawaiian
- Meaning: Has listened
- Pronunciation: UW-ah-low-HEK-eh
- Popularity: Ualoheke has never been listed in U.S. baby name data.
Ulani
Ulani means cheerful, and the longer Ululani sits beside it, built from u’i, youthful beauty, and lani, sky. Some readings connect it to ulaula, red or scarlet. Four variant spellings exist, though the simple one is winning.
- Origin: Hawaiian, Polynesian
- Meaning: Cheerful
- Pronunciation: Uw-LAA-niy
- Variations: Ulanee, Ulaney, Ulanie, Ulany
- Popularity: Ulani is the fastest riser on this list, up about 364% on the previous decade of births, and ranked 2,749th in 2025.
Urima
Urima reads as earth’s fruit, in line with the other Polynesian names here that take their images from the land. Japanese gives the same sound the sense of trade or dealing. An ancient town on the Euphrates carried the name as well, which puts it a very long way from Hawaii.
- Origin: Hawaiian, Polynesian
- Meaning: Earth’s fruit
- Pronunciation: YUH-riy-Maa
- Popularity: Urima has no U.S. birth records as a given name.
Wailani
Wailani is wai, meaning water, and lani, sky, so it reads as heavenly water or royal water. Fresh water matters enormously in the islands, which is why so many names are built on wai. Wainani is the variant.
- Origin: Hawaiian
- Meaning: Heavenly water
- Pronunciation: Waey-LAA-niy
- Variations: Wainani
- Popularity: Wailani entered U.S. records only recently, ranking 13,390th in 2024 with seven births.
Wong
Wong means king, and the Chinese readings run to monarch, grand, and to reign over. It is an alternative spelling of Wang, from an older Huang, and it is common wherever Chinese families settled, Hawaii included. An actor and a founding figure of Hawaii Regional Cuisine have both carried it.
- Origin: Hawaiian, Chinese
- Meaning: King
- Pronunciation: WAHNG
- Variations: Wang
- Namesakes: BD Wong, an American actor best known for the series Law & Order: Special Victims Unit. Alan Wong, an American restaurateur and one of the 12 co-founders of Hawaii Regional Cuisine.
- Popularity: As a U.S. given name Wong last appeared in 1994 at 10,201st; its best year was 1916 at 4,523rd.
Zariyah
Zariyah arrives through Arabic, where it reads as scattering wind, while the Hawaiian gloss given here is blooming flower. Zahrah, flower, and the Hebrew Azariah, God has helped, sit nearby. A Nigerian city called Zaria uses the shortest spelling.
- Origin: Hawaiian, Arabic
- Meaning: Blooming flower
- Pronunciation: Zah-RAEY-ah
- Variations: Zariya, Zaria
- Popularity: Zariyah ranked 645th among U.S. girls in 2025 with 448 births, up about 67% on the previous decade.
