About Hawaiian Names

The Hawaiian language is based on about 200 words, which makes naming a child tricky. A parent has to be careful when choosing the name to avoid a "kaona" (pronounced "cow-na"), or hidden meaning, and should research all possible meanings thoroughly. Older Hawaiians named their children with only one name, not carrying over the father's surname as is popular in most other countries. A name might be a family name, a spiritual or dream name, or a name that came from an event surrounding the birth of the child, like a storm or a meteor shower. With so many vowels strung together in the Hawaiian language, true Hawaiian names are long, and lilting on the tongue.

History

Native Hawaiians had a family name, a dream or spiritual name, and a nickname or name based on one of their characteristics. A name for an unborn baby that came to the grandparents or parents in a dream was prophetic and was thought to inspire the child's life path and spiritual development. If a child got sick, Hawaiian elders would change the child's name, and the child would become well.
There were no surnames for Hawaiian families until 1860, when Kamehameha signed the Act to Regulate Names. Hawaiians then took their father's given name as a surname, and all children afterward received a Christian (or English) name as their first name. Hawaiian names were given as middle names. In the 1960s, the law was challenged, and many Hawaiians began a trend toward reestablishing the Hawaiian name, which continues today. Because English speakers now outnumber Native Hawaiian speakers in Hawaii, the state has an abundance of popular Western names, some Hawaiian names, and a phonetic mixture of the two.

Types

Before the surname law was passed, Hawaiians used only a single name. In rural areas, this tradition continued into the 1900s.
On early census records, there are the terms "'opio" and "liilii." "Opio" means first born. "Kalani 'opio," for example, means the first born male child. An 'opio male child may become a Junior. "Liilii" (li'ili'i) means small while "nui" big. So Kalaniliilii would be the younger sister to Kalani.
O-ka-lani, meaning heavenly, is popular amongst Hawaiians, and may be found at the end of a long Hawaiian name. The term Kapu means sacred person, and so Kapu is also included regularly into names.

Time Frame

Many names 100 years ago were unisex, like Keonaona, Kealoha, and Kalei, and popular with both male and female Hawaiians. Today, the trend is to name the genders differently, and the popular ending -lani (meaning heaven) is favored by women. Men favor names beginning with Ka-/Ke-.
Leilani is the absolute favorite name for from the 1900s on. Kalei was popular in the early 1900s, but had evolved more recently into the name Kai.

Significance

Genuine Hawaiian names are often symbolic. "Lei" is the symbolic word for child, as an adored child is carried like a lei around the parent's neck. Lei also means "gift". The trend for modern parents is to ease up on the symbolism, and lead with more practical words. Instead of using lei (gift or flower) as the symbolic word for child, the parents will use keiki or kama which is the practical use word for child, as in Keikilani and Kamalani. These names mean "heavenly child."
For many Hawaiian words, the 'okina and the kahako (the gutteral stop and the punctuation macrons on a name) are important to the meaning of a word. They are often lost in English translations, and can therefore change the actual meaning of a name from something beautiful to some unpleasant.

Features

Top names featured in Hawaii last year were anything but Hawaiian. They matched many of the top baby names from the rest of the country. The top five Hawaiian boy names were: Noah, Ethan, Joshua, Isaiah and Elijah. Top five girl names were: Sophia, Ava, Chole, Isabella and Emma. The first Native Hawaiian name that appears is fifty-third in popularity for boys--Kaimana--and twenty-eighth in popularity for girls--Kaila.
Another popular feature that can be fun with the Hawaiian name is switching your English name into an Hawaiian name. For instance, David is Kawika, Madeline in Makelina, Steve is Kiwi. Check the website link below if you'd like to see how your name translates into Hawaiian.

Considerations

Native Hawaiian Kahauanu Lake reports that Hawaiians traditionally ask and follow the advice of kupuna. The child's grandparents or other elders close to the family consider the child's genealogy and then various other factors surrounding their birth. Explains Lake, "A name was a recording of events surrounding the family, the parents or the child. They would look at the genealogical charts and then (at) events, what happened to the family, the parents and grandparents."
Lake's own name was bestowed by his grandmother. It snowed the day he was born, and she decided his name should be Kahauanu, meaning "cold snow." She added "anu" to remember the extra chill of the air that day.

Expert Insight

A Hawaiian can collect additional names with age. The name given at birth might reflect prophesy or a hope that the child will grow to develop certain qualities. As they grow and change, Hawaiians are sometimes given new names in addition to their first name as their circumstances change throughout life.
As with King Kamehameha, his first name was Pai'ea, which meant crab, because he would cling to his caregiver like a crab. Once he became more outgoing, he was called Kamehameha because of his brassy qualities. He carried both names throughout his life, and collected many more along the way.

Resources

• Find Your Hawaiian Name