Hawaiian Names
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About this list
The names
Leilani
Hawaiian
"heavenly flower"
Lyrical, lively and bold, Leilani is a name that feels fresh, floral, and summery. Sharing sounds with the popular Lillian, Layla and Luna, Leilani joined the US Top 100 in 2020. Derived from the…
Kai
Hawaiian, Frisian, Chinese
"sea; warrior; triumph"
Kai is an internationally flexible name with many possible origins and meanings, growing in popularity in the US and a diverse range of European countries. In the US, the name Kai is most commonly…
Alani
Hawaiian
"orange tree"
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…
Ailani
Hawaiian, Hispanic variation of Aileen or Aylin, "high chief; shining light; of the moon"
"high chief; shining light; of the moon"
Lilting and lovely, Ailani entered the US Top 1000 for the first time in 2016 and was a fast climbing choice in 2024 and 2025 when it climbed more than 400 places up the charts to rank in the Top 200…
Kaia
Latin, Scandinavian, or Hawaiian
"to rejoice or sea"
The new Maia, the next Kayla, Kaia has been on the charts since the year 2000. You might see it as a female form of the also-rising Kai, which means sea in Hawaiian and is sometimes used for girls as…
Kailani
Hawaiian
"sea and sky"
Bright, melodic, and nature inspired, Kailani blends the appeal of Kaia and Leilani in terms of sounds, while in meaning, it matches the draw of Skye, Ocean, and Celeste. Derived from Hawaiian…
Malia
Hawaiian variation of Mary
"bitter"
Malia rose up the charts back in 2009 when it was brought into the spotlight as the name of the Obama's eldest daughter. It leapt into the US Top 200, and while it hasn't reached that level of…
Kalani
Hawaiian
"the heavens"
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…
Nalani
Variation of Nālani, Hawaiian
"the heavens, the skies, the chiefs; calm skies"
Traditionally spelled as Nālani, this name is evocative of tranquil island escapes. Combining the popular Hawaiian element lani ("sky, heaven, chief") with nā ("the (plural)" or "quiet, calm"), it…
Kane
Celtic
"warrior"
A name of multiple identities: a somewhat soap-operatic single-syllable surname, a homonym for the biblical bad boy Cain, and, when found in Japan and Hawaii, it transforms into the two syllable…
Maliyah
Hawaiian variation of Mary
"bitter"
This version of Malia (as in Obama) peaked at Number 296 in 2009. Though Maliyah has lost ground since then, it's surprisingly enduring for a newly-fashion name whose pop culture connection was more…
Keanu
Hawaiian
"the coolness, or the cool breeze"
An evocative name brought from Hawaii to the mainland by Keanu Reeves, who was born in Beirut to a part-Hawaiian, part-Chinese father. It moved into the Top 1000 for the first time in over a decade…
Lilia
Spanish, Italian and Russian
"lily"
Lilia is pretty double L name that makes for sparkly, floral choice with plenty of international flair. More distinctive that Lily, less popular than Liliana, Lia, and Lilian, Lilia was a new entry…
Makala
Hawaiian
"myrtle,"
There are so many variations of this name in circulation, it makes it hard for any of them to feel as special as they might.
Kai
Hawaiian
"sea"
This appealing multi-cultural name, pronounced KYE, is beginning to be used for girls as well as boys. Among its many derivations and meanings: "sea" in Hawaiian, "forgiveness" in Japanese, "willow…
Kala
Tamil; Hawaiian
"Virtue; princess"
Kale
Modern invented name
Whether you think of it as Cale with a K, or a pet form of Kalen or Kaleb, this is just the kind of short, synthetic name finding a lot of favor now, but remember -- it's also the name of a vegetable.
Paulo
Portuguese, Swedish, and Hawaiian variation of Paul
Paulo suffers in comparison to the richer and more authentic-sounding Paolo.
Nana
English, Greek, Hawaiian, Japanese
"grace; God is gracious; spring, beauty; vegetable, greens"
To most English speakers, Nana is the dog in Peter Pan , the daughter played by Emma Stone in Crazy Stupid Love , and another name for Grandma, however, it is also a diminutive of Nancy and Anna…
Ewalina
Ewalina is a feminine name that appears to be a variant of Evelina or Ewelina, which derive from the Germanic name elements 'avi' (desired, wished for) or the French 'aveline' (hazelnut). The name…
