International Baby Names
Polynesian and South Sea Islander Names
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About this list
As Hawaiian names become more visible and more popular internationally, interest has grown in names throughout the South Sea Islands.
Disney's Moana put a spotlight on several Polynesian mythology names, including the Hawaiian place name Maui. Other names from Polynesian mythology gaining wider visibility include Tane, a powerful sky god, and Pele, the Hawaiian fire goddess.
Adding to their appeal, many of these names have stylish nature meanings related to the sea, sky, or flowers.
In this group of Polynesian names and South Sea Island namers, we also include Fijian names, Tahitian names, Tongan names, and Maori names. Here is our full list of names from the Polynesian and South Sea islands.
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The names
Malakai
Fijian and Tongan form of Malachi
Malakai puts a South Sea Island spin on the Biblical Malachi, which may be just what It needs to fit in with contemporary trends.
Ana
Variation of Hannah
"grace"
Confident and compact, Ana is a widely used variation of the Biblical Hannah. Favored in Spain, Slovenia, Bosnia, Portugal, and Croatia, this shorter spelling has the same substance and versatility…
Maia
Greek
"mother"
Maia was derived from the Greek word maia , meaning "mother." In Greek legend, she was the fair-haired daughter of Atlas who mothered Zeus's favorite illegitimate son, Hermes. To the Romans, Maia was…
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…
Nyree
English from Maori
"flaxen"
Anglicized form of Ngaire, this name is sometimes heard in New Zealand and very occasionally in England.
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…
Viliami
Tongan form of William
William has any international variations, including the super-popular Liam. This version is largely unknown beyond the South Sea Islands.
Papa
Maori
"earth"
A baby girl named Papa might cause some confusion, but the Papa (or Papatuanuku) of Polynesian mythology is the mother or earth goddess.
Tevita
Fijian and Tongan form of David
David is a classic Biblical name with many international versions. This South SeaI Islander name is largely unknown in the wider world.
Maui
Hawaiian place name and Polynesian mythology name
While Maui was a male trickster god in Polynesian mythology, the well-known Hawaiian place name Maui can work for either gender.
Maui
Hawaiian, Polynesian mythology
The name of the second-biggest (and third-most populous) island in Hawaii was one of the fastest-rising boys' names of 2017. A major factor was surely Dwayne Johnson's character in Moana , the…
Pele
Hawaiian goddess of fire
Pele is a female name in Hawaiian culture that could make a provocative choice for a modern girls. Others might think you named your daughter after the all-time great soccer player, but the simple,…
Rangi
Maori
"sky"
In Maori and other Polynesian mythology Rangi or Ranginui was a god of the sky, husband of the earth goddess Papa or Papatuanuku. This strong and simple Māori name would make for a fresh celestial…
Tane
Maori, Tahitian
"man, male"
In Maori mythology Tāne (also called Tāne Mahuta) was the god of forests and birds, son of the sky god Rangi and the earth goddess Papa. Tāne was the one who pushed his powerful parents apart to…
Sione
Tongan and Samoan form of John, Hebrew
"God is gracious"
John is a name that's widely translated around the world, and this is one of the more unusual options. It is known internationally largely through rugby players, such as Sione Tuipulotu, captain of…
Aroha
Maori
"love"
A simple gender-neutral name.
Aroha
Māori
"love"
This beautiful Māori name meaning love (cognate with Hawaiian aloha ) is more wearable than the English word and softer Venus or Aphrodite. Former New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern named her…
Anahera
Maori
"angel"
This feminine name — simply "angel" imported into Māori phonology — is fresher than Angela and less Hollywood than Angelina.
Awhina
Maori
"help, support"
A pretty name with an admirable meaning, but note the "wh" is pronounced like an English "f".
Tangaroa
Maori mythological name, ocean god
In Polynesian mythology Tangaroa was the god of the sea, the son of Rangi and Papa. He separated his parents' embrace, creating the earth and the sky. In Maori mythology, is the great atua of the…
