A simple gender-neutral name.

Tahiti is famous for its beautiful pearls, which are cultivated and collected from the black lip oyster. While you might think of pearls being white, Tahitian pearls are known as 'black pearls' and come in black, dark green, and grey with undertones of green, pink, silver blue and yellow. Poerava is the native Tahitian name for the pearls and is used as a feminine name.

New Zealand writer Ngaio (born Edith Ngaio) Marsh is the best-known bearer of this Maori nature name, properly pronounced ng (like the end of sing) -EYE-oh. It is the name of a tree indigenous to New Zealand, also called the Mousehole Tree.

A simple, easily-translated Maori name that coincides with a stormy Meskwaki name (also spelled Taimah) used as a country and city name in the US.

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.

David is a classic Biblical name with many international versions. This South SeaI Islander name is largely unknown in the wider world.

The Manaia is a mythological creature in Māori culture, a common motif in Māori art. Usually depicted as having the head of a bird, the tail of a fish and the body of a man, the Manaia is traditionally believed to be the messenger between the earthly world of mortals and the domain of the spirits, and its symbol is used as a guardian against evil.

Names that convey strength and power are popular today, and this Tahitian name makes a rare choice in the category.

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 choice.

Maaka is a masculine name with Polynesian origins, particularly prominent in Māori culture where it means 'strength' or can refer to 'red ochre,' a sacred earth pigment. In the Māori language, the name carries connotations of power and spiritual significance. While relatively uncommon globally, Maaka maintains cultural importance in New Zealand and other Polynesian communities. The name's straightforward pronunciation (MAH-ah-kah) and meaningful heritage make it an attractive choice for parents seeking a name with cultural depth and positive attributes. Maaka remains relatively rare outside of Polynesian communities, giving it a distinctive quality for those who bear it.

This royal Tahitian name was borne by four kings and a queen of Tahiti. It was created after a royal baby died of a night cough, perhaps not the happiest meaning.

Tiare, which means flower, is also a name and would make a simpler South Sea Islander choice. Vaitiare adds a water element.

This gender-neutral Tahitian name has a peaceful meaning.

The Maori form of an Old English given name, notably borne by George Augustus Selwyn, the first Bishop of New Zealand. The Bishop gave his name to several places and a river in New Zealand and this Maori variation has since been used as a surname and occasionally as a given or middle name. New Zealand rugby player McFarlane "Mack" Herewini is a more recent bearer.

Lilting choice. "Oleanna" is the title of a David Mamet play.

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 Polynesian demigod named Maui, a mythological trickster who slowed the sun to create the days. (It fell back to normal levels in the following years.)

Heitiare is a classic Tahitian name that's virtually unknown in the US.

Tahitian names are not well-known beyond the South Sea islands, but with their nature meanings and the new popularity of Hawaiian names, they may travel far in the future.

The Polynesian place name Tahiti was given to the island by its natives, although the origins of this name have been lost to history. Tahiti was once a Polynesian kingdom, but today is a part of the Society Islands in French Polynesia.

The Tahitian variation of Leilani.