Hawaiian name for water: How to Say 5 Aesthetic Hawaiian Water Words

51 unique Hawaiian baby names and their meanings

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We talked to experts and scoured the web to come up with this curated list of unique Hawaiian names for boys and girls and names that are gender neutral, too.

Many Hawaiian names sound almost like lullabies: They have beautiful cadence and flow, rolling off the tongue in a melody of vowels and syllables. In addition to their sweet sounds, Hawaiian names also carry powerful depth and meaning.

“Naming children, places and objects is important since a name carries mana [the spiritual energy of power], along with the hopes and dreams of family members,” explains David J. Wallace — better known by the honorific Kahu Dave — who is a native Hawaiian healer and author. “Names can serve as protection from evil or illness, and remind us of who we are and our purpose in life. ”

The meaning behind Hawaiian baby names

Most Hawaiian names, Kahu Dave explains, describe things in the natural world. “These metaphors have multiple meanings, known as kauna, that can change over time, revealing themselves at different stages of a person’s life,” he says. 

Elements of nature are frequently used in Hawaiian baby names include ocean (Kai), heaven (Lani), mountains (Mauna/Pu’u), water (Kawai) and many more. 

“Each element or combination of elements will create a story and new meanings to the new word,” he says. “For example, by pairing Kawai (water) with Lani (heaven) we create the name Kawailani.”

Kahu Dave explains that Hawaiian names carry the hopes and dreams of parents and ancestors. “It tells a story, like a hula, with its imagery and hidden meanings that change over time,” he says. “Since there is so much meaning to a Hawaiian name, being able to share the story behind your name helps you connect to your ancestors as you prepare yourself for the future. ”

Cultural sensitivity and Hawaiian baby names

For all the transporting beauty and symbolism behind Hawaiian names, do be mindful of sensitivities if you choose to give your baby any name outside of your own culture.

“Name appropriation is a form of cultural appropriation and is something for white parents to consider when naming their children,” notes Jennifer Moss, the founder and CEO of BabyNames.com and one of the country’s foremost baby name experts.

“It is considered offensive for Caucasian parents to use baby names from cultures that were oppressed, slaughtered or exploited by white people, which includes indigenous Hawaiians,” she says. “It’s especially egregious to use names of royalty, tribes or revered persons in a particular culture.”

If non-Hawaiians want an inoffensive Hawaiian-sounding name, the best, most respectful option is to use names created from western names, Kahu Dave explains. (See examples of these in our list below.)

To help inspire your Hawaiian baby name search, we sourced ideas from our experts, as well as scoured baby names websites to come up with our own curated list of 51 beautiful and unique Hawaiian baby names.  

Hawaiian baby names created from western names

1. Kawika (kah-WEE-kah) is a Hawaiian form of David. David is an English name derived from the Old Hebrew name “Dodaveha,” which means “beloved of Yahweh.”
2. Keoki (kee-OH-kee) is a Hawaiian form of George. It means “alive.” 
3. Kaniela (KaaN-iyEHL-AH) is a unisex Hawaiian version of name Daniel or Daniela. It means “only god is my judge.” 
4. Kiana (key-AN-ah) is the Hawaiian version of Danianne or Diana. It means “divine.”
5. Mele (MEH-leh) is the Hawaiian equivalent of Maria or Mary, which comes from the Hebrew name Miryam. Multiple meanings exist, including “wished for child” or “rebellious.”
6. Mikaela (mah-KAY-lə) is the Hawaiian version of the Hebrew name Michelle, meaning “who resembles God.”
7. Peni (PEH-nee) is a Hawaiian derivative of Ben.

Popular and trending Hawaiian baby names 

8. Kai (KY) is a unisex name (currently more popular for boys) meaning sea. Famous Kais include actor Kai Owen and surfer Kai Lenny. It currently stands ranks as 93rd most popular name in the U.S., according to the Social Security Administration.
9. Kaia (KI-uh) is a Hawaiian girl’s name that means “sea.” It currently ranks as the 302nd most popular U.S. name, shared by celebs like Cindy Crawford’s daughter Kaia Gerber.
10. Kaimana (KIE-mah-nah) is a unisex name (more popular for boys) meaning “power of the sea.” In recent years, it has ranked among the top 100 most popular boy’s names in the state. (It’s also the name of a beach in Honolulu.)
11. Kanye (CON-yah) — same spelling as the rapper Kanye West — is a Hawaiian boys’ name meaning “free.” The name Kanye was most popular in 2004. 
12. Keanu (kay-AH-noo) means “cool breeze over the mountains.” (This name has fallen within the top 1,000 American baby names for decades, and peaked in 2020 — the year Keanu Reeves started filming “The Matrix 4.”)
13. Moana (MOH-ah-na) means ocean or sea. It peaked around the 1,500th most popular name in 2017, the year after the release of the Disney movie about the intrepid daughter of a village chief who becomes one herself. 

Hawaiian names for girls

14. Iolana (ee-oh-lahn-ah) means “soaring like a hawk.”
15. Leilani (LAY-la-knee) is a traditional Hawaiian name meaning “heavenly flower.”
16. Kaena (KAY-ah-na) means “praised” and is also the name of the westernmost point of the island of Oahu.
17. Kakalina (kah-ka-LEE-nah) comes from the name Katherine. It means “chaste and pure.”
18. Kamaka (kah-MAH-kah) is a unisex name (more commonly given to girls) meaning “child” or “eyes.” It’s also the name of an island in French Polynesia.
19. Kulani (koo-LAH-nee) means “rising towards heaven.”
20. Halia (ha-LEE-a) means “remembrance of a loved one.”
21. Leimomi (LAY-moh-mee) means “daughter of pearls.”
22. Malana (Mah-LAY-na) comes from the Polynesian and means “calming, relaxing. ”
23. Mahaelani (mah-heh-LAH-nee) means “dive mist.”
24. Makana (mah-KAH-nah) means “gift” or “gift from god.”
25. Noelani (noeh-LAH-nee) means “heavenly mist.” It comes from the name Noel, which is Latin for “born on Christmas.”
26. Ona (OH-nuh) means “sweetness.”
27. Waiola (WIE-oh-lah) is a Hawaiian version of Viola, from Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night, meaning “violet flower.”

Hawaiian names for boys

28. Akamu (UH-ku-mah) means “of the earth.”
29. Akoni (ah-KOW-Niy) is frequently used in Hawaii, but it comes from Latin. It’s a variant form of the English name Anthony.
30. Ekewaka (eh-keh-WAH-kah) means “protector or guardian of riches or wealth.”
31. Kaipo (KAI-po) is a unisex name (more popular for boys) that means “sweetheart.” Kaepo, Kapo and Kaypo are all variations.
32. Kale (k-ALE) is pronounced just like the vegetable. It means “man. ”
33. Keon (KEY-on) comes from the Hebrew word for John. It means “God is gracious.”
34. Liko (LEE-co) means “bud,” like the burgeoning flower.
35. Nohea (NOH-eh-ah) is a commonly given name meaning “lovely” or “handsome.”
36. Ori (OR-ee) means “my light.”
37. Tua (TOO-ah) is a Polynesian name meaning “behind or at the back.”
38. Uluwehi (oo-loo-WEH-hee) conjures lushness and earthiness, meaning “flourishing plants.”

Unisex Hawaiian names

39. Akela (ah-KEH-lah) is the Hawaiian version of Adela and Asher. It means “graceful and noble.”
40. Aloha (ah-LO-hah), the one word that evokes Hawaii above all others, is a unisex name meaning “loving or kindhearted.”
41. Kahula (kah-HOO-lah) is an older name that means “dancing.”
42. Kalua (kah-LOO-ah) could be an ideal pick for a second baby’s name — since the name translates to “the second child. ”
43. Kawai (kah-WIE) means “coming from water.”
44. Keao (keh-AH-oh) means “the light of day.”
45. Lanakila (lah-nah-KEE-lah) means “victory.”
46. Leialoha (LAY-ah-loh-hah) means “darling child.”
47. Lilo (LEE-low), the name of the main character in Disney’s popular “Lilo & Stitch” movie, means “one who is generous.”
48. Lono (LOH-noh) comes from the name of the Hawaiian god of agriculture and rainfall.
49. Makani (mah-KAH-nee) is a traditional Hawaiian name meaning “wind.”
50. Moani (moh-AH-nee) is a unisex name (currently more popular for girls) meaning “breezes of scent.”
51. Ulani (uw-LAW-Niy) means “cheerful.”

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TRADITIONAL WAYS OF KNOWING: Words of Rain

Listen to The Water Fall

Native plants gather water in Waikamoi forest, known as the heart of Maui.

Video

Listen to the water fall on the ʻāmaʻumaʻu fern (Sadleria cyatheoides), ohelo (Vaccinium sp.), hāpu̒u – Hawaiian tree fern (Cibotium glaucum), and Pilo (Coprosma stephanocarpa).

1. Waikamoi Forest — Native Plants Gather Water

Hawaiian Words of Rain

The Hawaiians were intimately aware of the importance of fresh water, and of rain, to their lives. In fact, the words for water and wealth have the same root:

• Wai is the Hawaiian word for fresh water.
• Waiwai is the Hawaiian word for wealth.

There are hundreds, and maybe even thousands, of Hawaiian words for rain. Here we share some of the information collected in Hānau Ka Ua by Collette Leimomi Akana with Kiele Gonale*.

Hawaiian words for rain describe:

• Rain in specific places (nāulu is a sudden shower, asscoeated with Kawaihae, Hawaiʻi, Niʻihau, and other areas).
• Types of rain (nahua is a hard, cold, pelting, stinging rain; there are also names for misty, cold, white, heavy, warm rains, etc. ).
• Characteristics of rain (Ua kualau rain that comes from the sea; there also names for rain along cliffs, sneaking by, duration, scent, etc.).
• Seasonal rain signals (for example, the ʻuala farmer counts the kuāu showers to know when to plant, Hānau Ka Ua, p. xvi).
• Figurative meanings of rain (like Kanilehua, the name for a chattering rain, which refers to birds in lehua trees and can also be used to mean gossiping).

Video

Puʻupuʻua i luna ke ʻawa a ka Nāulu
Huahuaʻi nā huawai a ka ua i ka lani
Swollen above is the cold rain of the Nāulu
The water gourds with rain from the heavens gush forth
– Hānau Ka Ua, p. 198 #43.

1. Rain of Kauaʻi

The Hawaiians had many terms to describe the misty rains and clouds that settle over mountains. A few examples are listed below.

• Lilinoe is the Hawaiian word for the fine mist that covers mountains and cliffs on Hawaiʻi and Maui (Figs. 1 and 2 show examples of mist that might be called Lilinoe). Lilinoe is also the name of a goddess of mists.
• Ua Noe is a light rain and mist that clings to the plains (East Maui). Noe mist is lighter than the uhiwai but heavier than ʻohu, ʻehu, and ʻehuehu fog.
• ʻOhu is fog, smoke, a light cloud on a mountain.
• ʻAwa rain is a fine mountain rain. 

ʻO ka uahi noe lehua ē

ʻO ke ʻAwa nui i ka mauna 

The vapor that mists the lehua blossoms 

The thick ʻAwa fog of the mountain

(Hānau Ka Ua, p. 15)

• ʻAwaʻawa rain is like ʻawa. It is cold and bitter smoke (may be acidic) of the mountains (associated with Pele) that smothers the cliff and is inhaled. ʻAwaʻawa is also used as a descriptive term for grief.

* Much of the information for this section was learned from Hānau Ka Ua by Collette Leimomi Akana with Kiele Gonale (Fig. 3). It is an amazing resource for learning more about Hawaiian rain names, place, and culture.

Teacher Guide

Hawaiʻi Magazine: Hawaiians have more than 200 words for rain

AMONG WATER AND FIRE. Enchanted Hawaii

AMONG WATER AND FIRE

I wonder what is the best route to get to Hawaii? I came here from three sides: from the west – from Micronesia, from the south – from Polynesia, from where their first inhabitants came to the islands, and, finally, from the east – from the USA, the country to which these, as they say, “the most beautiful in the island world.

After a long flight over the waters of the vast ocean, I ended up on Hawaiian soil. However, the plane landed not in Honolulu, the capital of the archipelago, but in Hilo, a port town on the easternmost island of the archipelago and closest to the United States, which is also called Hawaii.

In Hawaiian, hilo means “half moon”. The name of the town corresponds to the layout. Hilo is located like a crescent in an amazingly beautiful bay, where two rivers with similar names flow – Vailuku and Vailua.

Water is everywhere in Hilo, a lot of water, because almost every night heavy rains flood the town. On one side of the embankment there are rocks (the famous “Rainbow Falls” crash against them), on the other – the pier, which ends the main street and the park, descending to the bay and named after the Queen of Hawaii, Liliuokalani. The waves of the Great Ocean, for some reason called the Pacific, beat menacingly against it.

In the very first hours of my stay in Hawaii, I realized that these islands are the property of the ocean; having once risen from its waters, they can easily be reabsorbed by it.

I wonder how in fact – not according to the peculiar Hawaiian mythology, but according to geological data – this magnificent archipelago arose?

Approximately twenty-five million years ago, in the depths of the ocean, reaching six thousand meters near the Hawaiian Islands, hot lava began to erupt from cracks in the ocean floor. Dozens of underwater volcanoes gradually formed, stretching from the northwest to the southeast for a distance of many hundreds of kilometers. Fire and water led a truly titanic struggle. For every square centimeter of the bottom, the ocean presses here with a force of five hundred kilograms. Nevertheless, the fire managed to overcome this terrible weight and push out through the thickness of the cool, dark ocean waters the lava from which the Hawaiian Islands arose. Millions of millions of tons of red-hot lava flowed and cooled, forming a giant underwater mountain system, the highest peaks of which rose above the ocean surface.

The first islands of volcanic origin are located in the northwest. They are miniature in size. In contrast to them, in the southeastern part, the Hawaiian chain, stretching for two and a half thousand kilometers, eight much larger islands were “created” by fire. These were the ones that were later settled. This “magnificent eight” is actually the Hawaiian archipelago. Ninety-nine percent of its entire territory is concentrated here. On seven of these eight islands (one island – Kahoolave ​​- is now uninhabited, it is the site of the American naval aviation), the entire island population lives. The small, so-called Northwest Islands (the easternmost of them is Nihoa, the westernmost is Kure) are completely deserted. In addition, they are practically impregnable.

Of the eight Hawaiian Islands proper, the geologically oldest are those that “float” at the western end of the chain: the small Niihau and the larger Kauai. They are followed by the islands of Oahu, Molokai (sometimes called “Friendly Island” by the Hawaiians), Lanai (“Pineapple Island”), Maui (“Island of the Valleys”), the small, bomb-ravaged Kahoolawe, and finally, across the Alenuihaha Strait, the most noble member of the Hawaiian family , still very “young” (he was barely half a million years old) – the so-called Big Island, or the island of Hawaii, which overtook its counterparts in size. Its area exceeds the territory of all other islands of the archipelago combined. Therefore, it is often called the Big Island. The latest volcanic explosion added another five hundred acres of land to it. At the same time, the island constantly pays tribute to the ocean, which takes away its coastal strip. I stood on the main street of Hilo and everywhere I noticed traces of the activity of fire and water, traces of creation and destruction. Behind majestic volcanoes – the highest in Oceania. One of them smoked. The ocean stretched ahead and the waves crashed. Powerful chords were surprisingly consonant with the wonderful view that opened up. But underwater volcanoes still breathe fire. As in the old days, they both give and take away life.

The terrible danger that threatens the ocean is called a tsunami. This name came to Hawaii from Japan.

Tsunamis are inconspicuous in the ocean, although they move at the speed of a jet plane. They are imperceptible, because it is not millions of tons of water that move, but only an impulse, a blow that raises the ocean only in the immediate vicinity of the islands. Suddenly, in the shallow coastal waters, a shaft of tens of meters grows, which destroys everything in its path with the ruthlessness of an atomic bomb. In a matter of seconds, he breaks ocean ships, like matchboxes, like garbage, sweeps houses from the surface of the earth, leaving ruins from the villages.

By a sad coincidence, the Hawaiian Islands, located in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, and hence the town of Hilo with its famous bay, almost always lie in the path of the waves of death.

Perhaps the most destructive tsunami in the Hawaiian Islands was in 1868. In the post-war years, Hilo was the victim of a tsunami twice. One wave came from the Aleutian Islands, the second, shortly before my first visit to Hawaii, rushed here at a speed of seven hundred and fifty kilometers per hour from the coast of Chile. It was at 1960 year. I was surprised that the terrible “experience” of the previous tsunami caused by the Aleutian seaquake did not teach the locals anything.

Hawaiians, despite the warning of floating, automatic wave stations, instead of hiding in safe places on the slopes of the mountains, went to the city embankment to look into the face of danger from the closest distance. It was some kind of mass madness! The tsunami did not disappoint. Again, a wave eighteen meters high rose from the depths of the ocean. She did not crash on the parapet of the pier, but swept on, taking with her all the curious.

Two hundred and seventy-two people were seriously injured, sixty “spectators” disappeared into the waters of the ocean. And no one ever saw them again. One woman was lucky enough to escape. The woman’s name is Ito. She still lives in Hilo.

The impact of the wave knocked Mrs. Ito off her feet in her courtyard. The water destroyed the dwelling, the front doors, together with the owner of the house, were carried away by the wave into the ocean. For many hours, this unusual “raft” was carried across the ocean. When the wave finally moved on, the rescue ship found the woman at a great distance from the shore.

Most of the houses on the main street were destroyed, dozens of cars disappeared. The wave uprooted hundreds of coconut palms, sank several ships, and destroyed the famous park.

The total damage caused to the town of Hilo by the tsunami was estimated at fifty million dollars. One islander was picked up by the first wave that hit the city. By a happy coincidence, he remained “sitting” on her white foaming crest, sweeping on this amazing “cushion” over the entire Kamehameha street. Houses collapsed under him, power lines fell, people died, and he only screamed in a terrible voice. When at last the wave lowered him to the ground and returned to the ocean, it turned out that this miraculously saved man escaped not only with fright – he was speechless.

I don’t know if he spoke again. As for the town of Hilo itself, then – you can see this at first sight – it continues to live its former life. Carefree and probably happy. Despite the fact that more than any other city in Hawaii, it is exposed to the two powerful and indomitable elements that built this archipelago and are still building and destroying it at the same time. Hilo lives between the waters of the ocean and the fire of majestic volcanoes, lined up at his gates in honor guard.

Water Cult

The cult of water
Honoring Mother Earth, our ancestors also worshiped water. In ancient Russian manuscripts one can read about prayers and fortune-telling near her, about healing with water, about marriages and unions and taking oaths, about sacrifices to water, including human ones. Water Slavs

Heavenly Board of Fire

Heavenly fire council
In heaven, the fire council, the fifth in a row, is headed by Luo Xuan, whose official title is Hode Xin-zhun – “Star Emperor of Virtuous Fire.” There are five ministers under him, four of whom are star gods, and the fifth is “heavenly prince,

Making fire

Making fire
In some runes, Väinämöinen made fire himself – he struck the first spark from his fingernail or with the help of flint and tinder. But the “fire fish” – salmon – swallowed the spark (not without reason it is also called “red fish”), Väinämöinen had to again produce fire from

FUEL FOR FIRE

FUEL FOR THE FIRE
In the king’s chamber, we found only two things worthy of attention. First, it is a rectangular box made of granite, empty and without a lid. Its internal dimensions are approximately 78x27x34 inches, the thickness of the walls and bottom is 6-7 inches. Another interesting detail of

Water World Museum

Museum “Water World”
Shpalernaya street, 56. Tel.: 275-43-25 (excursion department). Metro station: Chernyshevskaya. Opening hours: daily – 10.00-18.00, days off – Monday, Tuesday. The ticket office closes an hour earlier. For people with limited mobility: no special devices

Transformation of fire

Fire transformations
21. XII.66. Pulling, pulling – what? Slackness, bodily and spiritual memory – and all this is from women: the memory of intercourse and anger with one, empathy with the other – that’s why the spirit looks down. I am like the threads of midgets drawn to the pegs of Gulliver. Ignite

3. Taming the fire

3. Taming the fire
It is believed that the ancestor of man began to use fire somewhere at the earliest 1.5 million years ago. The bonfires found at ancient sites date back to this time. However, there is no confirmed evidence that the fire was already used at that time

24. From flying fire.

24. From flying fire.
Flying fire, go to the fire from the servant of God Mikulai, from the white face, from the snout, from the lips. Be my words of modeling and strong. Usage: Read three times to the “castle” over the palm full of salt. When reading the slander three times, a sore spot is outlined. At the end of

25. From the volatile fire.

25. From volatile fire.
Bless, Lord, read this prayer, remove the fire from the servant of God (name). Fire, fire, shim from the servant of God with (name) fire. Chit with flint the end. Read

3. Summon Spirits of Fire

3. Calling the Spirits of Fire
01. Spirits of Fire! Fiery bodies recreating Yav!02. Come to my call, accept my sacrifice -03. Fiery Blood from Lunar Chara!04. With the fiery gaze of the One Who truly Sees,05. I pierce the veils of the Formless,06. Seeing the True Essence of Existence!07. My

Hawaiian Phrasebook

In this section you will find a short list of some Hawaiian words. For convenience, they are grouped by topic. We have included in our list those words and expressions that you will most often hear in Hawaii.

To help you remember words, you can make small word cards and repeat them over and over. You can also learn Hawaiian words with your family or friends. When you arrive in Hawaii, we advise you to write down all the unfamiliar words that you come across.

You will most likely have no problems with pronunciation, since almost all words obey a simple rule – “what I see is what I read”. For all words, the original spelling and Russian pronunciation are given in brackets. If you still have doubts about your pronunciation, then ask any local resident to help you, and he will be happy to teach you a couple of tongue twisters in Hawaiian, which will help you speak like a kamaaina (local resident).

People:

male – Kane

female – Wahine

child – Keiki

grandparent – Pili Mua

local – Kamaaina Mea kipa (mea kipa)

Pele (pele) – “lava”. Pele is the name of the goddess of lava and volcanoes.

Kalakaua (Kalakaua) – “battle day”.