Hawaii as a Baby Name. Meaning and Origin of Hawaii

What is the meaning of the name Hawaii ?

The baby name Hawaii is a Unisex name , 3 syllables long and is pronounced /həˈvaɪʔi/ (approx. "huh-VY-ee", often written Hawaiʻi with an ʻokina/glottal stop).

Hawaii is Hawaiian in Origin.

Hawaii is a modern given name drawn from the Hawaiian place-name Hawaiʻi (with the ʻokina), traced to Proto-Polynesian *Sawaiki/*Hawaiki, the mythic ancestral homeland. Across Polynesia it appears in cognate forms - Māori Hawaiki, Samoan Savaiʻi, Tahitian Havaiʻi, Cook Islands ‘Avaiki - and is sometimes interpreted as “place of origin” or “place of the gods.”

As a personal name, Hawaii has seen rare but growing use since the late 20th century, especially in the United States, fitting the trend of geographic and nature-evoking names. It is typically unisex and may be chosen to honor Hawaiian heritage or a deep connection to the islands’ culture and landscapes. Common spellings include Hawaii (standard English) and Hawaiʻi or Hawai‘i (reflecting the Hawaiian orthography); related variants by language include Havaii/Havai‘i and Savaiʻi.