Kahekili as a Baby Name. Meaning and Origin of Kahekili

What is the meaning of the name Kahekili ?

The baby name Kahekili is a Male name , 4 syllables long and is pronounced ka-he-KI-li (IPA: /ka.heˈki.li/).

Kahekili is Hawaiian in Origin.

Kahekili is a Hawaiian given name built from ka “the” + hekili “thunder,” yielding the sense “the thunder” or “thunderer.” The element hekili denotes the sound of a storm, and the name echoes links to the thunder deity Kāne-Hekili in Hawaiian tradition. Pronounced kah-heh-KEE-lee, it is used primarily for boys, though modern use can be unisex.

The name is most famously borne by Kahekili II (c. 1737–1794), aliʻi nui (paramount chief) of Maui who later ruled Oʻahu; he was renowned for tattooing one side of his body black to evoke thunderclouds. Kahekili has seen periodic revival in the Hawaiian Renaissance and in contemporary Native Hawaiian naming, but remains rare beyond Hawaiʻi. Variants and related forms include Hekili, Kānehekili (a theonym), and the spaced form Ka Hekili; short forms like Kili also occur.