Kawena as a Baby Name. Meaning and Origin of Kawena

What is the meaning of the name Kawena ?

The baby name Kawena is a Female name , 3 syllables long and is pronounced kah-WEH-nah.

Kawena is Hawaiian in Origin.

Kawena is a Hawaiian given name from ka “the” + wena “glow, incandescence, rosy blush,” evoking the luminous red of sunrise or sunset; it can be read as “the glow,” “radiance,” or “rosy light.” Traditionally unisex in Hawaiian usage, it is used more often for girls in contemporary English-speaking contexts.

The name gained wider recognition through the eminent scholar Mary Kawena Pukui (1895–1986), and appears in records from the late 19th century onward, persisting in modern Hawaiʻi though rare elsewhere. Variants include the short form Wena; historical spellings with a space or hyphen (Ka Wena, Ka-wena); and elaborations such as Kawenaʻula (“the red glow”). Because no long vowels or ʻokina occur, Kawena is typically written without diacritics. Its imagery of sunset, embers, and radiant heat makes it appealing for families seeking a name tied to natural light and Hawaiian heritage.