Kekapa as a Baby Name. Meaning and Origin of Kekapa

What is the meaning of the name Kekapa ?

The baby name Kekapa is a Unisex name , 3 syllables long and is pronounced keh-KAH-pah.

Kekapa is Hawaiian in Origin.

Kekapa is a Native Hawaiian given name built from ke, the definite article “the,” and kapa, the renowned bark cloth (tapa) traditionally made from wauke bark. In personal names, this structure can denote affiliation or esteem, so Kekapa reads as “the kapa,” evoking the prized textile itself and the artistry, diligence, and cultural continuity embedded in its making.

Documented in Hawaiian-language sources and family genealogies from the 1800s and in modern usage, Kekapa functions as a gender-neutral name, though it skews male today. Variants and short forms include Kapa and the spaced Ke Kapa; some families also use Kekapa within compound names. Contemporary visibility includes bearers such as Hawaiian falsetto singer KeKapa Lee. Meanings commonly given are “the bark cloth (tapa)” or “one associated with kapa,” carrying connotations of craftsmanship, refinement, and tradition.

⚙ We can't find Kekapa in any of the birth registries or name datasets we track. Most often that means a rare name, a regional or heritage one, or a recent coinage. Either way, it remains a genuinely rare choice.