Kimo as a Baby Name. Meaning and Origin of Kimo

What is the meaning of the name Kimo ?

The baby name Kimo is a Male name , 2 syllables long and is pronounced KEE-moh (IPA: /ˈkiːmoʊ/).

Kimo is Hawaiian in Origin.

Kimo is the Hawaiian adaptation of James, the English form of the biblical name that comes via Latin Iacomus/Iacobus from Hebrew Ya‘aqov (Jacob). Its long-attested meaning is “supplanter” or “one who follows at the heel,” recalling the Genesis narrative. In Hawaiian phonology, Kimo neatly renders “Jim/James,” yielding the familiar Kee-mo pronunciation and a warm, island-flavored identity.

Adopted widely in the 19th century as Christian names spread through the islands, Kimo has since become a local classic, used both as an independent given name and as a Hawaiian nickname for James. Related variants and cognates include Jim, Jimmy, Jamie, Jacob, Giacomo, Iago, Seamus/Hamish, Jaime, Diego, and Tiago. While sometimes chosen elsewhere to honor Hawaiian heritage or surf culture, Kimo is etymologically tied to James and not to the surname Kim; feminine parallels are Jamie or Jamesina rather than Kimo.