Nanala as a Baby Name. Meaning and Origin of Nanala

What is the meaning of the name Nanala ?

The baby name Nanala is a Female name , 3 syllables long and is pronounced nah-NAH-lah.

Nanala is Hawaiian in Origin.

Nanala is a Hawaiian nature name built from nānā “to look, observe” and lā “sun,” yielding the poetic sense “sun-gazer,” commonly glossed as “sunflower.” In Hawaiian, many plant names are descriptive compounds of this type, and Nanala fits that pattern, evoking warmth, brightness, and attentive radiance.

As a given name, it is rare in older records and largely a contemporary choice shaped by the late-20th-century Hawaiian language and culture revitalization and the wider appeal of nature-inspired names. It is linguistically unisex, though more often given to girls. Spelling variants include the fully marked Nānālā (with macrons) and the anglicized Nanala; some also separate it as Nānā Lā. Diminutives like Nana or Nala occur in practice, though Nala has distinct roots in other languages. Nanala offers a distinctive, sunny alternative within Hawaiian naming traditions while remaining accessible beyond the Islands.