Nui as a Baby Name. Meaning and Origin of Nui

What is the meaning of the name Nui ?

The baby name Nui is a Unisex name , 21 syllables long and is pronounced Hawaiian/Māori: /ˈnu.i/ (NOO-ee); Thai: /nûj/ (approx. 'nui' or 'noy').

Nui is Hawaiian, Polynesian, Thai in Origin.

Nui has core meanings across Polynesian languages - Hawaiian, Māori, Tahitian - of “great, large, abundant, important.” It is common in traditional compounds and chiefly epithets (e.g., Ranginui in Māori cosmology; Hawaiian forms like Kalaninui or Awanui/Wainui in place and personal names). As a modern standalone given name, Nui is concise and unisex, carrying connotations of magnitude, generosity, and esteem.

Beyond Polynesia, Nui appears through distinct pathways. In Thai it functions as a widespread, friendly nickname for any gender, often chosen for sound rather than fixed meaning. In Cantonese romanization, -nui (女 “girl/woman”) has historically ended women’s given names, so Nui can surface in older Hong Kong spellings. Vietnamese núi (“mountain”) is sometimes written Nui without tone marks. Variants and related forms include Núi (VN), Neui (Cantonese), and -nui compounds such as Wainui, Awanui, and Ranginui.