Pua’a as a Baby Name. Meaning and Origin of Pua’a

What is the meaning of the name Pua’a ?

The baby name Pua’a is a Unisex name , 3 syllables long and is pronounced POO-ah-ah (IPA: /puˈaʔa/).

Pua’a is Hawaiian in Origin.

Pua‘a is a Hawaiian - and wider Polynesian - name from Proto-Polynesian *puaka, meaning “pig, boar.” In Hawaiian, pua‘a names the pig and features in chant, hula, and religion; it anchors the name of the demigod Kamapua‘a, a shape‑shifter associated with rain, fertility, cultivation, and sensual vitality. As a symbol, the pig conveys strength, resourcefulness, and abundance.

As a given name, Pua‘a has been rare on its own and more familiar within compounds, yet it sees occasional modern use as a culture‑affirming unisex choice. Variants and spellings include Pua‘a (with the Hawaiian ʻokina), Puaʻa, and plain Puaa; related cognates span the region - Samoan Pua‘a, Tahitian Pua‘a, and Tongan Puaka. Some families shorten it to Pua, though Pua separately means “flower” in Hawaiian and is etymologically distinct.

⚙ Pua’a turns up in none of the birth registries or name datasets we cover. That's typically a sign of a rare name, a regional or traditional one, or a modern coinage. Either way, it remains a genuinely rare choice.