Teina as a Baby Name. Meaning and Origin of Teina

What is the meaning of the name Teina ?

The baby name Teina is a Unisex name , 2 syllables long and is pronounced TAY-nah (IPA: /ˈteɪ.nə/).

Teina is Polynesian in Origin.

Teina is a Polynesian unisex name rooted in Māori and Cook Islands Māori, where teina denotes the younger sibling of the same sex (younger brother to a man, younger sister to a woman). The term is cognate with Tahitian and Rarotongan Taina and Tongan tehina, and is traced to Proto-Polynesian *taina, a widespread kinship word capturing sibling order within extended families. In Māori, the long-vowel form Tēina is also seen.

Used as a given name largely from the mid-20th century in Aotearoa New Zealand and the Cook Islands, Teina carries connotations of whānau ties, humility, and the tuakana-teina mentorship model in Māori culture. It remains uncommon but recognizable through public figures from these communities. Variants and related forms include Tēina, Teina (standard), and Taina; Tina or Teena are unrelated English names. Meaning: younger same-sex sibling; junior sibling.

⚙ Teina is rarely chosen. In all, it turns up just 35 times, across 16 countries.