Hawaiian Boy Names
Hawaiian male names come from the Hawaiian language, which uses open syllables, five vowels, the glottal stop (ʻokina), and long vowels (kahakō). Spelling and pronunciation follow consistent phonology, and many male names share forms with female names.
Male names often signal masculinity through meaning rather than grammar, using words such as koa (warrior) and ikaika (strong), or referencing male deities and chiefs. Historical and religious influences appear in names drawn from Kāne and Kanaloa, and in Hawaiian adaptations of biblical names used for boys. Contemporary usage shows renewed attention to Hawaiian forms and diacritics. Examples include Ikaika, Kamakoa, Kahekili, Kane, Kanaloa, Kaniela, Kamuela, Iokepa, Kapena, and Kaulana.
Showing 50
of 101 names
| Name | Meaning | Origins | Gender | Popularity (last 10y) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kane | Irish: from Ó Catháin / Cathán (from cath 'battle') - 'little battle' or 'warrior'; Hebrew: variant of Cain (Qayin) - 'acquired'; Hawaiian: Kāne - 'man' or a major god; Japanese: kane - 'metal, gold, money'. | Gaelic, Hawaiian, Hebrew, Irish, Japanese | Boy | 8,268 #1 | |
| Koa | Warrior; also the native Hawaiian hardwood tree (Acacia koa) | Hawaiian | Boy | 5,848 #2 | |
| Makai | Toward the sea / by the sea | Hawaiian | Boy | 4,727 #3 | |
| Lino | Flax, linen (associated with Linus) | Hawaiian, Italian, Polynesian, Portuguese, Spanish | Boy | 2,843 #4 | |
| Kaleo | "The voice" (literally ka = "the" + leo = "voice/sound") | Hawaiian | Boy | 1,074 #5 | |
| Keoni | God is gracious | Hawaiian | Boy | 1,031 #6 | |
| Makoa | Brave; fearless; bold | Hawaiian | Boy | 774 #7 | |
| Makaio | Gift of God | Hawaiian | Boy | 695 #8 | |
| Kekoa | The brave; the warrior | Hawaiian | Boy | 562 #9 | |
| Kalan | Varies by origin: Turkish - "the one who remains, survivor"; Hawaiian - shortened form of Kalanianaole, associated with nobility/steadfastness; similar Celtic names convey ideas like "rock" or "bright." | Hawaiian, Turkish | Boy | 262 #10 | |
| Kanoa | The free one; freedom | Hawaiian | Boy | 256 #11 | |
| Maui | Name of a Polynesian demigod famed for fishing up islands and slowing the sun; literal etymology uncertain | Hawaiian, Polynesian | Boy | 255 #12 | |
| Ikaika | Strong | Hawaiian | Boy | 225 #13 | |
| Kawika | Beloved | Hawaiian | Boy | 152 #14 | |
| Nainoa | Likely derived from Hawaiian inoa 'name' - often interpreted as 'to name', 'named', or 'the named one'. | Hawaiian, Polynesian | Boy | 132 #15 | |
| Keone | The sand | Hawaiian | Boy | 90 #16 | |
| Kaian | A modern variant often interpreted as either 'king/royal' (from Kian) or 'of the sea' (from Kai). | English, Gaelic, Hawaiian, Irish, Persian, Scandinavian | Boy | 87 #17 | |
| Kanaloa | Hawaiian god of the ocean and the underworld; associated with the sea and voyaging | Hawaiian | Boy | 76 #18 | |
| Kaipo | The beloved; sweetheart | Hawaiian | Boy | 71 #19 | |
| Keola | The life; life, health | Hawaiian | Boy | 70 #20 | |
| Keawe | Traditional Hawaiian chiefly name; literal meaning uncertain - historically borne by Hawaiian royalty and sometimes associated with the kiawe (mesquite) tree. | Hawaiian | Boy | 49 #21 | |
| Keoki | Farmer, earth-worker | Hawaiian | Boy | 49 #22 | |
| Kimo | Hawaiian form of James; ultimately from Jacob meaning 'supplanter'. | Hawaiian | Boy | 48 #23 | |
| Aukai | Seafarer; sailor; navigator of the sea | Hawaiian | Boy | 47 #24 | |
| Keony | Derived from John - "God is gracious" | Hawaiian | Boy | 42 #25 | |
| Ilio | Greek: 'sun' (related to Helios); Hawaiian: 'dog'. | Greek, Hawaiian | Boy | 39 #26 | |
| Kamuela | God has heard | Hawaiian | Boy | 34 #27 | |
| Hau | Vietnamese: 'later/after' or 'empress/queen' (from Chinese). Hawaiian/Polynesian: name of the hau tree (Hibiscus tiliaceus), associated with lightweight/pliable wood and traditional uses. | Hawaiian, Polynesian, Vietnamese | Boy | 33 #28 | |
| Kapono | The righteous/just one; the good or right one | Hawaiian | Boy | 32 #29 | |
| Kahekili | “the thunderer” - from Hawaiian hekili, meaning thunder | Hawaiian | Boy | 28 #30 | |
| Kianu | Cool breeze (often rendered 'cool mountain breeze') | Hawaiian | Boy | 16 #31 | |
| Iokepa | God will add; He increases | Hawaiian | Boy | 15 #32 | |
| Kapena | Captain; ship's captain; leader | Hawaiian | Boy | 15 #33 | |
| Kaulana | Famous; renowned; well-known | Hawaiian | Boy | 15 #34 | |
| Lono | Name of the Hawaiian god associated with agriculture, fertility, rainfall, music and peace. | Hawaiian | Boy | 15 #35 | |
| Kaniela | God is my judge | Hawaiian | Boy | 11 #36 | |
| Kelii | Chief; noble | Hawaiian | Boy | 11 #37 | |
| Kavika | Hawaiian form of David - 'beloved'; in Sanskrit-derived use, 'poet' | Hawaiian | Boy | 6 #38 | |
| Ku | Hawaiian: name of a major god (often associated with war and prosperity). Chinese: represents several surnames/characters (e.g., 苦 'bitter'; 顧 'to look after'). Korean/Japanese: a syllable/romanization whose meaning depends on the hanja/kanji used. | Chinese, Hawaiian, Japanese, Korean | Boy | 6 #39 | |
| Keao | The cloud; also associated with dawn/daylight | Hawaiian | Boy | 5 #40 | |
| Lopaka | Bright fame | Hawaiian | Boy | 5 #41 | |
| Akamu | Man; earth (from Hebrew 'Adam') | Hawaiian | Boy | — | |
| Calu | Possibly "dove" if derived from Calum/Columba; otherwise meaning is uncertain (rare/modern name) | Hawaiian | Boy | — | |
| Gabriel-Kane | God is my strength (Gabriel) + warrior/man (Kane) | English, Hawaiian, Hebrew | Boy | — | |
| Hainoa | To call out a name; to give a name (related to the phrase 'hai inoa'). | Hawaiian | Boy | — | |
| Hekili | Thunder (Hawaiian deity/personification of thunder) | Hawaiian | Boy | — | |
| Heneli | Ruler of the home | Hawaiian | Boy | — | |
| Ikaikah | Strong, strength, powerful | Hawaiian | Boy | — | |
| Ka-Inoa | Either 'the name' (from Hawaiian ka + inoa) or treated as a variant of Kainoa meaning 'sea of freedom' (kai + noa). | Hawaiian | Boy | — | |
| Ka-Wai | Cantonese: depends on Chinese characters - commonly 家偉 ('family/home' + 'great' = 'family greatness') or 嘉偉 ('excellent' + 'great'). Hawaiian: 'ka wai' = 'the water'. | Cantonese, Hawaiian | Boy | — |
Hawaiian Boys name popularity over time
Aggregated births across United States, United Kingdom, France, Germany for every Hawaiian-origin name in our dataset.
101
Names in this origin
2
With data in 2025
0
Births 2025
4,081
Peak year 2023