Hawaiian Name - Popularity Surveys

Popularity Surveys

This information is based on a survey of Hawaiian given names of persons born in 1900–1989 and 2000–2005, from obituaries in Honolulu Advertiser and Honolulu Star-Bulletin 1994–2004, and samples of births and marriages on Oʻahu in Honolulu Star-Bulletin 2000–2005. It's a small sample with an uneven age distribution, and centered on Oʻahu. But no one else seems to have researched the subject at all.

The 3,750 persons in the survey had a total of 1,996 different names. 418 of these names had eight or more syllables (up to 44). The proportion of long names was diminishing but it took an upward turn in 2000–2005. Hawaiian names occur as middle names until the 1960s. Even today, middle names outnumber first names by four to one. A minority of parents have started giving nothing but Hawaiian names to their children. In births registered on Oʻahu 2001–2002, about 25% of girls and 15% of boys received at least one Hawaiian name.

Names with negative meaning have disappeared in this sample, and the unisex quality is waning. Many favorite names a hundred years ago, like Kealoha, Kalei, Leialoha, and Keonaona, were popular with both sexes. Today, the trendiest names are different for girls and boys. Modern parents seemed to think that the ending -lani belongs to women: 31% of women but only 11% of men had names ending in -lani (heaven), -o-ka-lani (of Heaven), -o-nā-lani (of the heavens) or -mai-ka-lani (from Heaven), a recent innovation. Names beginning with the definite article Ka-/Ke- seem to have a masculine image: 46% of men but only 33% of women had such names.

Five percent of the women in this survey were named Leilani ("heavenly lei"). Other popular women's names included:

• 1900–1939: Kuʻulei ("my lei"), Leināʻala ("the fragrances are wafted"), Leialoha ("lei of love"), Leinani ("beautiful lei"), Leimomi ("pearl necklace")
• 1940–1969: Puanani ("beautiful flower"), Leialoha, Haunani ("beautiful snow"), ʻIwalani ("royal Frigatebird"), Uʻilani ("heavenly young beauty"), Ululani ("heavenly inspiration")
• 1970–1989: Malia (Mary), Kēhaulani ("heavenly dew"), Kuʻuipo ("my sweetheart"), Maile ("the maile vine"), Noelani ("heavenly mist"), Puanani
• 2000–2005: Malia, Noelani, Māhealani ("full moon night"), Kuʻuipo, Alana ("awakening" – although this is also an English name), Keikilani ("heavenly child")

Kalani ("the sky; the high chief") was a reasonably popular men's name in all age groups. Other popular names for men included:

• 1900–1939: Kealoha ("the love"), Kalei ("the lei"), Kamaka ("the eye/bud/beloved one")
• 1940–1969: Keʻala ("the fragrance", symbolic for high birth), Kāwika (David), Kanani ("the glory"), Kameāloha ("the beloved one")
• 1970–1989: Ikaika ("strong"), Kāwika, ʻAlika (Alex), Keola ("the life")
• 2000–2005: Kai ("sea"), Kekoa ("the courage"), Kainoa ("child of the sea"), Ikaika, Kaimana ("diamond; powerful sea"), Keoni (John), Makana ("gift"), Nāinoa ("the namesakes")

The Social Security Administration gives out annual lists of the top hundred names for boys and girls in the State of Hawaii, starting from the year 1960. They are based on first names while a Hawaiian name usually comes second. A few Hawaiian names make it into these lists every year. In 2008, they were Kaila ("style/the birthmark", although this is also an English variant of Kayla), Maile, Malia, Kalena ("the yellow"), Kiana (Diana), Alana and Kamalei ("lei child") for girls, and Kai, Kainoa, Keanu ("the coolness"), Kainalu ("billowy sea"), Nāinoa, Kaimana and Kanoa ("the commoner, free man") for boys.