Hawaiian Names and Surnames

Hawaiian names belong to the Austronesian (Malayo-Polynesian) linguistic family, reflecting centuries of cultural evolution, geographic migration, and historical naming traditions.

Language Family: Austronesian (Malayo-Polynesian)

First Names: 0 published

Surnames: 0 published

Historical and linguistic background

Hawaiian onomastics reflects the rich oral culture, ancestral spirituality, and natural environment of the Hawaiian archipelago. Traditional Hawaiian given names (inoa) are deeply poetic expressions bestowed by elders, often revealed through dreams (inoa pō), ancestral signs (inoa hōʻailona), or commemorating significant natural or familial events. Names incorporate elements celebrating the ocean (kai), sky (lani), divine protection (mana), and sacred beauty (lei), such as Keanu ('cool breeze over the mountains'), Leilani ('heavenly lei' or 'royal child'), and Malia (the Hawaiian form of Mary). Following Western contact and the 1860 Act to Regulate Names, Native Hawaiians adopted Western-style hereditary surnames, often adopting their father's Hawaiian given name as the permanent family surname, creating an enduring legacy that honors indigenous Polynesian ancestral identity.

Naming traditions and patterns

Poetic personal names (inoa) revealed through dreams or nature, fluid traditional naming later adapted into family surnames following the 1860 Name Act.

Published Hawaiian first names

We are actively researching additional Hawaiian given names. Detailed etymological dossiers will be published in upcoming catalog releases.

Published Hawaiian surnames

We are actively researching additional Hawaiian family surnames from US Census records. Researched dossiers will appear here as they are published.

Scholarly references and sources

Hawaiian Names: English Names — Eileen Root (1987), pp. 1-28.
Place Names of Hawaii — Mary Kawena Pukui, Samuel H. Elbert, Esther T. Mookini (1974), pp. 10-22.