About this site
Hawaiian Name Finder is a free reference for Hawaiian first names, surnames, and place names, built to be searchable by meaning.
Where the meanings come from
Hawaiian names are mostly transparent compounds of everyday words, so each entry is broken down word by word. The definitions follow the Hawaiian Dictionary by Mary Kawena Pukui and Samuel H. Elbert (University of Hawaiʻi Press) and Place Names of Hawaii by Pukui, Elbert, and Mookini. Names of historical figures are checked against the Hawaiian State Archives and the Bishop Museum.
Where a name has a popular meaning that the dictionary does not support, the entry says so and gives the popular reading with a caveat. Modern coinages that are Hawaiian in sound but not in origin (Kaia, Kiona) are labeled as such.
Spelling
Names are written with the ʻokina and kahakō where they are documented. URLs and search use the plain spelling, so searching “kaiulani” finds Kaʻiulani. The pronunciation guide explains both marks.
Popularity
The popularity label on each name (very rare to popular) is a rough estimate from U.S. Social Security Administration name data and usage in Hawaiʻi. It is meant to help you judge how familiar a name will be, not as a ranking.
Corrections
The site currently lists 392 first names and is expanding. If you know a name that is missing, or a meaning that should be corrected, email hello@hawaiiannamefinder.com. Contributions from Hawaiian speakers are especially welcome.