Jonathan · English boy’s name

Jonathan in Hawaiian is Ionakana

The form Hawaiian speakers have written since the 1800s, when J became I, T became K, a vowel was slipped between the consonants that ran together, and a vowel was added at the end.

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ee·oh·nah·KAH·nah

The gold syllable takes the stress.

What is Jonathan in Hawaiian?

Jonathan is Ionakana in Hawaiian, said ee-oh-nah-KAH-nah.

How Jonathan became Ionakana

Hawaiian is written with thirteen letters, so in Jonathan J became I, T became K, a vowel was slipped between the consonants that ran together, and a vowel was added at the end. Hawaiian does not run two consonants together, and every syllable ends on a vowel. A Hawaiian word cannot finish on a consonant, which is where the last vowel comes from.

How to say Ionakana

Say it ee-oh-nah-KAH-nah, leaning on KAH, sounding every vowel: i as “ee”, o as in “go”, a as in “father”. The pronunciation guide covers the whole system.

Sources the Pukui and Elbert Hawaiian Dictionary, Place Names of Hawaii, Nānā i ke Kumu, wehewehe.org, Wiktionary's Hawaiian given names and U.S. Social Security baby-name records. How this site is compiled · Send a correction

Questions people ask

What is Jonathan in Hawaiian?

Jonathan is Ionakana in Hawaiian, pronounced ee-oh-nah-KAH-nah. It is the form used in Hawaiian-language records since the 1800s.

How do you pronounce Ionakana?

ee-oh-nah-KAH-nah, with the stress on KAH.

Why does Ionakana look so different from Jonathan?

Each sound Hawaiian lacks was swapped for the nearest one it has. In Jonathan, J became I, T became K, a vowel was slipped between the consonants that ran together, and a vowel was added at the end.

Is Ionakana a real Hawaiian name?

Yes, as a borrowed name. Hawaiian families have used Ionakana since the 1800s, but it is Jonathan respelled, not a name built from Hawaiian words.

All 164 English names in Hawaiian · Hawaiian boy's names