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Hawaiian Names Meaning Ocean or Sea

The sea (kai) and the open ocean (moana) shape almost every part of Hawaiian life, so names that carry the water are among the most loved. These names refer to the sea, waves, and the people who live by them.

Hawaiian Names Meaning Ocean or Sea, with example names

Spotlight · names meaning ocean

  • “sea”

    kai (sea, seawater)

    KYEUnisex
  • “sea and sky”

    kaisea+lanisky, heaven
    kye-LAH-neeGirl
  • “ocean, the open sea”

    moana (ocean)

    moh-AH-nahUnisex

44 names · 14 girl · 15 boy · 15 unisex

The Hawaiian words for ocean

These are the words the names below are built from. Each links to a definition and every name that uses it.

More words for ocean: ʻaukai (seafaring), awe (strand), honu (sea turtle), kahakai (shore), kāpena (captain), koholā (humpback whale), lawaiʻa (fisherman), mālana (buoyant), manō (shark), naiʻa (dolphin), one (sand), ʻupena (fishing net), hono (bay).

  • Ocean

    Kai

    “sea”

    Pronounced KYE

    Unisex
  • Ocean

    Kailani

    “sea and sky”

    Pronounced kye-LAH-neekai + lani

    Girl
  • Ocean

    Moana

    “ocean, the open sea”

    Pronounced moh-AH-nah

    Unisex
  • Ocean

    Kaimana

    “power of the sea, diamond”

    Pronounced kye-MAH-nahkai + mana

    Unisex
  • Ocean

    Kainoa

    “the namesake, also read as the free sea”

    Pronounced kye-NOH-ahka + inoa + noa

    Unisex
  • Ocean

    Nalu

    “wave, surf”

    Pronounced NAH-loo

    Unisex
  • Ocean

    Ailana

    “island (from the English loanword)”

    Pronounced eye-LAH-nah

    Girl
  • Water

    ʻAukai

    “sea current”

    Pronounced ow-KYEʻau + kai

    Boy
  • Ocean

    ʻEhu

    “sea spray, reddish hair”

    Pronounced EH-hoo

    Boy
  • Ocean

    Hanalei

    “crescent bay, lei-making”

    Pronounced hah-nah-LAYhana + lei

    Girl
  • Ocean

    Kaʻehu

    “the spray”

    Pronounced kah-EH-hooka + ʻehu

    Boy
  • Ocean

    Kaikoa

    “sea warrior”

    Pronounced kye-KOH-ahkai + koa

    Boy
  • Ocean

    Kainalu

    “billowing sea, surf”

    Pronounced kye-NAH-lookai + nalu

    Boy
  • Ocean

    Kanaloa

    “god of the ocean and voyaging”

    Pronounced kah-nah-LOH-ah

    Boy
  • Ocean

    Kapena

    “captain”

    Pronounced kah-PEH-nah

    Boy
  • Ocean

    Kekai

    “the sea”

    Pronounced keh-KYEke + kai

    Unisex
  • Ocean

    Keone

    “the sand, the homeland”

    Pronounced keh-OH-nehke + one

    Boy
  • Ocean

    Lanikai

    “heavenly sea (as intended), sea heaven (as written)”

    Pronounced lah-nee-KYElani + kai

    Unisex
  • Ocean

    Leimomi

    “pearl lei, child of pearls”

    Pronounced lay-MOH-meelei + momi

    Girl
  • Peace

    Lulu

    “calm, sheltered, peaceful”

    Pronounced LOO-loo

    Girl
  • Ocean

    Makena

    “abundance, a beach on Maui”

    Pronounced mah-KEH-nah

    Girl
  • Ocean

    Manō

    “shark”

    Pronounced mah-NOH

    Boy
  • Ocean

    Momi

    “pearl”

    Pronounced MOH-mee

    Girl
  • “heavenly pearl”

    Pronounced moh-mee-LAH-neemomi + lani

    Girl
  • Ocean

    Naiʻa

    “dolphin”

    Pronounced NYE-ah

    Girl
  • Ocean

    Nāinoa

    “the namesakes, name of navigator Nainoa Thompson”

    Pronounced nye-NOH-ahnā + inoa

    Boy
  • Ocean

    Ehukai

    “sea spray”

    Pronounced eh-hoo-KYEehu + kai

    Unisex
  • “star of gladness, the star Arcturus”

    Pronounced hoh-koo-LEH-ahhōkū + leʻa

    Unisex
  • Ocean

    Honu

    “green sea turtle”

    Pronounced HOH-noo

    Unisex
  • “the shark goddess who guards Pearl Harbor”

    Pronounced kah-ah-hoo-PAH-how

    Girl
  • “seafarer, one who travels by sea”

    Pronounced kah-ow-KYEka + ʻaukai

    Boy
  • Ocean

    Kahakai

    “the seashore, the beach”

    Pronounced kah-hah-KYE

    Unisex
  • Ocean

    Kailua

    “two seas, two currents”

    Pronounced kye-LOO-ahkai + lua

    Unisex
  • “calm sea”

    Pronounced kye-mah-LEE-ehkai + mālie

    Unisex
  • Ocean

    Kaʻiwa

    “the frigate bird”

    Pronounced kah-EE-vahka + ʻiwa

    Unisex
  • Ocean

    Kamoana

    “the ocean”

    Pronounced kah-moh-AH-nahka + moana

    Unisex
  • Ocean

    Kapalua

    “two borders, arms embracing the sea”

    Pronounced kah-pah-LOO-ahkapa + lua

    Girl
  • “the fishing net”

    Pronounced kah-oo-PEH-nahka + ʻupena

    Boy
  • “the pathway to Tahiti, the channel used by voyagers”

    Pronounced keh-ah-lah-ee-kah-HEE-keeke + ala + i + Kahiki

    Boy
  • “the peaceful sea”

    Pronounced keh-kye-MAH-looke + kai + malu

    Boy
  • Ocean

    Koholā

    “humpback whale”

    Pronounced koh-hoh-LAH

    Boy
  • “my pearl lei”

    Pronounced koo-oo-lay-MOH-mee

    Girl
  • Ocean

    Nāmaka

    “the eyes, sea goddess, sister of Pele”

    Pronounced NAH-mah-kahnā + maka

    Girl
  • Flower

    Naupaka

    “a beach shrub whose half-flowers recall a legend of separated lovers”

    Pronounced now-PAH-kah

    Girl

Other meanings

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 Hawaiian girl names mean ocean?

Kailani (sea and sky), Ailana (island (from the English loanword)), Hanalei (crescent bay, lei-making), Leimomi (pearl lei, child of pearls), Lulu (calm, sheltered, peaceful), Makena (abundance, a beach on Maui).

What Hawaiian boy names mean ocean?

ʻAukai (sea current), ʻEhu (sea spray, reddish hair), Kaʻehu (the spray), Kaikoa (sea warrior), Kainalu (billowing sea, surf), Kanaloa (god of the ocean and voyaging).