Tongan Names and Meanings
38 Tongan names for girls, boys, and any child, with meanings and pronunciation. Tonga is the last Polynesian kingdom, and its royal names are still in daily use.
Tongan girl names
| Name | Gender | Meaning | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|---|
| ʻAlisi | Girl | Tongan form of Alice | ah-LEE-see |
| ʻAna | Girl | Tongan form of Anna | AH-nah |
| Heilala | Girl | the fragrant national flower of Tonga | hay-LAH-lah |
| Hina | Girl | the legendary woman in the moon, shared across Polynesia | HEE-nah |
| Lose | Girl | rose, Tongan form of Rose | LOH-seh |
| Lupe | Girl | dove, pigeon | LOO-peh |
| Māhina | Girl | moon | MAH-hee-nah |
| Mele | Girl | Tongan form of Mary | MEH-leh |
| ʻOfa | Girl | love | OH-fah |
| Sālote | Girl | Tongan form of Charlotte, Queen Sālote Tupou III reigned 1918 to 1965 | sah-LOH-teh |
| Sela | Girl | Tongan form of Sarah | SEH-lah |
Tongan boy names
| Name | Gender | Meaning | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Filipe | Boy | Tongan form of Philip | fee-LEE-peh |
| Lisiate | Boy | Tongan form of Richard | lee-see-AH-teh |
| Mālohi | Boy | strong | MAH-loh-hee |
| Māui | Boy | the demigod who pulled the islands from the sea | MAH-oo-ee |
| Paula | Boy | Tongan form of Paul (a male name in Tonga) | POW-lah |
| Pita | Boy | Tongan form of Peter | PEE-tah |
| Semisi | Boy | Tongan form of James | seh-MEE-see |
| Siaosi | Boy | Tongan form of George | see-ah-OH-see |
| Sione | Boy | Tongan form of John | see-OH-neh |
| Siosaia | Boy | Tongan form of Josiah | see-oh-SYE-ah |
| Sitiveni | Boy | Tongan form of Stephen | see-tee-VEH-nee |
| Tangaloa | Boy | the sky god of Tongan tradition | tah-ngah-LOH-ah |
| Tāufaʻāhau | Boy | the royal name of the kings of Tonga since George Tupou I | tah-oo-fah-AH-how |
| Tevita | Boy | Tongan form of David | teh-VEE-tah |
| Toa | Boy | warrior, brave, the ironwood tree | TOH-ah |
| Viliami | Boy | Tongan form of William | vee-lee-AH-mee |
Unisex Tongan names
| Name | Gender | Meaning | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fetuʻu | Unisex | star | feh-TOO-oo |
| Fiefia | Unisex | happiness, joy | fee-eh-FEE-ah |
| Fonua | Unisex | land, country, people | foh-NOO-ah |
| Langi | Unisex | sky, heaven, also the royal tombs | LAHNG-ee |
| Loto | Unisex | heart, will | LOH-toh |
| Manu | Unisex | bird, animal | MAH-noo |
| Moana | Unisex | ocean | moh-AH-nah |
| Moʻui | Unisex | life, alive | moh-OO-ee |
| Tupou | Unisex | the name of the Tongan royal dynasty | too-POH-oo |
| Vaha | Unisex | open sea, the space between | VAH-hah |
| Vai | Unisex | water | VYE |
How Tongan names work
Tongan (lea faka-Tonga) is the most conservative Polynesian language and kept sounds the others lost, including ng, f, and a glottal stop written with the fakauʻa (ʻ), the same mark as the Hawaiian ʻokina. Nearly every Tongan has a Christian first name in Tongan form, Sione (John), Mele (Mary), Tevita (David), Viliami (William), Sālote (Charlotte).
Tongan word names are often shared with Samoan, Lupe (dove), Moana (ocean), Langi (heaven), Fetuʻu (star), Toa (warrior), Mālohi (strong), and ʻOfa (love). Heilala, the fragrant national flower, is a popular girl name and the name of the kingdom’s annual festival.
Royal names
Tupou is the dynasty name, and Tāufaʻāhau is carried by the kings. Queen Sālote Tupou III, who reigned from 1918 to 1965, made Sālote one of the most loved Tongan girl names. These royal names are used freely by ordinary families as a mark of respect.