Unisex Hawaiian Names

142 gender-neutral Hawaiian names. In Hawaiian tradition most names were given to any child, so these are the most authentic choices of all.

Updated October 2, 2026

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142 names

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Ocean
Kai
“sea”
Pronounced KYE
Unisex
Heaven
Kalani
“the heavens, the royal one”
Pronounced kah-LAH-neeka + lani
Unisex
Ocean
Moana
“ocean, the open sea”
Pronounced moh-AH-nah
Unisex
Love
Kealoha
“the beloved, the loved one”
Pronounced keh-ah-LOH-hahke + aloha
Unisex
Hawaiian
Keola
“the life”
Pronounced keh-OH-lahke + ola
Unisex
Heaven
Lani
“sky, heaven, royal”
Pronounced LAH-nee
Unisex
Royal
Ailani
“high chief”
Pronounced eye-LAH-neealiʻi + lani
Unisex
Heaven
Aolani
“heavenly cloud”
Pronounced ow-LAH-neeao + lani
Unisex
Star
Hōkū
“star”
Pronounced HOH-koo
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
Love
Kaipo
“the sweetheart”
Pronounced KYE-pohka + ipo
Unisex

Why so many Hawaiian names are unisex

Before Western contact, Hawaiian names were chosen for their meaning and mana (spiritual power), not for gender. A name like Kealoha (the beloved), Keola (the life), or Makana (gift) described the child or the hopes of the family, and it could belong to a son or a daughter. That is still true in Hawaiʻi today, where Kai, Kalani, Kaleo, Kapua, and Kamea are common for both.

Choosing a gender-neutral Hawaiian name

The shortest names are the most flexible, Kai (sea), Lani (heaven), Noe (mist), Ola (life), Pono (righteousness), Ipo (sweetheart), Hōkū (star), and Malu (peace). Names with ka or ke (“the”) in front of a noun, like Kalani, Keahi, Kekai, and Kawai, read as neutral too. If you want a name that leans one way, see the girl names and boy names lists, where unisex options are also included.

Looking for an English name in Hawaiian?

About 164 English names have a recorded Hawaiian form, written down by Hawaiian families in the nineteenth century rather than invented recently. Each page traces which letters changed and why.

Look up any name in Hawaiian for the full list of recorded forms.

Browse by meaning

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The building blocks these names are made from. Each one has a definition and a list of names that use it, or see the full glossary.

Sources

Hawaiian Dictionary, Mary Kawena Pukui and Samuel H. Elbert, University of Hawaiʻi Press, 1986. Used for word meanings and spellings.
Place Names of Hawaii, Pukui, Elbert, and Esther T. Mookini, University of Hawaiʻi Press, 1974. Used for island, town, and volcano names.
Nānā i ke Kumu (Look to the Source), Pukui, Haertig, and Lee, Queen Liliʻuokalani Children's Center, 1972. Used for naming customs.
Nā Puke Wehewehe ʻŌlelo Hawaiʻi (wehewehe.org), Ulukau, the Hawaiian Electronic Library. Used for checking each word against the online dictionary.
Hawaiian given names, Wiktionary category, Creative Commons BY-SA. Used for attested names and gender.
Baby names from Social Security card applications, national and state data, U.S. Social Security Administration, national 1880 to 2023 and Hawaiʻi 1910 to 2021. Used for birth counts in the U.S. and in Hawaiʻi.

Uncertain meanings are marked on the page. Modern combinations of name elements are labeled as such. Read how this site is compiled or send a correction.

Questions people ask

Is Kai a boy or girl name?

Kai, meaning sea, is used for both boys and girls. In the United States it is more common for boys, but in Hawaiʻi it is fully unisex.

Is Kalani a girl or boy name?

Kalani (the heavens, the royal one) is a unisex Hawaiian name. In U.S. records it is given to girls and boys in nearly equal numbers.

What are short unisex Hawaiian names?

Kai (sea), Lani (heaven), Noe (mist), Ola (life), Pono (goodness), Ipo (sweetheart), Hōkū (star), Malu (peace), and Manu (bird) are all two-syllable unisex Hawaiian names.

More Hawaiian name lists

Hawaiian girl names, every name given to girls, with meanings
Hawaiian boy names, every name given to boys, with meanings
Long Hawaiian names, the longest names, broken into their words
Short Hawaiian names, names of one or two syllables
Hawaiian middle names, the Hawaiian name behind an English first name
Hawaiian last names, family names and what they mean
Common Hawaiian names, the names most often given in the U.S.
Polynesian names, Samoan, Māori, Tongan, Tahitian and Fijian names
Hawaiian dog names, names for a dog, with meanings
Hawaiian cat names, names for a cat, with meanings