What does kumu mean in Hawaiian?
Kumu is the base of a thing — the trunk of a tree, the bottom of a wall, the origin of a line. From there it becomes the teacher: the one at the root of your knowledge.
A kumu hula is a hula master, and the title is not casual — it is earned through years under another kumu and, traditionally, a formal graduation. The Kumulipo, the great creation chant, is 'the source in deep darkness'.
Any name carrying kumu is claiming foundation rather than ornament.
Say it KOO-moo. Every vowel is pronounced, and the capitalized syllable takes the stress. The pronunciation guide covers the rules.
On this site kumu is part of 3 names: 1 begin with it, 1 end with it, and 1 carry it elsewhere. They split evenly between girls and boys, and all of them sit in the group of Hawaiian names meaning earth.