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Hawaiian word · pronoun

kuʻu

“my, my beloved”

Say it

KOO-oo

In names

3 names

3 girl · 0 boy · 0 unisex

What does kuʻu mean in Hawaiian?

Kuʻu means my, but it is the affectionate form, used for people and things held dear, so it carries the sense of my beloved. Names that begin with kuʻu are terms of endearment turned into names: Kuʻuipo is my sweetheart, Kuʻulei my beloved lei, Kuʻuleilani my heavenly lei.

Say it KOO-oo. Every vowel is pronounced, and the capitalized syllable takes the stress. The ʻokina (ʻ) is a short catch in the voice, like the break in “uh-oh”. The pronunciation guide covers the rules.

Names that start with kuʻu (3)

Kuʻu comes first, and the second word says what kind.

  • “my love”

    Pronounced koo-oo-ah-LOH-hahkuʻu + aloha

    Girl
  • “my sweetheart”

    Pronounced koo-oo-EE-pohkuʻu + ipo

    Girl
  • “my beloved lei”

    Pronounced koo-oo-lay-ah-LOH-hahkuʻu + lei + aloha

    Girl

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 does kuʻu mean?

Kuʻu means my, my beloved. Kuʻu means my, but it is the affectionate form, used for people and things held dear, so it carries the sense of my beloved.

How do you pronounce kuʻu?

KOO-oo. Every vowel is a separate sound and the stressed syllable is written in capitals.

Is kuʻu a Hawaiian name on its own?

Kuʻu is not usually given as a name by itself, but it is part of 3 names on this site, such as Kuʻualoha, Kuʻuipo, Kuʻuleialoha.

All Hawaiian words used in names