What does makani mean in Hawaiian?
Makani is wind. Like rains, winds had local names, and a person who knew them was a skilled navigator or farmer. Makani is a unisex name on its own, and it forms Makanilani (heavenly wind), Kamakani (the wind), and Makanikai (sea breeze). Keanu, the cool breeze, uses a different word, anu.
Say it mah-KAH-nee. Every vowel is pronounced, and the capitalized syllable takes the stress. The pronunciation guide covers the rules.
On this site makani is part of 2 names: 0 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 wind.