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Hawaiian word · article

nā

“the (plural)”

Say it

NAH

In names

6 names

4 girl · 2 boy · 0 unisex

What does nā mean in Hawaiian?

Nā is the plural article, the equivalent of ka and ke for more than one thing. Nā Pali is the cliffs, Nāleimomi the pearl lei, Nāhōkū the stars. A name beginning with nā gathers many of something into one child.

Say it NAH. Every vowel is pronounced, and the capitalized syllable takes the stress. A vowel with a line over it (kahakō) is held a little longer. The pronunciation guide covers the rules.

Names that start with nā (6)

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

  • Heaven

    Nalani

    “the heavens, calm skies”

    Pronounced nah-LAH-neenā + lani

    Girl
  • Ocean

    Nāinoa

    “the namesakes, name of navigator Nainoa Thompson”

    Pronounced nye-NOH-ahnā + inoa

    Boy
  • Warrior

    Nakoa

    “the warriors, the brave ones”

    Pronounced nah-KOH-ahnā + koa

    Boy
  • Flower

    Nāpua

    “the flowers”

    Pronounced NAH-poo-ahnā + pua

    Girl
  • “the raging fires”

    Pronounced nah-hee-eh-nah-EH-nahnā + hiʻena

    Girl
  • Ocean

    Nāmaka

    “the eyes, sea goddess, sister of Pele”

    Pronounced NAH-mah-kahnā + maka

    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 nā mean?

Nā means the (plural). Nā is the plural article, the equivalent of ka and ke for more than one thing.

How do you pronounce nā?

NAH. Every vowel is a separate sound and the stressed syllable is written in capitals.

Is nā a Hawaiian name on its own?

Nā is not usually given as a name by itself, but it is part of 6 names on this site, such as Nalani, Nāinoa, Nakoa.

All Hawaiian words used in names