There’s something special about Hawaiian girl names, which can be as pretty and unique as the islands themselves. Hawaiian girl names have beautiful meanings and may be an appealing choice for your daughter, whether you hail from the stunning archipelago, have a connection to Hawai’i, or just love the way these names sound. Some Hawaiian names are even easy to pronounce—we promise! Choose your favorite from our list of 50 island names for girls.
There is no shortage of cute and pretty Hawaiian baby girl names. Vowels dominate Hawaiian and every syllable ends on a vowel (besides borrowed words). This creates very pretty sounds that flow in a gentle pattern, resulting in beautiful Hawaiian girl names. Plus, names are all about their meanings, and these island names for girls have the sweetest backgrounds.
Kailani. Although Kailani is a traditional Hawaiian girl name, you can find it in modern American culture with different spellings, such as Kehlani. The name originates from the Hawaiian words kai and lani, which mean “ocean, sea” and “sky, heaven.” It’s traditionally pronounced kie-LA-nee.
Haukea. This female Hawaiian name combines the words hau and kea to create the meaning “white snow.” It’s pronounced how-KEH-a.
Haunani. Among Hawaiian girl names, this is one that is both cute and pretty; it means “beautiful snow.” Hau means “snow” and nani means “beauty or glory.” Despite its spelling, Haunani is a Hawaiian girl name that’s easy to pronounce, simply as how-NA-nee.
Kaipo. It doesn’t get cuter than Kaipo, which means “sweetheart” in Hawaiian. It combines the definite article ka with ipo to form its meaning. You can pronounce it KIE-po.
Kalani. Although it has a spelling and meaning that is similar to Kailani, Kalani is pronounced kay-LA-nee, and is sometimes spelled Kaylani. If you prefer to stick to the most traditional meaning of this Hawaiian name, then you have “the heavens,” as ka means “the.” But lani can mean “heavens,” “sky,” “majesty,” or “royal,” so you can take your pick!
Kalea. As one of the top Hawaiian girl names, Kalea means “joy” or “happiness.” It’s pronounced kaa-LEH-aa.
Maile. Although the Hawaiian form is Maile, you may recognize this name spelled as Miley, which is also pronounced MIE-lee. Maile is the name of a vine that grows in Hawai’i, which the locals use to create the flower lei they drape around their necks.
Malia. You may associate this top Hawaiian girl name with Malia Obama, the daughter of President Barack Obama. President Obama was born and raised in Hawai’i. Although a traditional Hawaiian name, it’s the island’s version of Maria or Mary, which many believe means “beloved.”
Mikala. This popular Hawaiian name is traditionally given to boys rather than girls. But the feminine form can also be spelled Makayla (or, more traditionally, Michaela), which is the female version of Michael. Like Michael, Mikala means “who is God.” You can also opt for the spelling Micaela, which is a popular choice among Italian and Spanish girl names.
Kamalani. As a unisex name, Kamalani combines kama, meaning “child,” with lani, which, as you already know, can mean “heavens,” “sky,” “majesty,” or “royal.” So, you have yourself a “heavenly child” or “royal child.” It’s also fairly easy to pronounce—ka-ma-LA-nee—at least as far as Hawaiian girl names go!
Kanani. A very cute and pretty Hawaiian girl name, Kanani simply means “the beauty” and is pronounced ka-NA-nee.
Kau’i. From the Hawaiian words ka (a definite article) and uʻi meaning “youth” or “beauty,” Kau’i means “the youthful one.” Typically, every vowel is pronounced separately in the Hawaiian language, but this name features an apostrophe (known as an okina), indicating a glottal stop between the two vowels. You pronounce Kau’i like ka-OO-ey.
Kawehi. If you’re reading this list in full, then by now you know that ka is a definite article, usually meaning “the.” So, because wehi means “adornment,” the name Kawehi means “the adornment” or “adorned.” It’s pronounced ka-WHEY-ee.
Kealoha. This cute and pretty Hawaiian girl name has the word aloha in it, making it an adorable choice! And since aloha can mean “love,” Kealoha means “the loved one.” As a bonus, it has a beautiful pronunciation, as KEL-oh-aa.
Kōnane. Although the line over the vowel (called a kahako) may look intimidating, it simply notes an elongated vowel sound. So Kōnane, meaning “bright,” is pronounced koh-NA-ney with a slightly longer O sound.
Makana. You can use this Hawaiian word as a unisex name for both boys and girls. It’s pronounced ma-KA-na and means “gift,” which your little one surely is!
Mālie. Meaning “calm” in Hawaiian, this beautiful girl name also includes a kahako (long vowel sound). And the pronunciation is perfectly pretty, as MALL-lee-ay.
Momi. Short baby names tend to be fairly cute, especially when they are Hawaiian girl or boy names. This one is simply pronounced MO-mee and means “pearl.”
Nani. Another short and sweet island name for girls, Nani means “beauty” or “glory” and is pronounced NA-nee. These shorter names make excellent Hawaiian middle names for girls, too.
Noelani. Since all vowels are pronounced separately in Hawaiian, this name has four syllables. Pronounced no-eh-LA-nee, Noelani means “heavenly mist,” as it comes from noe (“mist”) and lani (meaning “heaven,” “sky,” “royal,” or “majesty”).
Kalei. Pronounced ka-LAY, this is an excellent option if you’re looking for Hawaiian girl names with short and sweet meanings. It’s as simple as it gets, as it means “the flowers.”
Kapua. Kapua is another name that means “the flowers.” But since the Hawaiian word pua is also “offspring,” the name has a second meaning, “the child.” It’s pronounced ka-POO-a.
Lehua. Lehua (pronounced leh-HOO-a) is the name of the Hawaii state flower, the lehua flower that blossoms on the famous Ohia tree. These blooms look like poof balls and come in many vibrant colors, like red, orange, yellow, and pink.
Lei. If you’ve ever been to Hawaii, then you know this word! Lei, pronounced LAY, simply means “flowers” or “child” in the Hawaiian language.
Leimomi. With the word lei in it, you know it has something to do with flowers. And since Momi means “pearl,” Lemomi simply means “pearl flowers” or “pearl child.” It’s one of those Hawaiian girl names that are surprisingly easy to pronounce, as LAY-mo-mee.
Pua. You may remember that pua means “flower” or “offspring,” as in the name Kapua, above. You can use Pua on its own, or you can select one of the additional “Pua” flower names below!
Pualani. Combing pua (“flower or offspring”) with lani (“heavenly,” “sky,” “royal,” or “majesty”), you get a beautiful floral option among Hawaiian girl names. Pualani (pronounced poo-a-LA-nee) can mean “heavenly flower,” “royal offspring,” “heavenly child,” or other combinations of the meanings.
Puanani. Swapping lani for nani, Puanani (pronounced poo-a-NA-nee) means “beautiful flower” or “beautiful child.” Pualani and Puanani make a great option for baby twin names!
Hōkūlani. This Hawaiian name, often given to women, combines lani (“heavenly,” “sky,” “royal,” “majesty”) with the word hōkū, which means “star.” When put together, you have “heavenly star.” Remember to lengthen the first two vowels when you say the name, which is pronounced ho-koo-LA-nee.
Kai. As one of the easiest to pronounce Hawaiian names, Kai (simply KIE) means “sea.” It’s a unisex name but emerged as a girl’s name in the United States in the 2010s. It’s also a popular international name in places like Spain, Norway, Germany, the Netherlands, and other English-speaking countries.
Kaimana. Since kai means “sea” and mana means “power,” Kaimana is a very strong Hawaiian girl name with the meaning “powerful sea.” It’s pronounced kie-MA-na.
Kaulana. Kaulana is a traditional unisex name meaning “famous” in Hawaiian. Although every vowel is pronounced separately in Hawaiian, the A-U combination naturally creates the sound “ow.” So Kaulana is pronounced kow-LA-na.
Keahi. Another unisex name, Keahi combines the definite article ke with ahi, which means “fire.” So, if you’re looking for a strong Hawaiian baby names for girls, look no further! You can pronounce Keahi as keh-A-hee.
Keala. Notice that a number of traditional Hawaiian names start with Ke?. All combine the definite article with another word, as in Keahi, above. For Keala, ala means “path,” so the name’s meaning is simply “the path.” If you add an okina, ‘ala then means “esteemed person,” so you have Ke’ala. Both are pronounced like the English name Kayla, with the second option adding a glottal stop between the E and A.
Keanu. You may associate this name with the actor Keanu Reeves, whose father has Hawaiian ancestry. Anu means “cool breeze,” so this unisex name means “the cool breeze” and is pronounced keh-A-nu.
Keone. In this name, one means “homeland.” This is an excellent option if you’re looking for a strong and unique Hawaiian girl name, as it means “the homeland.” Keone is pronounced keh-OH-ney.
Lani. If you want to keep it simple, stick with just Lani, which you now know means “heavenly,” “sky,” “royal,” or “majesty.”
Māui. As you may already know, Maui is the name of one of the Hawaiian Islands and is pronounced MOW-ee. The meaning is unknown, but according to Hawaiian mythology, Māui created the islands by tricking his brothers into fishing them out of the ocean for him! He’s also connected to the sun and its movement.
Moana. If you’re a fan of the film Moana, then you probably already know about this strong island name for girls. Although Moana is a traditional word in Hawaiian, you’ll also find the name in Maori and other Polynesian languages. It’s pronounced mo-A-na and means “ocean,” “wide expanse of water,” and “deep sea.”
Nālani. Pronounced na-LA-nee with an elongated first syllable, Nālani means “the heavens” or “the chiefs.”
Apikalia. Pronounced, EY-peh-kay-lee-a, Apikalia is the Hawaiian name for Abigail, which is an ancient Hebrew name meaning “my father is joy.”
Elikapeka. As the Hawaiian version of Elizabeth, which means “my god is an oath,” Elikapeka is pronounced eh-lee-ka-PEH-ka.
Iekika. This Hawaiian baby girl name is the equivalent of Jessica and pronounced either EE-key-ka or ee-KEY-ka. The name Jessica appears in The Merchant of Venice, and many believe Shakespeare based his character’s name on the biblical name Iscah, meaning “to behold.”
Kakalina. Hawaiian for Katherine, this is an excellent option if you’re looking for an island version of traditional female names. It’s pronounced ka-ka-LEE-na, and although there are many possible meanings, the Latin spelling in the early Christian era comes from the Greek word katharos, meaning “pure.”
Kala. As the Hawaiian form of Sarah (or Sara), Kala means “princess.” It’s pronounced like the English name Kayla, so you can also use that spelling.
Kalena. Pronounced ka-LEE-na, Kalena is the Hawaiian form of Karen, which is the Danish short form of Katherine. It became common in English-speaking countries in the 1930s. Like Katherine, Karen means “pure.”
Kekepania. Kekepania is the Hawaiian version of the female name Stephanie, which comes from the male name Stephen. Stephen originated from the Greek name Stephanos, meaning “crown” or “wreath,” or more literally, “that which surrounds.” Kekepania has a unique pronunciation as kehk-PAY-nee-a.
Kiana. As a Hawaiian girl name that’s easy to pronounce, Kiana sounds similar to its English version, Diana. However, the first vowel sound is different; Kiana is kee-A-na. If you’re interested in Greek mythology names, Kiana (Diana) is related to dyeus (Zeus).
Kilikina. Pronounced kee-lee-kee-NA, this is the Hawaiian version of one of the most common names for women, Christina. As the feminine form of Christian, the name means “a Christian.” Or, from the Greek name Christos, it means “anointed” or “to anoint.”
Mele. This Hawaiian baby name for girls is cute and has two meanings. It simply means “song,” but it’s also the form of Mary in Hawaiian, Tongan, and Samoan. Mary has unknown origins, but many believe it means “beloved” or “love.” Mele is pronounced MEH-lee.
Still searching for the one? Dive into even more baby name ideas by theme, meaning, origin, style, popularity, and beyond. This is where you’ll discover fresh inspiration from every corner of our baby name lists.
Hawai’i is a beautiful place with unique and strong customs and culture. When you’re thinking about choosing a baby name, it’s helpful to look at names of women from many places, including Hawaiian or island n
ames. Use our list to expand your options or inspire new ideas!
And, of course, if you’re Hawaiian or have a connection to the culture, this is the perfect list of baby girl names. Many names are unisex, so you can also read about Hawaiian boy names.
