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Hawaiian name for a keiki (child)?

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  • Hawaiian name for a keiki (child)?

    I was wondering if you have a child, what hawaiian name would you give it?

    Boy names:
    Keali'i
    'Aukai
    Koa
    Kawika
    Ikaika
    Kimo

    Girl names:
    Kamalani
    Leilani
    Mahealani
    Nalani
    Hi'ilani
    Pi'ilani
    Aloha Kakou, maluhia a me aloha mau loa (Hello everyone, peace and love forever)

  • #2
    Re: hawaiian name for a keiki (child)?

    Are those the only options? Because locally we just had a girl from Kauai join our newsteam and her name is Nohelani and I LOVE it, it is so beautiful! It flows no nicely.

    I wonder what it means?
    Since when is psycho a bad thing??
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    • #3
      Re: hawaiian name for a keiki (child)?

      Hawaiian custom is that a close relative, such as grandparent or a close family friend chooses the name to bestow on the child, almost as a gift to that child. My daughter's name was chosen for her by her grandmother and has meaning for her due to its connection to family history. Her second name is after my grandmother and I asked permission of her to use the name. So, both grandmothers named my daughter - one Hawaiian, one not.

      Of course, that doesn't mean that you can't also choose a name you like...........
      "Democracy is the only system that persists in asking the powers that be whether they are the powers that ought to be."
      – Sydney J. Harris

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      • #4
        Re: hawaiian name for a keiki (child)?

        Indeed. The bestowing of a Hawaiian name, among native Hawaiians, is usually a significant spiritual and ceremonial thing. Not just the name, but as Fran notes, who gives it and where it comes from. So a lot of folks bristle at the idea of starry-eyed, Hawaii-obsessed parents just picking inoa out of a book.

        True, it's your kid, and you can name her Apple or him Dweezil if you like, but if you're picking a Hawaiian name because you want to confer some of that traditional Hawaiian mana, you best not be too casual about it.

        I get a lot of questions about the meaning of Hawaiian names over at HawaiiAnswers and other Q&A sites, and it's frustrating at times how people presume that there's a one-to-one equivalent in Hawaiian for every European name, or more specifically, they don't understand that some "Hawaiian names" are basically just phonetic transliterations of European names -- so looking for the meaning or translation of it will go nowhere.

        "Kawika," mentioned above, is simply "David" in the Hawaiian alphabet. The quite popular "Malia" is just "Mary," but nothing particularly sentimental in the Hawaiian dictionary. Nice names, yes, but I won't be able to tell you it means "cool mist from the mountain" or anything.

        Interestingly enough, lots of people also think "Malia" is a Native American name, and give their kids the name to get that Native American flavor. But "Malia," as this article warning about trying to give kids Native American names notes, translates to "bitter."

        That said, we bent some of the "rules" in giving our kids their Hawaiian names. But we researched and based it on meaning and origin, not phonetic transliterations, so I don't feel too bad. At least they're not named Tiki Makahiki or anything!

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        • #5
          Re: hawaiian name for a keiki (child)?

          As PZ mentions about "Kawika" and "Malia", my name is Palakika in Hawaiian. However, if you look at the meaning behind my name Frances, which is an old Anglo/Saxon name meaning "free spirit" - to get a true Hawaiian name, one would need to translate THAT into Hawaiian - it would come out something like "Palena Ole" but even that is not correct which is why my jewelry says "Palakika".
          "Democracy is the only system that persists in asking the powers that be whether they are the powers that ought to be."
          – Sydney J. Harris

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          • #6
            Re: hawaiian name for a keiki (child)?

            Originally posted by anapuni808 View Post
            As PZ mentions about "Kawika" and "Malia", my name is Palakika in Hawaiian. However, if you look at the meaning behind my name Frances, which is an old Anglo/Saxon name meaning "free spirit" - to get a true Hawaiian name, one would need to translate THAT into Hawaiian - it would come out something like "Palena Ole" but even that is not correct which is why my jewelry says "Palakika".
            My name in Hawaiian is Alana which is also my regular name is translated as to rise up or to awaken. I love it.
            Aloha Kakou, maluhia a me aloha mau loa (Hello everyone, peace and love forever)

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            • #7
              Re: hawaiian name for a keiki (child)?

              Originally posted by anapuni808 View Post
              To get a true Hawaiian name, one would need to translate THAT into Hawaiian - it would come out something like "Palena Ole" but even that is not correct which is why my jewelry says "Palakika".
              "Palena 'ole" would be "no boundaries," yes? Perhaps "free spirit" would be something like 'Uhaneku'u," but that's a flat dictionary name and I have no doubt someone steeped in the culture and language could come up with something more appropriate.

              I recently tried to do the same for Mary, or Malia, going to the root for Mary, which was "star of the sea." There are a variety of ways one could approach that, as well, though again my best effort was dictionary based.

              By the way, check out this Wikipedia entry for "Hawaiian name." I'd never seen it before, and there's a lot of good information there. Check out the list of most popular and defined Hawaiian names. I have no idea if the entry's been vetted by a Hawaiian expert (and we all know that Wikipedia can be a crapshoot), but it's a nice starting point.

              By the way, my Hawaiian name is Kawailani. My daughter's is Kilinahe, and my sons' are Kauanoe and Kekūanaō‘a. I'm sure my youngest is going to just love all those Hawaiian diacritical marks.
              Last edited by pzarquon; January 3, 2007, 07:12 PM.

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              • #8
                Re: hawaiian name for a keiki (child)?

                Absolutely there are reasons behind each of my sons names. First sons name is taken from one of our Kanaka 'ohana surnames, second son is named after my great uncle (and not the famous actor with the same name ) , and my third son was named by my mother and his inoa was chosen for various reasons.
                I'm disgusted and repulsed, and I can't look away.

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                • #9
                  Re: hawaiian name for a keiki (child)?

                  PZ - you are correct. I've had a few translations given to me over the years. But, there seems to be some difference between "free spirit" and "uhane" which usually means a ghost like presence. and therein lies the problem with the translation. Since there seems to be no consensus, I've lived with Palakika. My bracelet has an olelo noeau on it which has a deep personal meaning. I've always felt that until someone actually "gives" me a name, I should use none. Maybe there is a translation for "smart ass" or something that would apply?
                  Last edited by anapuni808; January 3, 2007, 10:56 PM.
                  "Democracy is the only system that persists in asking the powers that be whether they are the powers that ought to be."
                  – Sydney J. Harris

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                  • #10
                    Re: Hawaiian name for a keiki (child)?

                    Use the "Ikaika" name. He will be in good company of a lot of same name boys.

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                    • #11
                      Re: hawaiian name for a keiki (child)?

                      Originally posted by pzarquon View Post
                      ...Kekūanaō‘a. I'm sure my youngest is going to just love all those Hawaiian diacritical marks.
                      Good for you, Ryan, and I hope he grows up to help educate the rest of us in the accuracy of the Hawaiian language, as a personal example.

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                      • #12
                        Re: hawaiian name for a keiki (child)?

                        my nephews name is kahekili.
                        Aquaponics in Paradise !

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                        • #13
                          Re: hawaiian name for a keiki (child)?

                          Originally posted by blueyecicle View Post
                          Are those the only options? Because locally we just had a girl from Kauai join our newsteam and her name is Nohelani and I LOVE it, it is so beautiful! It flows no nicely.

                          I wonder what it means?
                          It means heavenly beauty.
                          'Alika

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                          • #14
                            Re: Hawaiian name for a keiki (child)?

                            Don't know what I would name a keikikane (boy,) but I would name a kaikamahine (girl) Melelana, after Keali'i Reichel's fourth album. The name came to me because of it's translation. It means "floating song" which poetically means "lullaby." Because of the fact that I'm a singer, I'd probably want my keiki to be a singer too. I could also call her Mele for short. He inoa u'i! (A beautiful name!) 'Ea?
                            'Alika

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                            • #15
                              Re: Hawaiian name for a keiki (child)?

                              Personally, I like Leilani. I don't know what it means but I just like it.
                              Tayo

                              FINALLY HOME IN HAWAI'I!

                              "Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn't do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover."
                              Mark Twain

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