Whether you are tracing a family tree or searching for character inspiration, Hawaiian last names carry a deep, layered history. Native Hawaiians once used no surnames at all, until the 1860 Act to Regulate Names, signed by King Kamehameha IV, made Western-style family names a legal requirement.
That single law reshaped the islands. Many families simply turned the given name of a father into a surname, while others carried the names of plantation workers who arrived from Japan, China, Portugal, Korea, and the Philippines through the 19th century. The rule stood on the books until 1967, and its mark is still visible across the islands today.
The 81 surnames below run from common immigrant family names to poetic native titles, each with its meaning and, where there is one, the person or story behind it.
81 Beautiful Hawaiian Last Names
Browse 81 island surnames below, each with its meaning and the story or family behind it.
- Abela: Carries the gentle meaning of “breath” or “breathing spirit,” a soft, romantic pick rare enough to feel one of a kind.
- ‘Ailana: Meaning “loving,” this tender surname sits just as easily at the front of a name as at the end.
- Aiona: A short surname with Chinese Hawaiian roots and a warm, rounded sound that wears well on a family.
- Akiona: Understood to mean “ancient” or “old,” it turns up most among families of Chinese Hawaiian descent.
- Aka: Meaning “noble” or “affectionate,” a dignified name that is easy to say and simple to spell.
- Akana: This surname is of Japanese origin, its meaning shifting with the kanji each family chooses to write it.
- ‘Akamu: The Hawaiian form of Adam, a gentle name with biblical roots, fitting for a child of the earth.
- Alamai: Built from the Hawaiian word for “clever,” a fitting name for a family of quick thinkers.
- Alana: A unisex given name and surname meaning “fair” or “beautiful,” familiar far beyond the islands.
- Alika: The Hawaiian form of Alexander, tracing back to Greek roots that mean “defender of mankind.”
- Alohi: Meaning “shining” or “brilliant,” a bright, uplifting choice with real sparkle to it.
- Anani: Tied to a fragrant citrus tree, it reads just as naturally as a first name as it does a surname.
- Anela: This feminine Hawaiian name means “angel” or “messenger,” lending a family name a heavenly feel.
- ‘Aukai: A seafaring name meaning “one who travels the sea,” well suited to a family with deep ocean ties.
- Brown: This color name of English origin is common across the mainland and well settled in the islands.
- Chang: A widespread Chinese-rooted surname often linked to the meanings “forever” or “extending.”
- Fuimaono: A Samoan surname of uncertain meaning, carried by families across the wider Pacific and Hawaii.
- García: An internationally common surname of Spanish origin tied to the meanings “young” or “bear.”
- Hale: The Hawaiian word for “house,” which makes for a warm, welcoming family name.
- Hasegawa: A Japanese surname meaning “long river valley,” now well established among island families.
- Hauata: A Polynesian surname of uncertain meaning, carried on a smooth, flowing sound.
- Havika: A warm surname meaning “beloved,” worn comfortably by boys and families alike.
- Hekekia: Derived from the biblical name Hezekiah, meaning “God strengthens.”
- Hoapili: Meaning “very close friend,” a title once given to the trusted companions of Hawaiian royalty.
- Ioane: The Hawaiian form of John, tied to the meaning “God is gracious,” a handsome surname for a boy.
- Iona: The Hawaiian equivalent of Jonah, meaning “dove,” a gentle name with biblical roots.
- Iosua: A Hawaiian form of Joshua, a strong, faith-rooted pick among surnames for boys.
- Johnson: An Anglo-Saxon surname meaning “son of John,” among the most common last names in the country and well represented in Hawaii.
- Kaʻanāʻanā: Said to mean “black magic,” a name that carries a genuine air of mystery.
- Kaanga: A very rare Hawaiian surname thought to mean “corn.”
- Ka’aukai: A variant of Aukai formed with the article “ka,” giving the meaning “the seafarer.”
- Kahale: Close kin to Hale, this comforting surname means “the home.”
- Kahanamoku: Famously borne by Duke Kahanamoku, who won five Olympic swimming medals between 1912 and 1932 and carried surfing to the world, tying the name to island sporting legend.
- Kahananui: A dignified entry on any list of Hawaiian last names, understood to mean “hard work.”
- Kahele: Meaning “the moving” or “the going,” a name that hints at a family always on a journey.
- Kahue: Rooted in the word for gourd, a humble, earthy surname for anyone fond of the garden.
- Kai: The Hawaiian word for “sea,” a short, easy surname with obvious island appeal.
- Kaiwi: Built from the words for “the bone,” a symbol of life and lineage that lends a grounded, ancestral feel.
- Kalama: The Hawaiian word for “torch,” also remembered through Queen Kalama, consort of Kamehameha III.
- Kalani: Meaning “the heavens” or “the royal one,” a regal name long tied to Hawaiian nobility.
- Kalawai’a: One of the few occupational Hawaiian surnames, meaning “fisherman.”
- Kale: The Hawaiian form of Charles, carrying the meaning “free man.”
- Kalili: The name of a native flower that, curiously, also carries the meaning “jealousy.”
- Kamaka: A tender surname meaning “the eye” or “the favored child.”
- Kamakau: Meaning “the hook,” and borne by Samuel Kamakau, the 19th-century historian whose writings preserved much of old Hawaii.
- Kameāloha: A long, affectionate surname meaning “the beloved one.”
- Kamehameha: The surname of Kamehameha the Great, who unified most of the islands by 1795 and brought the whole chain under one kingdom by 1810.
- Kāne: Meaning “man” and shared with a major Hawaiian god of creation, a name of real weight.
- Kaniela: The Hawaiian form of Daniel, meaning “God is my judge,” a graceful, faith-rooted surname.
- Kapena: A plain-spoken surname meaning “captain.”
- Kapono: An uplifting surname meaning “the righteous” or “the good.”
- Kapule: An intriguing surname meaning “the prayer,” also linked to the idea of magic.
- Ka’uhane: Meaning “the soul” or “the spirit,” an ethereal and deeply personal surname.
- Kawai: Meaning “the water,” and not to be confused with the Japanese word kawaii.
- Keahi: A given name and surname alike, meaning “the fire” or “the flames.”
- Kealoha: Built from ke and aloha, it means “the love,” and stands among the most cherished native surnames on the islands.
- Keawe: An ancient surname tied to a royal line that once ruled the island of Hawaii.
- Kekoa: Meaning “the brave one” or “the warrior,” a bold and spirited surname.
- Kelekolio: The Hawaiian form of Gregory, meaning “watchful” or “alert.”
- Keli’i: Meaning “the chief,” a commanding name for a family that likes to lead.
- Kim: A common surname worldwide and, per state birth records, among the three most common last names in Hawaii.
- Lau: A Chinese-rooted surname, one of many carried to the islands during the plantation era.
- Lee: The single most common surname in Hawaii, topping both the state birth and death records.
- Mahelona: A handsome surname likely rooted in the Hebrew boy name Mahlon.
- Mahi’ai: Meaning “farmer,” a surname that speaks to a humble, hardworking heritage.
- Māhoe: Meaning “twin,” a sweet choice for a family that comes in pairs.
- Mānaiakalani: The name of the magical fishhook of the demigod Maui, said to have pulled the islands from the sea, and also a Hawaiian name for a constellation.
- Mele: Meaning “song” or “chant,” a lyrical Hawaiian word that doubles as a name.
- Miller: An English occupational surname for a mill worker, now common across the islands.
- Nahele: Meaning “forest,” a surname with a wild, green, outdoorsy feel.
- Nakamura: A Japanese surname meaning “middle village,” well established among the plantation-era families of Hawaii.
- ʻŌpūnui: A cool surname with the unexpectedly funny meaning of “big-bellied.”
- Palakiko: The Hawaiian form of Francis, a graceful pick for a family with French and Hawaiian roots.
- Pualani: An affectionate name meaning “heavenly flower” or “royal offspring.”
- Smith: One of the most common surnames in the country, drawn from the trade of the blacksmith.
- Teheiura: A Tahitian surname carried by Pacific Islander families, said to mean “red crown.”
- Tetuanui: A rhythmic Tahitian surname of Polynesian origin whose meaning is not recorded.
- Ualoheke: A very rare surname thought to mean “he has listened.”
- Wailani: A romantic name meaning “heavenly water” or “royal rain.”
- Williams: A common surname in Hawaii with Germanic roots, meaning “resolute protector.”
- Wong: The second most common surname on Hawaii birth records, with deep Chinese roots.
Hawaiian Last Names FAQs
What Are the Most Common Surnames in Hawaii?
The most common surnames in Hawaii are Lee, Wong, and Kim, with Lee ranking first on both state birth and death records. Hawaii is the only US state where these three Asian-rooted surnames sit at the top, a direct legacy of the plantation-era migration from China, Japan, and Korea.
Why Do Hawaiian Last Names Have so Many Vowels?
Hawaiian last names carry so many vowels because the Hawaiian alphabet has just 13 letters, five vowels and eight consonants. Every syllable in the language must end in a vowel, so names naturally string vowels together, as you see in Kealoha or Pualani.
How Did Native Hawaiians Get Their Last Names?
Native Hawaiians gained surnames through the 1860 Act to Regulate Names, signed by King Kamehameha IV. Before then, families used a single given name, often drawn from a dream, a sign, or an event at birth. The law required each family to adopt the given name of the father as a surname, and it stood until 1967.
What Does Kapu Mean in Hawaiian Naming?
In Hawaiian naming, kapu means a sacred rule or taboo. Certain names belonged only to royalty and were kapu for commoners, so using a forbidden royal name was a serious offense. That restriction is one reason a handful of historic chiefly names remain rare today.
Why Are Japanese and Chinese Surnames so Common in Hawaii?
Japanese and Chinese surnames are common in Hawaii because of the sugar plantation boom of the 19th and early 20th centuries. Plantation owners recruited thousands of laborers from Japan, China, Korea, Portugal, and the Philippines, and many stayed, married, and raised families, settling their surnames permanently into island life.
Do Hawaiian Last Names Have Hidden Meanings?
Yes, Hawaiian last names often hold layered meaning, because in Hawaiian culture a name carries mana, or spiritual power, thought to help shape the path of a child. Many surnames point to a weather pattern, an ancestral trait, a place, or an omen an elder noticed at the time of birth.
What Is the Longest Hawaiian Last Name?
There is no single official longest Hawaiian last name, though many run very long. The best-known example belongs to Janice Lokelani Keihanaikukauakahihuliheekahaunaele, whose 36-character surname would not fit on a state ID. After her 2013 campaign, Hawaii expanded its systems to allow up to 40 characters for a last name.
What Is the Meaning Behind the Surname Kealoha?
Kealoha means “the love” or “the beloved,” built from the Hawaiian ke, meaning “the,” and aloha, meaning “love.” It is one of the most cherished native surnames on the islands and captures the aloha spirit of compassion, warmth, and mutual care.
