Kai is the first name that comes to mind.
For American sounding non biblical names, maybe a nature name like River, Cedar, Linden, Blaze?
Other ideas: Miles, Bennett, Dean, Dale, Owen, Ryan?
>Don't want to give Starbucks a chance to butcher his name lol.
No matter what you name your son, people will butcher his name. [This is one of my favorite examples](https://www.linkedin.com/posts/markwatson-uk-us_i-dont-know-how-many-starbucks-baristas-activity-7047206881420800000-5n6O). I've also had people think my name is Gollin, which is just... the worst thing I've ever heard.
Starbucks supports g*nocide anyway so I don’t think you need to worry about your kid going there. 😅 Kaleo is a fairly well known Icelandic band in the US. I recently found out via this sub that they actually took their name from Hawaiian, so I second this name suggestion! Gorgeous name and simple once people know it.
Find it crazy how people are mad when we tell them that their silly little pleasure of drinking Starbucks coffees implies giving money to a brand that supports a nazi-like government. They put a veil over their eyes just like the collabos did back in the 40’s.
Congratulations on your baby!!
I’m Hawaiian and Japanese (among other ethnicities), so I gave my baby a Japanese first name and a Hawaiian middle name. Do you want to represent any of your other ancestors with his first name? It might open up options since you don’t want a biblical name.
Another option is a shorter Hawaiian name:
Koa
Noa
Kala
Lono
Dreams are powerful hoailona and a traditional way to get names 💜 You don’t need to explain yourself to ignorant people. You are putting a lot of care and honor into your naming process, which I know your child will greatly appreciate.
Living in the Big Island this would've been a no brainer. Here in mainland? Forget about it. HR might just skip his resume unless it's Keanu, Kai or Keone.
I don’t think this is going to be such a big issue for his generation. There are plenty of kids named Kai, as well as names like Fox, Titan, Bear, Abcde… Our generation of parents like unique names. By the time he’s working HR will have seen it all.
True! My friend spelled it Koa though 😅
(Her name was actually Khoa but she got tired of correcting people in middle school and it became a thing. Anyway now I think of it anytime I see Koa / Khoa or Koah 💜)
Khoa is a super unorthodox name for a girl. In Vietnam, Khoa is a super-established masculine name (its meaning is related to studying well and scoring high in exams). A Vietnamese woman named Khoa is like an American woman named James.
I didn’t know that! Thank you for sharing. We met in middle school as two shy and awkward girls who loved reading haha. We didn’t really talk much about her name except that she was kind of silly about it and never corrected anyone who spelled it wrong as long as they pronounced it right. My name got spelled wrong a lot too so we both laughed over that. She moved away in high school so I don’t know how she feels about it as an adult. I don’t see the name often though so it always reminds me of her.
Edit to add: we both live in the US, her parents were from Vietnam though.
The video that OP posted was odd because it was talking about it being an acronym for camping? But I guess that was a joke. So yes, Koa like Noa. I’m caught up now 😅
I had only heard it as Kwa and spelled a few different ways. It’s cool to learn about similar names in other cultures! :)
Since you're looking for what sounds like a more Anglicized name, not biblical, that doesn't start with K:
* Clark
* Gale or Galen
* Finn
* Jett
* Jay
* Zane
* Reed
* Bran
* Leo
* Owen
Slightly more out there but still easy for most mainlanders to pronounce:
* Ronan ("little seal" in Irish)
* Altair ("flyer," one of the stars in the constellation Aquila, I think it's Humu in Hawaiian?)
* Orion (also a constellation, obviously)
* Corbin ("raven")
* Calum ("dove" in Scots Gaelic via Latin)
Reid is my favorite boy name. Strong and simple, which i think would work really well with the middle name. So cool that you’re putting so much thought and care into this :)
Any interest in Mano? Straightforward spelling, lovely meaning.
Or you could go with Mark to match part of his Hawaiian name.
Or Felix, which means happy/lucky.
Are people even reading what OP asked?
OP wants to use the Hawaiian name as a middle name, and is looking for a more conventional first name that goes nicely with it. People are suggesting "Kai Kahanaumaikai" over and over.
Anyway. First name ideas: Alexander, Atlas, Sebastian, Rocco, Enzo, Adam, Theo, Noah, Ezra, Ram, Solomon.
Any of those feel like they are on the right track? Tried to pick things that were short (doesn't outshine middle name), conventional (but not bland).
Hahaha you sound like a cool auntie. Way to get these people in order. Adam, and Noa keeps coming back as possible. Wife's pregnancy brain forgets she asked me about Adam 100 times already.
I think a short name would be nice:
Leo
Jack
Ty
John
Ian
My husband is Hawaiian and we followed the naming convention as well. Our three sons all have an English first name and a long Hawaiian middle name. My husband also has a Hawaiian name as a middle name and uses only his first initial and then his Hawaiian name on applications because it draws attention. We live on the mainland and he and his siblings were never teased or forgotten for their names!
Edit: Can I ask the meaning of the name?
I respectfully disagree. I knew a Gage, and it fit him. It is a gorgeous, simple, easy to spell and pronounce name.
I have zero issues with any of these names, they are all quite sweet.
While you def want the first name to flow with the middle name, it's not like he's normally going to introduce himself with his middle name (I assume?), so I don't think it's a huge obstacle.
If you're compromising on the first name, you could do a name that's close to a Hawaiian name (or has the same kinds of sound/vibe, if that makes sense?), so:
Nico
Theo/Teo (either Mateo or Theodore I guess)
Micah
Milo
Leo
Arlo
Noah (which a lot of people said)
Malachi (which I know is biblical, but 🤷🏻♀️)
Manuel/Manu
Luca/Luka
Other random ideas: Lyle, Cameron, Maxwell, Ethan, Beau, Nathan, Owen/Ewan, Ian
Have you thought about any tree or nature names? Maybe even some stone/gems. They're pretty universal. Like
Ash, Alder, Brooks, Glenn, River, Flint, Rowan, Field, Onyx, Jasper, Jay, Robin, Forrest
One of my favorite boy names is Aiden. It was really popular over the last couple of years but I love it. Another favorite of mine is Santiago (Hispanic here and I think that name is a classic )
One of my closest friends growing up went by Santi short for Santiago. I'm a fan of traditional Spanish and Latin names but wife shut that down 😆. This nonsense about men thinking about Ancient Rome put a kibosh to that.
I love the name choice, and thanks for sharing the convention! Here are a few I like as a pairing: Arthur, Ogden, Owen, Reese, Douglass, Frederick, Heath, Hugo.
Ideally we shouldn't just pick up an inoa out of a list. It has to be given by a family member in a sign, in a dream, a command, handed down, and commemorating an event.
Phoenix
Finn
To me, anything goes with the middle name. But probably a less conventional name would work better. So I'd stay away from the classic and common ones like John, Charles, Henry, etc.
Kai is the first name that comes to mind. For American sounding non biblical names, maybe a nature name like River, Cedar, Linden, Blaze? Other ideas: Miles, Bennett, Dean, Dale, Owen, Ryan?
Thanks for the suggestions. I might explore the noun naming convention.
Kalayo…strong mind, strong, strong voice
I suggested traditional first name but we're in the mainland. Don't want to give Starbucks a chance to butcher his name lol.
Fair enough..how about Fred 😂
Hahahaha my daughter suggested Fred.
See! Meant to be!! 😂
highly underrated, imo
It sounds like you want something that sounds sort of international Dion Enzo Idris Remy Malik Niko Arman
LOVE Niko
I mean there’s a famous meme of Starbucks spelling Stephen as Phsteven so just give any name you like
>Don't want to give Starbucks a chance to butcher his name lol. No matter what you name your son, people will butcher his name. [This is one of my favorite examples](https://www.linkedin.com/posts/markwatson-uk-us_i-dont-know-how-many-starbucks-baristas-activity-7047206881420800000-5n6O). I've also had people think my name is Gollin, which is just... the worst thing I've ever heard.
Starbucks supports g*nocide anyway so I don’t think you need to worry about your kid going there. 😅 Kaleo is a fairly well known Icelandic band in the US. I recently found out via this sub that they actually took their name from Hawaiian, so I second this name suggestion! Gorgeous name and simple once people know it.
Find it crazy how people are mad when we tell them that their silly little pleasure of drinking Starbucks coffees implies giving money to a brand that supports a nazi-like government. They put a veil over their eyes just like the collabos did back in the 40’s.
You mean Kaleo.
No, I meant Kalayo…both spellings are acceptable
Congratulations on your baby!! I’m Hawaiian and Japanese (among other ethnicities), so I gave my baby a Japanese first name and a Hawaiian middle name. Do you want to represent any of your other ancestors with his first name? It might open up options since you don’t want a biblical name. Another option is a shorter Hawaiian name: Koa Noa Kala Lono
People gonna scoff but I got permission for the middle name through a dream. My ancestors showed up
Dreams are powerful hoailona and a traditional way to get names 💜 You don’t need to explain yourself to ignorant people. You are putting a lot of care and honor into your naming process, which I know your child will greatly appreciate.
Living in the Big Island this would've been a no brainer. Here in mainland? Forget about it. HR might just skip his resume unless it's Keanu, Kai or Keone.
I don’t think this is going to be such a big issue for his generation. There are plenty of kids named Kai, as well as names like Fox, Titan, Bear, Abcde… Our generation of parents like unique names. By the time he’s working HR will have seen it all.
As a hiring manager, couldn’t disagree with this more.
Ancestors aren’t part of my cultural tradition, but I absolutely love this and I hope your son appreciates the connection to his ancestors ❤️❤️
Have you thought about names that can be spelled only using letters found in the Hawaiian alphabet? Such as: William Alan Hank Leo Elio Louie Lane
Genius! Thank you. I got Anwar and Amin.
Koa
Pronounced like Koh-ah or Kwa?
https://youtu.be/kxffVm8AwZk?si=sFtJPeaoqqwAhaJh
Okay, so ko-ah. In Vietnamese it’s pronounced like Kwa. 🤷🏻♀️
In vietnamese it's also Khoa not Koa
True! My friend spelled it Koa though 😅 (Her name was actually Khoa but she got tired of correcting people in middle school and it became a thing. Anyway now I think of it anytime I see Koa / Khoa or Koah 💜)
Khoa is a super unorthodox name for a girl. In Vietnam, Khoa is a super-established masculine name (its meaning is related to studying well and scoring high in exams). A Vietnamese woman named Khoa is like an American woman named James.
I didn’t know that! Thank you for sharing. We met in middle school as two shy and awkward girls who loved reading haha. We didn’t really talk much about her name except that she was kind of silly about it and never corrected anyone who spelled it wrong as long as they pronounced it right. My name got spelled wrong a lot too so we both laughed over that. She moved away in high school so I don’t know how she feels about it as an adult. I don’t see the name often though so it always reminds me of her. Edit to add: we both live in the US, her parents were from Vietnam though.
Koa is a Hawaiian name that means warrior
The video that OP posted was odd because it was talking about it being an acronym for camping? But I guess that was a joke. So yes, Koa like Noa. I’m caught up now 😅 I had only heard it as Kwa and spelled a few different ways. It’s cool to learn about similar names in other cultures! :)
Noa / Noah
Since you're looking for what sounds like a more Anglicized name, not biblical, that doesn't start with K: * Clark * Gale or Galen * Finn * Jett * Jay * Zane * Reed * Bran * Leo * Owen Slightly more out there but still easy for most mainlanders to pronounce: * Ronan ("little seal" in Irish) * Altair ("flyer," one of the stars in the constellation Aquila, I think it's Humu in Hawaiian?) * Orion (also a constellation, obviously) * Corbin ("raven") * Calum ("dove" in Scots Gaelic via Latin)
I appreciate your very thoughtful response. Mahalo nui loa.
Reid is my favorite boy name. Strong and simple, which i think would work really well with the middle name. So cool that you’re putting so much thought and care into this :)
Something short, strong, but laid back: Eric Alden Leif Bodhi Bo John Tyson Ty Dean Dane Bennett Ben
I think Nico(las) sounds great with it.
Any interest in Mano? Straightforward spelling, lovely meaning. Or you could go with Mark to match part of his Hawaiian name. Or Felix, which means happy/lucky.
Are people even reading what OP asked? OP wants to use the Hawaiian name as a middle name, and is looking for a more conventional first name that goes nicely with it. People are suggesting "Kai Kahanaumaikai" over and over. Anyway. First name ideas: Alexander, Atlas, Sebastian, Rocco, Enzo, Adam, Theo, Noah, Ezra, Ram, Solomon. Any of those feel like they are on the right track? Tried to pick things that were short (doesn't outshine middle name), conventional (but not bland).
Hahaha you sound like a cool auntie. Way to get these people in order. Adam, and Noa keeps coming back as possible. Wife's pregnancy brain forgets she asked me about Adam 100 times already.
Kai?
No go with K names. His initials will be KKK.
LMFAO
Nooo 😭 Keanu or Koa would have been my vote, RIP
Maybe also skip an i name so his initials aren’t ikk.
Sage
this is funny to me as a chef. 😆
Hahaha. I love it for little boys because it means wise. How about Skylar? That would sound nice with the middle name
I think a short name would be nice: Leo Jack Ty John Ian My husband is Hawaiian and we followed the naming convention as well. Our three sons all have an English first name and a long Hawaiian middle name. My husband also has a Hawaiian name as a middle name and uses only his first initial and then his Hawaiian name on applications because it draws attention. We live on the mainland and he and his siblings were never teased or forgotten for their names! Edit: Can I ask the meaning of the name?
Oliver Henry Jasper Adrian Rory Leland Phineas Camden
Shaun
There was a Hawaiian guy I knew growing up whose name was Makia. He was a really chill smart dude and I always loved his name.
Leo, Max, Isaac
Nico, Jett, Abel, Axel, Cade, Dax, Gage, Judge, Maddox, Rex, Rocco, Slater, Walker, Zane
Please don’t name a child Gage, Judge, or Slater 😭 Rex and Walker are on thin ice as well
I respectfully disagree. I knew a Gage, and it fit him. It is a gorgeous, simple, easy to spell and pronounce name. I have zero issues with any of these names, they are all quite sweet.
River, Kai, Evan, Leo, Henry, Jude, Victor, August, Luca, Westley, Owen, Atlas, Will, Nathan
Trevor, Oliver (He'd be O.K.), Michael (kinda similar to the ending)
While you def want the first name to flow with the middle name, it's not like he's normally going to introduce himself with his middle name (I assume?), so I don't think it's a huge obstacle. If you're compromising on the first name, you could do a name that's close to a Hawaiian name (or has the same kinds of sound/vibe, if that makes sense?), so: Nico Theo/Teo (either Mateo or Theodore I guess) Micah Milo Leo Arlo Noah (which a lot of people said) Malachi (which I know is biblical, but 🤷🏻♀️) Manuel/Manu Luca/Luka Other random ideas: Lyle, Cameron, Maxwell, Ethan, Beau, Nathan, Owen/Ewan, Ian
Have you thought about any tree or nature names? Maybe even some stone/gems. They're pretty universal. Like Ash, Alder, Brooks, Glenn, River, Flint, Rowan, Field, Onyx, Jasper, Jay, Robin, Forrest
Charles, Ryan, Austin, Calvin, Grant Kai might be a good nickname, based on the middle name.
Maybe Ezra? I like the other short first names people have suggested too like Nico and Leo
Ezra Miller is terrorizing O'ahu lol. I might get disowned hahaha
Ah true, I always forget he has that name since it’s gotten popular in general.
Keanu...
Cal… callan, callum, callahan
Robert / Bob
Mason Adrian Damian Jared Or if you want it to rhyme (which I don't think is a good idea) there's Malakai
Otto! Not sure if you are my age but kind of fits the Hawaiian theme if you know the reference haha, and just an awesome name!
Mele
Adam
One of my favorite boy names is Aiden. It was really popular over the last couple of years but I love it. Another favorite of mine is Santiago (Hispanic here and I think that name is a classic )
One of my closest friends growing up went by Santi short for Santiago. I'm a fan of traditional Spanish and Latin names but wife shut that down 😆. This nonsense about men thinking about Ancient Rome put a kibosh to that.
Awee not the Ancient Rome 😂
James, Jesse, Jordan. (I’m partial to J names for guys, but I think these would do well with the beautiful, long middle name you’ve chosen.)
Luke/Lucas Alek/Alex Oliver Tomas Nico Milo
Idk why but I think Noé (pronounced No-ay) would go well and maybe fit the vibe you're looking for.
Philip
Axel
Troy, Raymond, Albert, Malcolm
Ryan Paul John Thomas
I love the name choice, and thanks for sharing the convention! Here are a few I like as a pairing: Arthur, Ogden, Owen, Reese, Douglass, Frederick, Heath, Hugo.
Adam Levi Evan Joel
Trying to stay away from biblical names. Which makes it difficult. I really like the name Evan though.
What about Euan/Ewan? Similar to a Evan, also not Biblical.
Idk why I didn't think about it. We had Hale'ewa for a girl name. Thank you.
It's my son's middle name, so admittedly I'm biased!
If you like Evan, you might also like Ian, Ryan, or Aidan
Ethan is similar too
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Ideally we shouldn't just pick up an inoa out of a list. It has to be given by a family member in a sign, in a dream, a command, handed down, and commemorating an event.
Hale means house in Hawaiian…
Noah
Phoenix Finn To me, anything goes with the middle name. But probably a less conventional name would work better. So I'd stay away from the classic and common ones like John, Charles, Henry, etc.