The Pacific Ocean covers more than a third of the entire surface of the earth.
And the people who have lived on its islands for thousands of years — navigating by stars, reading currents, building communities on specks of land surrounded by infinite blue water — have given their children names that carry all of that beauty inside them.
Pacific Islander names come from Hawaiian, Māori, Samoan, Tongan, Tahitian, Fijian, and dozens of other island traditions. They sound like the ocean. Like flowers opening in warm air. Like the wind across open water. And they carry meanings that are unlike any names you will find anywhere else in the world.
Whether you have roots in the Pacific or simply feel drawn to names from this extraordinary part of the world, this list is for you.
Here are 97 pretty Pacific Islander baby names for boys and girls.
Hawaiian Girl Names
Hawaii gave the world some of the most beautiful names in existence. Soft vowels, flowing sounds, and meanings tied to the ocean, the sky, and the islands themselves. These names feel like sunlight on water.
Hawaiian is one of the few cultures where the meaning of a name is treated as an actual part of the name itself. Parents choose names not just for sound but for the story the meaning tells about who they hope their child will become.
- Leilani — Heavenly flower. One of the most beloved Hawaiian names in the world.
- Kailani — Sea and sky, ocean heaven. A name that carries the whole Hawaiian landscape.
- Moana — Ocean. Made globally famous by Disney but rooted in ancient Polynesian tradition.
- Malia — Calm and peaceful waters. The Hawaiian form of Mary.
- Haukea — Snow white. A beautiful Hawaiian name for a winter baby.
- Ailani — High chief or chiefess. A name of leadership and dignity.
- Iolana — To soar like a hawk. Breathtaking and rare.
- Apikalia — My father’s joy. The Hawaiian form of Abigail.
- Kahurangi — Precious or blue. Also the name of a treasured New Zealand gemstone.
- Hīnano — Bud or blossom. The promise of new beginnings.
- Kaia — The sea. Short, warm, and completely beautiful.
- Pele — The Hawaiian goddess of fire, volcanoes, and creation. A name of enormous power.
- Nohea — Beautiful or handsome. A warm Hawaiian compliment turned name.
- Māhealani — Full moon night. Luminous and rare.
- Haunani — Beautiful snow. Two Hawaiian words combined into one breathtaking name.
Hawaiian Boy Names
Hawaiian boy names carry the same open, oceanic energy as the girl names. Many of them are short, ending in vowels, and they have a relaxed confidence that is completely distinctive.
- Kai — Sea. The most popular Pacific Islander name in the US right now. One syllable, infinite depth.
- Keanu — Cool breeze over the mountains. Made famous globally by actor Keanu Reeves but rooted in real Hawaiian tradition.
- Koa — Warrior and brave. Already on the strong girl names list. Works for any baby.
- Maui — The demigod trickster of Polynesian mythology. Also the name of one of Hawaii’s most beautiful islands.
- Nalu — Wave. A name that belongs to the sea.
- Ikaika — Strong. A name of power and resilience.
- Kaimana — Power of the sea. Diamond. A name with two extraordinary meanings.
- Makoa — Bold and fearless. A warrior’s name.
- Lono — The Hawaiian god of agriculture, rain, and peace.
- Hale — House or home. A name for someone who is the heart of wherever they are.
Māori Names From New Zealand
Māori names are some of the most distinctive and powerful in the Pacific. The Māori people of New Zealand have a deep tradition of naming that connects children to their ancestors, their land, and the spiritual world. Many Māori names are full sentences compressed into a single word.
- Aroha — Love. The Māori equivalent of the Hawaiian Aloha. Softer and even more lyrical.
- Anahera — Angel. A beautiful alternative to the English word name. Featured in New Zealand’s top 100 girl names.
- Tane — The Māori god of forests and birds. A name that connects to the living world.
- Rangi — Sky. In Māori mythology Rangi was the sky father, husband of the earth goddess Papa.
- Haeata — Dawn or morning. A name for a sunrise baby.
- Kiri — Skin or tree bark. Made famous by opera singer Dame Kiri Te Kanawa.
- Māia — Brave or bold. The Māori form of a name that means courage.
- Tūhoe — A great Māori tribal name and a name of pride for many New Zealand families.
- Amiri — The east wind. In the Cook Islands, Amiri also means touch.
- Manaia — A mythological creature in Māori art, believed to be a messenger between the spirit world and humanity. Also means handsome or good in Samoan.
- Aotearoa — Land of the long white cloud. The Māori name for New Zealand itself. Bold as a given name.
- Haere — Go, move, travel. A name for an adventurous spirit.
- Kahurangi — Already on the Hawaiian list. Also a Māori name meaning precious.
- Hōne — The Māori form of John. Ancient and warm.
- Anaru — The Māori form of Andrew. Strong and manly.
Samoan Names For Girls
Samoa is one of the most culturally rich island nations in the Pacific. Samoan names often reflect community, the sea, the moon, and the deep traditions of the Fa’amatai, the chiefly system that organizes Samoan society.
- Teuila — Beautiful red ginger flower. Pronounced TAY-wee-lah. One of the most stunning Samoan names. Also the name of Samoa’s biggest cultural festival.
- Masina — Moon. A name that carries the light of the night sky.
- Nuanua — Rainbow. Especially beautiful for a rainbow baby.
- Sefina — A rhythmic and beautiful Samoan name for girls.
- Penina — Pearl. The Hebrew name adopted into Samoan tradition.
- Wiki — Victorious. A chic and powerful Samoan name that most English speakers associate only with websites.
- Lulu — Pearl. A name with firecracker energy.
- Amataga — Beginning. A name for the first of everything.
- Elei — The traditional Samoan art of printing patterns on fabric. A cultural name of real beauty.
- Manamea — Sweetheart. The most tender Samoan name on this list.
Samoan Names For Boys
- Sione — The Samoan and Tongan form of John. Meaning God is gracious. One of the most common names in Samoa and deeply loved.
- Amasio — God of the sea. A name that honors the ocean’s centrality to Samoan life.
- Vasa — Ocean and sea. Short, snappy, and deeply traditional.
- Fa’afetai — Thankful and grateful. Often given to boys born during a time of thanksgiving.
- Fono — Meeting or assembly. A name that reflects the communal heart of Samoan culture.
- Vaea — The name of Samoan and Tongan kings and chiefs. A name for someone destined to lead.
- Toa — Warrior. Bold and short and full of strength.
- Manaia — Already on the Māori list. Handsome and good in Samoan.
- Asoese — Different day. A name for a baby who will stand apart.
- Laki — Lucky. A two-syllable name with a cheerful and simple energy.
Tongan Names
Tonga is the only Pacific nation never fully colonized and it carries that independence in its culture and its names. Tongan names often honor God, family, and the deep traditions of a people who have maintained their sovereignty for centuries.
- Amanaki — Hope. Already on the hope and faith names list. One of the most beloved Tongan names.
- Taniela — The Tongan form of Daniel. Strong and widely used across the Pacific.
- Uikelotu — God’s gift. Rare outside Tonga and deeply meaningful.
- Atamai — Clever. A Tongan and Pacific Islander name for a bright child.
- Ha’ama — Protector and guardian. A name for someone who looks after others.
- Enele — The Tongan form of Ernest. Serious and determined.
- Tupou — A royal Tongan name. The name of multiple Tongan kings and queens.
- Siosaia — The Tongan form of Joshua. Meaning to save.
- Laniakea — Immense heaven, open skies, wide horizons. Named after the supercluster of galaxies that includes the Milky Way. A name that honors Polynesian navigators who mapped the Pacific by starlight.
- Filipo — The Tongan form of Philip. Lover of horses.
Tahitian Names
Tahiti is the jewel of French Polynesia. Its names carry the warmth of the island, the color of its flowers, and the traditions of a people who have lived with extraordinary beauty for thousands of years.
- Tiare — Flower, specifically the Tahitian gardenia. One of the most beautiful flower names in the Pacific.
- Fetia — Star. A Tahitian name that belongs to the night sky.
- Palila — With a spirit as free as a bird. Rare and completely extraordinary.
- Rarahu — A Tahitian name made famous through French literature. Lyrical and rare.
- Heirani — A name from the Tuamotu Archipelago islands.
- Vaea — Already on the Samoan list. Also borne by Tahitian and Tongan royalty.
- Fetuilelagi — Star in the sky. One of the most traditional Samoan-Tahitian names. Can be shortened to Fetu.
- Amiri — Already on the Māori list. Also used across Polynesia.
- Hina — The moon goddess across multiple Polynesian traditions.
- Manu — Bird in multiple Polynesian languages. A name for a free spirit.
Gender Neutral Pacific Islander Names
Many Pacific Islander names work beautifully for any baby. The ocean, the sky, and the natural world do not belong to one gender and neither do the names that come from them.
- Kai — Already on the Hawaiian boy list. Used for girls and boys and any baby equally.
- Moana — Already on the Hawaiian girl list. Used for boys in traditional Māori culture.
- Koa — Already on the Hawaiian boy list. Warrior and brave. Works for any baby.
- Rangi — Already on the Māori list. Sky. Works for any baby.
- Tane — Already on the Māori list. God of forests. Used for boys primarily but works as a gender-neutral nature name.
- Lani — Sky or heaven in Hawaiian. Short and completely beautiful.
- Nalu — Wave in Hawaiian. Works for any baby.
- Manaia — Already on multiple lists. Good, handsome, mythological messenger. Works for any baby.
- Amanaki — Hope in Tongan. Works for any baby.
- Masina — Moon in Samoan. Works for any baby.
Rare Pacific Islander Names Worth Discovering
These are the names from the Pacific that almost nobody outside their home communities has heard. Every single one is beautiful. Every single one carries a story that goes back centuries.
- Fetuilelagi — Already on the Tahitian list. Star in the sky. Completely unlike any other name.
- Uikelotu — Already on the Tongan list. God’s gift. Rare everywhere.
- Laniakea — Already on the Tongan list. The name of the supercluster that contains our galaxy.
- Aotearoa — Already on the Māori list. The land of the long white cloud.
- Māhealani — Already on the Hawaiian list. Full moon night.
- Nuanua — Already on the Samoan list. Rainbow. For any rainbow baby.
- Haeata — Already on the Māori list. Dawn or morning. For the baby who arrives with the light.
Wrapping Up
So there you have it. 97 pretty Pacific Islander baby names for boys and girls.
From the Hawaiian Leilani to the Māori Aroha. From the Samoan Teuila to the Tongan Amanaki. From the Tahitian Tiare to the simple, perfect Kai.
These names carry the Pacific inside them. The ocean, the stars, the flowers, the wind, the moon. The ancient tradition of a people who navigated the largest ocean on earth using nothing but the sky, the current, and a name they gave every star they followed home.
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