The Baby Names That Exist Almost Nowhere Outside Hawaii
Every American baby named Kaikoa or Makana over the past five years was born in Hawaii — all 30 and all 29 of them. Mahina, Kainalu, and Kaimana come close, with Hawaii claiming two-thirds to three-quarters of every child given those names. Hawaii produces 0.19% of US births but supplies the entire national total of several Hawaiian-language names.
| Name | Sex | Hawaii's share of US births | Hawaii births | US births |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kaikoa | M | 100.0% | 30 | 30 |
| Makana | M | 100.0% | 29 | 29 |
| Kainalu | M | 86.8% | 33 | 38 |
| Mahina | F | 75.4% | 86 | 114 |
| Kaimana | M | 67.7% | 65 | 96 |
| Kailea | F | 51.5% | 53 | 103 |
| Halia | F | 44.8% | 60 | 134 |
| Anela | F | 44.5% | 61 | 137 |
| Kanoa | M | 43.1% | 25 | 58 |
| Kalena | F | 31.6% | 25 | 79 |
| Kekoa | M | 24.5% | 40 | 163 |
| Kainoa | M | 21.1% | 64 | 304 |
Why does this list use share instead of lift?
Every other state in this series is ranked by lift — how many times more often a name appears there than nationally. Hawaii breaks that measure. With only 0.19% of US births, any local preference produces enormous multiples: Kaikoa comes out at 518 times the national rate, which is technically correct and practically meaningless.
Share is the honest number here. It asks a simpler question with no denominator tricks: of every American baby given this name, what fraction was born in Hawaii? When the answer is 100%, there is nothing left to argue about.
Which baby names are most distinctive to Hawaii?
Kaikoa and Makana are the only names in this dataset given exclusively in one state. Thirty boys were named Kaikoa nationwide from 2021 through 2025, and all thirty were born in Hawaii. The same holds for the 29 boys named Makana. Kainalu follows at 86.8%, Mahina at 75.4%, and Kaimana at 67.7%.
These are Hawaiian-language words before they are names. Makana means gift. Mahina means moon. Kaimana means diamond, and Kekoa and Kaikoa both draw on koa, the warrior and the tree. The list reads less like a naming trend than like a vocabulary that never left the islands.
Then there’s Ryzen, which shows up at 86% Hawaii-born and is not Hawaiian at all. Thirty-one Hawaii boys carry it. We have no explanation for that one.
Are Hawaii’s most popular names also its most unusual?
Partly, and Hawaii is the only state where that’s true. From 2021 to 2025, Hawaii’s most common names were Noah, Liam, Olivia, Kai, Elijah, Ezekiel, Isla, and Luca. Kai sits fourth — a Hawaiian word meaning sea, ranking above Elijah in the state’s overall top ten.
In Utah, Louisiana, and Minnesota, the popular list is the national list with the order shuffled, and all the distinctiveness hides below the top tier. Hawaii is the exception. Its naming character reaches all the way to the top of the chart.
Which Hawaiian names are rising and which are fading?
Short names are gaining and longer traditional ones are slipping. Koa has climbed from 8 boys in 2012 to 22 in 2025, and Kaia from 13 girls to 29. Kailani has gone from 15 to 24. Meanwhile Kainoa has drifted from 18 down to 14, Keanu from 15 to 10, and Leilani from 16 to 12.
| Name | 2012 | 2016 | 2021 | 2025 | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Koa (M) | 8 | 10 | 21 | 22 | Rising |
| Kaia (F) | 13 | 8 | 33 | 29 | Rising |
| Kailani (F) | 15 | 10 | 13 | 24 | Rising |
| Makoa (M) | 13 | 11 | 15 | 12 | Steady |
| Kainoa (M) | 18 | 23 | 18 | 14 | Declining |
| Leilani (F) | 16 | 17 | 13 | 12 | Declining |
| Keanu (M) | 15 | 21 | 19 | 10 | Declining |
Worth keeping in perspective: these are small numbers, and a swing of five or six children moves the line. The direction is consistent across several names, which is what makes it worth reporting at all.
How does Hawaii compare to other states?
No other state comes close on concentration. Minnesota’s strongest result is Mahir, with 58% of American Mahirs born there. Louisiana’s best is Beaux at 18%. Utah’s top name, Quincy, reaches 16%. Hawaii has two names at 100% and five above 45%.
The reason is partly size and partly language. Hawaii is small enough that a local tradition dominates the national total easily, and Hawaiian is a living language whose vocabulary supplies names that simply don’t circulate on the mainland. Most states borrow from the same national pool. Hawaii draws from its own.
Where does this data come from?
The figures come from the Social Security Administration’s state-level baby name files, which record every name given to at least five babies of one sex in a state in a given year, drawn from Social Security card applications. The records run from 1910 through 2025. We analyzed births from 2021 through 2025 and required at least 25 Hawaii births for a name to qualify, a lower floor than other states in this series because Hawaii’s birth totals are small.
One caveat specific to Hawaiian names: SSA records strip diacritical marks, so the ʻokina and kahakō that properly belong to many of these names do not appear in the data. Kaimana is recorded without them, as are Mahina and Kanoa. The files also record where a baby was born, not where the family lives now.
Source: Social Security Administration — Baby Names by State
Analysis covers births 2021–2025. Published September 2026.
Disclaimer
This article is for general informational purposes only. Information and conditions are subject to change. Verify current details directly with the relevant source before making any decisions.
