This is a list of submitted names in which the usage is Polynesian; and the description contains the keywords touch or of or death.
Submitted names are contributed by users of this website. The accuracy of these name definitions cannot be guaranteed.
Moala m & f Polynesian, Tongan, SamoanPossibly a variant of
Malu meaning "safe place, refuge; calm, peaceful" in Samoan and Tongan. Also possibly a variant of
le ala meaning "the path" in Samoan, or
alaimaluloa meaning "path in the shade" in Tongan.
Moanaiti m TahitianMeans "small ocean"; a combination of Tahitian
moana meaning "ocean" and the suffix
-iti implying a small size.
Moera f PolynesianName of Polynesian origin, meaning "sleeping in the sun". It is the name of a city in New Zealand.
Moerava f Polynesian, TahitianName of Polynesian origin, meaning "precious rest", or "precious dream" or also "bright dream".
Moevai f Polynesian, TahitianName of Polynesian origin, composed by "moe", meaning "dream" and "vai", meaning "water". Hence the meaning can be interpreted as "dreaming the water".
Mokihana f HawaiianFrom the name of a type of tree that grows on the Hawaiian island of Kauai. The mokihana tree's fragrant berries are used in making leis.
Moorea f TahitianFrom the Tahitian Mo'ore'a meaning "yellow lizard". This was the name of Luisa Casati’s only grandchild, Moorea Hastings. Derived from the name of an island in French Polynesia.
Naehu m & f TahitianMeans "blonde hairs" in Tahitian. Contracted form of Tahitian
nā ehu fānau maeha'a tapu nui meaning "most sacred blonde newborn twins".
Nahei f TahitianMeans "twin crowns"; a combination of Tahitian
na denoting duplicates or twins and
hei meaning "crown".
Nāhiʻenaʻena f HawaiianMeans "the red-hot raging fires" from Hawaiian
nā, "the (plural)",
ahi, "fire", and
'ena'ena, "red-hot". This was the name of a 19th-century Hawaiian princess, the daughter of
Kamehameha I.
Nāinoa m HawaiianOriginally given as the third name of a child who was named after two relatives or friends, meaning "the namesakes" from the Hawaiian plural definite article,
nā, with
inoa "name"... [
more]
Nanaia f MaoriMeans "to nurse, to attend to". A notable bearer of this name is the Maori politician Nanaia Mahuta (b. 1970) from New Zealand.
Nanea f HawaiianDirectly taken from Hawaiian
nanea meaning "fascinating, interesting, enjoyable". It was one of the top 100 most popular names for girls born in Hawaii in 2005 and the name of a doll in the
American Girl line, released in 2017.
Naurea f PolynesianName of Polynesian origin, composed by "nau", meaning "group" or "family" and "rea", meaning "abundance". Hence the meaning can be interpreted as "abundant family".
Nauri f TahitianMeans "the two young coconut shoots", referring to the southern archipelagos south of French Polynesia.
Neula f Hawaiian, PolynesianShort for Neulaokiha. From
ne ula o kiha meaning "murmuring flame of Kiha" or "red seaweed of Kiha". Kiha, is a supernatural reptile in Hawaiian myth.
Niko m MaoriMeans "curve, wrap round" from
tāniko, an ornamental border for cloaks. Niko is also short for
Nikora, Māori form of
Nicholas... [
more]
Noarii m Polynesian, TahitianFrench Polynesian name, derived from
no meaning "from, of" or
noa meaning "free, freely, solely" and
arii meaning "chief".
Nohoarii m TahitianMeans "king's place" or "place of the king", from Tahitian
ari'i meaning "king" and
noho meaning "dwelling, place".
Nui m MaoriMeans "large, abundant, of high rank, important" in Maori.
Nuihau m TahitianFrom Tahitian
nui "great" and
hau "peace, reign". A known bearer is Nuihau Laurey (1964-), the vice-president of French Polynesia.
Nuʻuanu m & f HawaiianA unisex Hawaiian name derived from the word
nuʻu meaning “height” and
anu meaning “cool”, thus "chilly heights". It is also the name of a cliff, valley, and stream in Honolulu.
Opetaia m PolynesianPolynesian form of Obediah or Obadiah, “serving god, serving Yahweh”. A notable bearer of this name is Opetaia Foa’i, composer, singer, guitarist and founder of the Contemporary Polynesian band Te Vaka, and songwriter for Disney's Moana.
Orihei f TahitianFrom the Tahitian
ori meaning "a dance" and
hei meaning "wreath, garland of flowers".
Oriini f MaoriPossibly from
ori meaning "move about, sway" and "bad weather", and
rī meaning "screen off, protect" in Māori, or from
o Rīni meaning "of Rini", where Rini is perhaps short for
Airini or
Hirini... [
more]
Orivai f PolynesianPolynesian name, composed by "ori", meaning "dance", "dancing" and "vai", meaning "water"; hence the meaning can be interpreted as "dance of the water", "dance of the ocean".
Oro m TahitianEtymology uncertain, Oro is the name of a war god who is the national god of Tahiti.
Ōuenuku m MaoriPersonification of the rainbow in Māori myth. Also Uenuku.
Paerau m & f MaoriMeans "one hundred ridges" in Maori, it also means "meeting place of the dead". Paerau is a river in New Zealand's South Island.
Paki m & f MaoriMeans "fine weather" in Maori. This name is a personal name and a surname. This was the name of a Waikato Chief, and of Paki Whara, a Ngati Tama Elder who in the 1800s gathered information on the Chatham Islands which contributed to the invasion of Chatham Islands.
Pakomio m Rapa NuiThis was the name of Pakomio Maori, the husband of prophetess Angata (d. 1915). This is not only a first name but last name as well.
Palama f & m HawaiianFrom
pālama meaning "sacred wood enclosure" in Hawaiian. Also Hawaiian translation of English words "palm" and "plum".
Palauni m SamoanSamoan adaptation of
Brown. This was the name Samoans called to British missionary George Brown, who became an important figure in Samoa... [
more]
Palila f & m Hawaiian, Polynesian Mythology, TahitianPolynesian name for the
Hawaiian honeycreeper, an endangered bird native to Hawai'i. In Hawaiian mythology, Palila, a grandchild of goddess Hina, is a warrior hero of Kauai. He killed warriors of Hamakua and became the ruling chief of Hilo... [
more]
Pania f Maori, Polynesian MythologyMeans "water" in Māori. Pania, often styled 'Pania of the Reef', was the Māori goddess of water, and is a symbol of the New Zealand city of Napier. A known bearer is Pania Rose (1984-), an Australian model of partial Māori descent.
Paraire m MaoriMaori translation of
Friday. A known bearer of this name is the Maori politician Paraire Karaka Paikea (1894-1943) from New Zealand.
Parekura m MaoriMeans "battle, battlefield" in Maori. A notable bearer of this name is the Maori politician Parekura Horomia (1950-2013) from New Zealand.
Pashyn f HawaiianVariation of Passion, as used by Pashyn Santos, a Hawaiian actress and activist.
Patukawenga m MaoriPatu means "weapon, kill" and
Kawenga means "burden". This was the name of the Senior Ngati Mutunga Chief Patukawenga (d. 1836-1837?) who was one of the chiefs who invaded what is now Chatham Islands in 1835 before enslaving and committing genocide against the Moriori population.
Pawa m MorioriThis name means dust. This was the name of a Moriori elder and expert on Moriori lore named Pawa Ngamunanga Kahuki. The name has and may still be used as a last name.
Piʻilani m & f HawaiianMeans "rising sky" or "to ascend to heaven," from
piʻi meaning "climb, ascend, advance, mount, rise" and
lani meaning "sky, heaven, heavenly, spiritual, royal, exalted, noble, aristocratic."... [
more]
Piupiu f MaoriA garment made of flax and means "to wave about" in Māori. Also a type of fern native to New Zealand. Piupiu Te Wherowhero (c. 1886-1937) was a member of the Māori royal family.
Poe f TahitianMeans "pearl" in Tahitian, of Polynesian origin.
Poehere f TahitianMeans "pearl of love"; a combination of Tahitian
poe "pearl" and
here "love".
Poeiva f TahitianMeans "brilliant pearl"; a combination of
poe "pearl" and
iva, a diminutive of
iva iva meaning "brilliant".
Poema f & m TahitianMeans "pearl of the deep seas"; a combination of Tahitian
poe "pearl" and
mā "clean, pure, clear".
Poeori f Polynesian, TahitianFrom
poe "pearl" and
ori "dance, move", a synonym of
poeupa meaning "dancing pearl" in Tahitian.
Poerani f TahitianMeans "heavenly pearl" or "divine pearl"; a combination of Tahitian
poe meaning "pearl" and
rani, which is derived from Tuamotuan
rangi meaning "heaven".
Poerava f TahitianMeans "black pearl"; a combination of Tahitian
poe meaning "pearl" and
rava meaning "black".
Pualei f Hawaiian (Rare)Means "lei of flower" or "child of blossom," from
pua meaning "flower, blossom" and
lei meaning "lei, garland, wreath, (figuratively) beloved child."
Pueo m & f Hawaiian (Rare)From the word referring to the Hawaiian short-eared owl, the owl being one of the more famous physical forms assumed by ʻaumākua (ancestor spirits) in Hawaiian culture, which vary.
Pumipi m MorioriThis name could maybe be a feminine name. This was the name of a signatory to the 1862 Moriori Crown Petition and Waitangi district leading elder named Pumipi Te Rangaranga.
Purau m & f TahitianMeans "hibiscus tiliaceus" (a type of tropical and coastal flower).
Raihau m TahitianMeans "heaven of peace"; a combination of Tahitian
ra'i meaning "heaven" and
hau meaning "peace".
Ramari f & m MaoriPossibly an abbreviation of
rangimārie meaning "peace"; or interpreted as "lucky day" from
Rā "day, sun" and
Waimarie meaning "luck".
Rangitokona m MorioriThis is the name of the god who divided Heaven and earth and shaped man. This is also the name of a Maori Chief named Te Rangi Tokona.
Rarahu f Literature, TahitianFrench variant of
Rarau used by Pierre Loti in his popular autobiographical novel 'Le mariage de Loti' (1880), where it belongs to a native Tahitian woman who is the lover of the narrator - a French naval officer stationed on the island.
Rauparaha m MaoriThis name in English is "calystegia sepium" a weedy vine or wildflower. New Zealand colonists mistranslated a person with this name "The Robuller." This is the name of Ngati Toa Chief Te Rauparaha (d... [
more]
Rēinga f & m Maori, Polynesian MythologyMeans "underworld" and "departing place of spirits" in Māori. Cape Reinga is the northern most place in New Zealand. In Māori mythology spirits of the dead would leap from Cape Reinga to enter the afterlife.
Reva f & m TahitianMeaning, "firmament", "flow, move", "inexhaustible" and "the abyss" in Tahitian. Cognate of
Rewa.
Riro m Rapa NuiThe meaning of the name is possibly unknown. This was a name of an araki "king" of Rapa Nui named Riro Kāinga before his name was changed to Simeon Riro after his baptism. Simeon was his baptismal name before he changed it to
Riroroko.
Rīwai m MaoriMaori form of
Levi. This word in the Maori tongue is a general term for potato. This is not just a first name but a last name. This was the name of farmhand and son Wairua elder of Te Rōpiha, Rīwai Te Rōpiha... [
more]
Rohana f MorioriMeaning of this name is possibly not known. This was the name of Rohana Tapu (d. 1902) Moriori slave and wife of Owenga Moriori leader Hirawanu Tapu.
Rongo-mai-tauira m MorioriThis was the name of a Moriori deity. He is the god of lightning and eels as well as "Will of the wisp."
Rongomaitere m MorioriThis is a personal noun. The name has different meanings that deal with the sea. It is an allegorical proportionate for ocean. This noun also means 'peace on the ocean.' One possible meaning is 'ocean god'... [
more]
Rongomaiwhenua m & f MorioriThis name means 'peace on the land' and is a allegorical equal for land. According to Moriori tradition this is the name for one of the founding ancestors of the Moriori and ancestor of the Hamata Moriori tribe who arrived on what is now the Chatham Islands.
Rongo-mai-whiti m Maori, MorioriFrom
rongomai meaning "longstanding peace" and
whiti meaning "shines". An epiphet of Maori god Rongo (high ranking Maori god) or Rongomai (Maori god). In a Moriori migration story this is the name of a god who travels with people heading to what is now the Chatham islands.
Ruataata m TahitianMeans "two people"; a combination of Tahitian
rua "two" and
ta'ata "human".
Rupe f MaoriFrom the Maori personification of the New Zealand pigeon or kererū.
Salamasina f SamoanName of a queen of Samoa. The name is held with respect there and is only meant for the royal family. It means "forever".
Sālote f TonganTongan form of
Charlotte. The most famous bearer of this name was Queen Sālote Tupou (1900-1965), the third monarch of the kingdom of Tonga and, so far, its only queen regnant.
Sanoe f HawaiianBased off the Hawaiian word
noe, meaning "mist". It is the name of a famous song by Queen Liliuokalani.
Sini m & f SamoanSamoan variant of the name “Sydney”.
Tahu m Maori, Polynesian MythologyMeans "to cook" and "sweetheart" in Māori. Tahu is the god of food and feasts, and the embodiment of the dining hall in Māori mythology.
Taianui m TahitianMeans "great respect", a combination of Tahitian
taia "to respect, to fear" and
nui "great, immense".
Taika m MaoriMeans "tiger" in Māori. A notable bearer of this name is New Zealand actor and film director Taika Waititi (born 1975).
Taimani f TonganTaimani is of Tongan origin, meaning 'diamond'. It's now used by the entire Pacific community, especially in Fiji, Sāmoa and other Polynesian nations.
Taini f Maori (Rare)From
taininihi meaning "neap tide". Also a loan word from English meaning "tiny". This is the name of Taini Morrison who was a Maori arts performer in New Zealand.
Taitearii m TahitianMeans "king of the sea", a combination of Tahitian
tai meaning "sea" and
te ari'i meaning "the king".
Tākuta m MaoriMeans "doctor" in Māori. A known bearer of this name is the Māori politician Tākuta Ferris (b. 1978) from New Zealand.
Tamaeva f PolynesianA famous bearer of this name is Tamaeva IV, queen of the Polynesian island of Rimatara.
Tamairangi f & m MaoriVariant of
Tōmairangi, meaning "dew", or as compound name Tama-i-rangi meaning "son in heaven". This was the name of a 19th-century Maori tribal leader and poet.
Tamaki m MaoriMāori name for the Auckland area of New Zealand. The word
tāmaki means "omen".
Tamakororo m MorioriThis name may also been used and may be use by females today. This was the name of a Moriori man who was killed in 1791 after a misunderstanding over a fishing net with the first outsiders who came to what is now the Chatham Islands.
Tamatea m Maori, Polynesian MythologyMeans "the Moon, on the 8th night of a lunar month, first quarter lunar phase" in Maori. Tamatea Arikinui or Tamatea Mai-Tawhiti was a legendary Maori chieftain who captained the Tākitimu on its journey from the legendary place Hawaiki to New Zealand.
Tame m Maori, MorioriMāori and Moriori form of
Tommy, and a cognate of
Tama. This was the name of the last full blooded Moriori, Tommy Solomon (1884-1933) aka Tame Horomona Rehe (Owenga and Otonga tribes) and Moriori elder Tame Tainui Tawarere.
Tapunui m & f TahitianMeans "very sacred" in Tahitian. Combination of Tahitian
tapu "forbidden" and
nui "big".
Tariana f MaoriPossibly derived from Maori
tāriana meaning "stallion".... [
more]
Tarita f Polynesian, English (American), Popular CultureThe name was borne by the native Polynesian actress Tarita Teriipia who became the third wife of Marlon Brando. Initial research indicates its a Sanskrit name meaning, "to overcome obstacles" but this needs further research.
Taurekareka m MaoriMeans "enslaved" in Māori. A notable bearer of this name is the Maori politician Taurekareka Hēnare (1878-1940) from New Zealand.
Tawhā m MaoriMeans "caldera/boundary line" in Māori. Short for Tū-te-tawhā - loosely translated as 'holding the boundary'. Tū-te-tawhā was a Māori chieftain of the Ngāti Tūwharetoa tribe.
Teanau m MaoriFrom from
te meaning "the" and
ānau meaning "restless, crooked" in Māori. A notable bearer of this name is the Maori politician Teanau Tuiono (b. 1972) from New Zealand.
Teariki m Maori, Cook Islands MaoriMeans "the chief", from
te meaning "the" and
Ariki meaning "chief". A notable bearer of this name is the Maori politician Teariki Heather (b. 1959) from the Cook Islands... [
more]
Te Aroha f & m MaoriMeans "the love" in Maori (
te, "the" and
aroha, "love"). A variant of
Aroha.
Tehani f Tahitian, LiteratureDerived from Tahitian
te meaning "the" and
hani meaning "darling". This was used for a character in the novel
Mutiny on the Bounty (1932) by Charles Nordhoff and James Norman Hall... [
more]
Te Hina f Maori (Rare), TahitianMeans "the grey; the grey-haired" in Māori and Tahitian. Hina is the female personification of the moon in Tahitian and Māori mythology, also known as
Mahina in Hawai'i.
Teiti m & f GilberteseMeans 'star' or 'brightness' in the language of Kiribati. It should be noted that the letters 'ti' make a 's' sound in the Gilbertese language.
Te Kāhu m & f MaoriMeans "harrier hawk" in Māori. Transliteration of "hawk".
Te Poki m MaoriMeans "the fox" in Māori from
te pōkiha. 'Poki' also refers to land used for cultivating. So another possible meaning of this name could be "to clear the garden." This was the name of a Senior Ngāti Mutunga chief.
Teraura f TahitianFrom
te ra ura meaning "the red sun", or from
te raura meaning "the thief" in Tahitian. Teraura was the name of a Tahitian woman that, along with the Bounty mutineers, co-founded the settlement on Pitcairn Island.
Tiaki m MaoriMaori form of
Jack, coinciding with the Maori word meaning "guard, keep">
Tio m MaoriMeans "freezing cold" in Māori. Also Māori form of
Joe Tipi f & m MaoriIt means “affect by incantations” and “pare, slice, pare off”. This is the name of a female cousin of Senior Ngati Mutunga Chief Patukawenga who was married to a Waikato chief of Ngatikoroki named Taui... [
more]
Titaina f TahitianCombination of Tahitian
taina meaning "Gardenia jasminoides" (a type of flower) and the prefix
ti- meaning "small".
Torea m MorioriThis name means oystercatcher. This was the name of a Owenga Moriori Chief named Torea Takarehe (d. 1876) who was the teacher of Moriori elder Hirawanu
Tapu.
Tuariki m MaoriMeans "chief of high standing" from
tū "stand" and
ariki "chief" in Maori. A notable bearer of this name is Tuariki Delamere (b. 1951), a Maori politician and athlete from New Zealand.