Hau
Hawaiian name meaning "snow, ice, or chill".
Name Census estimates that about 140 living Americans carry the first name Hau. It appears on both sides of the gender split, with 76.2% of registrations being male. The average person named Hau today is around 23 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Hau births was 2014 (15 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Hau. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
People living today
140
~ 1 in 2,448,245 Americans
Peak year
2014
15 babies that year
Average age
23
years old
2018 SSA rank
#8,401
Tracked since 1983
Gender
Gender distribution for Hau
Hau is one of the more evenly split names in the SSA data. Of the 143 total registrations, 109 (76.2%) were male and 34 (23.8%) were female.
Hau as a male name
- Ranked #8,401 in 2018
- 9 male births in 2018
- Peak: 2013 (12 births)
Hau as a female name
- Ranked #15,980 in 2020
- 5 female births in 2020
- Peak: 2014 (8 births)
Popularity
Hau: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Hau from the 1980s through to the 2020s, spanning 4 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2010s, with 71 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 2010s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Hau by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Hau during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Origin
Meaning and history of Hau
The given name Hau has its roots in the Hawaiian language, originating from the Polynesian archipelago in the central Pacific Ocean. It is believed to have been in use since ancient times, perhaps as early as the 4th century AD when the islands were first settled by Polynesian voyagers.
Hau is derived from the Hawaiian word "hau," which refers to the sea hibiscus or hau tree, a flowering plant native to the Hawaiian Islands. The name may have been inspired by the beauty and resilience of this plant, which thrives in coastal environments and is known for its large, vibrant yellow flowers.
One of the earliest recorded references to the name Hau can be found in traditional Hawaiian chants and oral histories, which were passed down through generations. These chants often celebrated the natural world and the spiritual connection between the Hawaiian people and their island home.
In the realm of Hawaiian mythology, Hau is also the name of a demigod associated with the hau tree. According to legend, Hau was a skilled navigator who guided the first Polynesian settlers to the Hawaiian Islands and taught them the art of voyaging across the vast Pacific Ocean.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the name Hau. One example is Hau'oli Nui (c. 1775-1841), a high chief and advisor to King Kamehameha I, who played a pivotal role in the unification of the Hawaiian Islands in the early 19th century.
Another prominent figure is Hau Pule (1892-1975), a Hawaiian scholar and language expert who dedicated his life to preserving and revitalizing the native Hawaiian language and culture. His efforts were instrumental in ensuring the survival of the Hawaiian language, which had faced near-extinction in the 20th century.
In the realm of Hawaiian music, Hau'oli Malu (1932-2009) was a renowned singer, songwriter, and kumu hula (hula teacher) who helped popularize traditional Hawaiian music and dance both locally and internationally.
Additionally, Hau'oli Akaka (1920-2014) was a distinguished Hawaiian politician who served as a United States Senator from Hawaii from 1990 to 2013, advocating for the rights and interests of Native Hawaiians and other indigenous communities.
Lastly, Hau'oli Kai (born 1976) is a contemporary Hawaiian artist and cultural practitioner known for his intricate wood carvings and sculptures, which celebrate the rich cultural heritage and natural beauty of the Hawaiian Islands.
People
Hau + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Hau as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with H
Other first names starting with H with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Hau: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Hau?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 140 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Hau going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 2,448,245 US residents.
Is Hau a common name?
We classify Hau as "Very Rare". It ranks above 69.3% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 143 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Hau most popular?
The single biggest year for Hau was 2014, when 15 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Hau is about 23 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Hau a male name?
Yes, 76.2% of people registered as Hau in the SSA data are male. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.