Lehua
Hawaiian name meaning "the flower of the 'ōhi'a tree".
Name Census estimates that about 294 living Americans carry the first name Lehua. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Lehua today is around 32 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Lehua births was 1977 (14 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Lehua. 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
294
~ 1 in 1,165,831 Americans
Peak year
1977
14 babies that year
Average age
32
years old
2023 SSA rank
#16,549
Tracked since 1960
Popularity
Lehua: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Lehua from the 1960s through to the 2020s, spanning 7 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1970s, with 79 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1970s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Lehua 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 Lehua during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Lehuas live
Origin
Meaning and history of Lehua
The name Lehua has its origins in the Hawaiian language and culture. It is a name that has been used for centuries in the Hawaiian islands, with roots that trace back to ancient Polynesian languages.
Lehua is derived from the Hawaiian word for the 'ōhi'a lehua flower, which is a sacred and culturally significant plant in Hawaiian traditions. The ōhi'a lehua is a type of evergreen tree that produces vibrant red flowers, and it holds a special place in Hawaiian mythology and folklore.
In Hawaiian legends, the ōhi'a lehua is believed to represent the tragic love story between the demigod Ohia and the beautiful woman Lehua. According to the tale, Ohia and Lehua were deeply in love, but their relationship was forbidden. The gods, angered by their defiance, turned Ohia into an ōhi'a tree and Lehua into the flower that bears her name. The legend tells that the red lehua flowers represent the undying love between the two lovers.
The name Lehua has been recorded in various historical documents and accounts from the Hawaiian islands. One of the earliest known references to the name can be found in the traditional Hawaiian chants and mele (songs) that have been passed down through generations.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the name Lehua. One of the most famous was Lehua Kamalu, a Hawaiian princess who lived in the late 18th century. She was the daughter of King Kamehameha I, the legendary ruler who unified the Hawaiian islands.
Another well-known figure with the name Lehua was Lehua Ah Sam, a Hawaiian activist and community leader who lived from 1897 to 1984. She played a pivotal role in preserving and promoting Hawaiian culture and traditions during the 20th century.
In the realm of Hawaiian music, Lehua Kalima Matsumoto (1905-1977) was a renowned singer and composer who helped popularize traditional Hawaiian songs and hula. Her contributions to the preservation of Hawaiian music have been widely celebrated.
Lehua Kawaiʻulaokaʻāinanuikuāpua, also known as Lehua Kawaiʻulaokaaʻāinanuikuapua, was a Hawaiian chiefess who lived in the late 18th century and played a significant role in the unification of the Hawaiian islands under King Kamehameha I.
Lehua Paulele (1936-2017) was a respected Hawaiian historian, educator, and cultural practitioner who dedicated her life to preserving and sharing the knowledge and traditions of her ancestors.
While these examples highlight some notable individuals who carried the name Lehua throughout history, it is important to note that the name has been widely used across generations in the Hawaiian islands, reflecting its deep cultural significance and connection to the rich traditions of the Hawaiian people.
People
Lehua + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Lehua as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with L
Other first names starting with L with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Lehua: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Lehua?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 294 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Lehua 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 1,165,831 US residents.
Is Lehua a common name?
We classify Lehua as "Very Rare". It ranks above 79% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 310 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Lehua most popular?
The single biggest year for Lehua was 1977, when 14 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Lehua is about 32 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Lehua a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Lehua in the SSA data are female. 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.