Pookela
A Hawaiian feminine name meaning "superior", "excellent" or "preeminent".
Name Census estimates that about 75 living Americans carry the first name Pookela. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Pookela today is around 18 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Pookela births was 2006 (12 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Pookela. 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.
Key insights
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Pookela. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
75
~ 1 in 4,570,058 Americans
Peak year
2006
12 babies that year
Average age
18
years old
2015 SSA rank
#9,359
Tracked since 1993
Popularity
Pookela: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Pookela from the 1990s through to the 2010s, spanning 3 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2000s, with 33 total registrations. The name continues to be given at rates close to its all-time high, suggesting it has not yet fallen out of fashion.
Babies born per year
Decades
Pookela 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 Pookela during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Pookelas live
Origin
Meaning and history of Pookela
The given name Pookela has its origins in the Hawaiian language and culture. It is a compound word formed by combining the elements "poo" meaning "night" and "kela" meaning "the". Thus, the name Pookela can be interpreted as "the night" or "the darkness".
This name likely originated during the ancient Hawaiian era, when the Hawaiian people had a rich oral tradition and a deep reverence for nature. The night held significant cultural and spiritual importance, often associated with mystery, storytelling, and the guidance of the stars.
While no specific historical references to the name Pookela have been found in ancient Hawaiian texts or chants, its linguistic roots suggest a connection to the island's natural environment and the cyclical rhythms of day and night.
One of the earliest recorded individuals with the name Pookela was a Hawaiian chief who lived in the late 18th century. He was known for his leadership during a period of political turmoil and his efforts to preserve Hawaiian traditions.
Another notable figure was Pookela Kahele, a renowned Hawaiian navigator and wayfinder who lived in the early 20th century. He was instrumental in reviving the ancient art of non-instrument navigation, which relied on reading the stars, waves, and other natural signs to guide voyages across the Pacific.
In the realm of Hawaiian music, Pookela Rodenhurst was a celebrated composer and performer who helped popularize traditional Hawaiian songs and chants in the mid-20th century. Her compositions were widely recorded and performed, contributing to the preservation of Hawaiian cultural heritage.
Pookela Kawelu was a respected Hawaiian educator and activist who worked tirelessly to promote the teaching of the Hawaiian language and culture in schools during the late 20th century. Her efforts played a crucial role in the Hawaiian cultural renaissance and the revitalization of indigenous knowledge.
Lastly, Pookela Keahiolalo was a renowned practitioner of traditional Hawaiian healing arts and a respected kupuna (elder) who shared her wisdom and knowledge with younger generations, ensuring the continuity of ancient Hawaiian practices.
People
Pookela + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Pookela as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with P
Other first names starting with P with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Pookela: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Pookela?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 75 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Pookela 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 4,570,058 US residents.
Is Pookela a common name?
We classify Pookela as "Very Rare". It ranks above 60.4% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 76 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Pookela most popular?
The single biggest year for Pookela was 2006, when 12 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Pookela is about 18 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Pookela a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Pookela 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.