Ka'ahanui last name popularity, history, and meaning

Find out how popular the last name Ka'ahanui is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Ka'ahanui.

Meaning of Ka'ahanui

A Hawaiian surname representing a valley or gulch.

Ka'ahanui, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Ka'ahanui surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Ka'ahanui in America

Ka'ahanui is the 67126th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Ka'ahanui surname appeared 294 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Ka'ahanui.

We can also compare 2010 data for Ka'ahanui to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

2010 2000 Change (%)
Rank 67126 74398 -10.28%
Count 294 242 19.40%
Proportion per 100k 0.10 0.09 10.53%

The history of the last name Ka'ahanui

The surname KAAHANUI originated in Hawaii in the 19th century. It is derived from the Hawaiian words "ka'a," meaning "rolling" or "to roll," and "hanui," meaning "great" or "large." Thus, the name KAAHANUI can be interpreted as "great rolling" or "rolling greatly."

This surname likely originated as a descriptive name, referring to someone who excelled at rolling or moving large objects, perhaps in the context of traditional Hawaiian activities or occupations. It may have been given as a nickname or a descriptive surname to an individual known for their strength or skill in this regard.

The earliest recorded instances of the surname KAAHANUI can be found in Hawaiian genealogical records and historical documents from the mid-to-late 19th century. During this period, Hawaiian names and surnames were being documented more systematically due to the influence of Western record-keeping practices.

One notable individual with the surname KAAHANUI was John Kaahanui (1835-1910), a Hawaiian politician and landowner who served as a member of the House of Nobles, the upper house of the Kingdom of Hawaii's legislature, in the late 19th century.

Another early bearer of the name was Mary Kaahanui (1845-1921), a Hawaiian businesswoman and landowner who owned and operated a successful ranch on the island of Maui in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

In the early 20th century, Samuel Kaahanui (1885-1962) was a prominent Hawaiian educator and advocate for Hawaiian language and culture. He played a significant role in establishing Hawaiian language programs in schools and promoting the preservation of traditional Hawaiian knowledge and practices.

During the mid-20th century, David Kaahanui (1920-2005) was a respected Hawaiian artist and cultural practitioner known for his traditional woodcarvings, tapa cloth designs, and efforts to revive and perpetuate Hawaiian arts and crafts.

More recently, Keahi Kaahanui (1953-2018) was a Hawaiian musician and composer who helped popularize and preserve traditional Hawaiian music through his performances and recordings.

These are just a few examples of notable individuals who have borne the surname KAAHANUI throughout its history, reflecting the name's deep roots in Hawaiian culture and its association with various professions, roles, and achievements.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Ka'ahanui

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Ka'ahanui.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

  1. White only
  2. Black only
  3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
  4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
  5. Hispanic
  6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Ka'ahanui was:

Race/Ethnicity Percentage Total Occurrences
Non-Hispanic White Only 4.08% 12
Non-Hispanic Black Only (S)% (S)
Non-Hispanic Asian and Pacific Islander Only 48.30% 142
Non-Hispanic American Indian and Alaskan Native (S)% (S)
Non-Hispanic of Two or More Races 41.84% 123
Hispanic Origin 5.10% 15

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Ka'ahanui has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

2010 2000 Change (%)
White 4.08% 4.13% -1.22%
Black (S)% (S)% (S)%
Asian and Pacific Islander 48.30% 62.81% -26.12%
American Indian and Alaskan Native (S)% (S)% (S)%
Two or More Races 41.84% 28.10% 39.29%
Hispanic 5.10% 4.55% 11.40%

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Ka'ahanui was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Ka'ahanui, please contact us.

Reference this page

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If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!

"Ka'ahanui last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com. Accessed on May 15, 2025. http://namecensus.com/last-names/kaahanui-surname-popularity/.

"Ka'ahanui last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com, http://namecensus.com/last-names/kaahanui-surname-popularity/. Accessed 15 May, 2025

Ka'ahanui last name popularity, history, and meaning. NameCensus.com. Retrieved from http://namecensus.com/last-names/kaahanui-surname-popularity/.

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