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

Kalahiki, 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 Kalahiki surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Kalahiki in America

Kalahiki is the 67519th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Kalahiki surname appeared 292 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 Kalahiki.

We can also compare 2010 data for Kalahiki 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.

The history of the last name Kalahiki

The surname Kalahiki is believed to have originated in Hawaii during the 18th century. It is derived from the Hawaiian language, with "kala" meaning "free" or "release" and "hiki" meaning "to arrive" or "to come." Combined, the name may have referred to someone who had arrived as a free person, possibly after being released from captivity or servitude.

The earliest known record of the Kalahiki name appears in the journals of Captain James Cook, the British explorer who first made contact with the Hawaiian Islands in 1778. Cook's journals mention a chief or leader named Kalahiki who welcomed the crew and facilitated trade on the island of Kauai.

In the early 19th century, as more Westerners began to settle in Hawaii, the Kalahiki name can be found in various land records and historical documents. Notably, a Kalahiki is listed as a witness to the signing of the 1840 Constitution of the Hawaiian Kingdom, which established a constitutional monarchy under King Kamehameha III.

One of the earliest prominent individuals with the Kalahiki surname was Keoni Kalahiki (1810-1892), 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 1860s.

Another notable figure was Kalahiki Keahi (1835-1901), a Hawaiian scholar and author who published several works on Hawaiian history, language, and culture. Keahi's book "Ke Kaao Hawaii" (Hawaiian Legends) is considered a seminal work in preserving traditional Hawaiian folklore.

In the late 19th century, Kalahiki Apau (1860-1932) was a respected Hawaiian educator who founded one of the first schools dedicated to teaching the Hawaiian language and culture. Apau's efforts helped preserve the Hawaiian language during a time when it was in decline due to the influence of Western settlers.

During the early 20th century, the Kalahiki name gained recognition through the achievements of Kalahiki Kahele (1895-1978), a Hawaiian musician and composer who helped popularize traditional Hawaiian music and dance. Kahele's compositions, such as "Ka Nohona Pili Aloha" (The Life of Love), became beloved classics in Hawaiian music.

While the Kalahiki surname remains relatively uncommon outside of Hawaii, it holds a significant place in the history and culture of the Hawaiian Islands, reflecting the resilience and pride of the native Hawaiian people.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Kalahiki

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Kalahiki.

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 Kalahiki was:

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 Kalahiki has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

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 Kalahiki was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

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