Is Keani a Boys name or Girls?

[er095]

My wife and I are expecting are first child (Boy) and we like the name Keani. Can anyone tell me the meaning and if its a boy or girls name. Thanks

[Glen Miyashiro]

Re: Is Keani a Boys name or Girls?

You sure you're not thinking of Keoni? Keoni is a common boy's name; it's the Hawaiian version of John.

[kimo55]

Re: Is Keani a Boys name or Girls?

My wife and I are expecting are first child (Boy) and we like the name Keani. Can anyone tell me the meaning and if its a boy or girls name. Thanks

WHY... do you like the name keani. the way it sounds?
ya don't just ascribe a moniker to a kid cuz ya like the exotic way a foreign word sounds as it is applied as a name/label to a baby. IS is foreign to you to any degree?
Did yer kupuna "hand this down"?

does it have ANY significance to you?
do you even KNOW what it means?
(Dun' sound like it... as evidenced that you know not if it's a boys name or gilrl's...)

ya think maybe thinking this thing through to a decent degree may be warranted, in consideration of its longstanding importance to a certain someone?

Wouja slap it on if it CAN be called either a boys OR girls' name?!
and what of the kid later;
"Uh... duddee; whuzz muh name mean?!"
"Heyall, I dunno."
"uh... fazzhah, is it a boys or girls name? sounds like either, or!"
"uhhhyup! shore is!"
"gee. Thanx, dad."

besides the very likely scenario related above, in some circles it is considered in very bad form to appropriate in this manner with no connection to the.... well... "lineage"

[Glen Miyashiro]

Re: Is Keani a Boys name or Girls?

But to respond to the initial question, Keani could be a boy's name or a girl's name. Lots of Hawaiian names are like that.

[cezanne]

Re: Is Keani a Boys name or Girls?

Congratulations on your first child. Keani sounds like a cool name!

[lavagal]

Re: Is Keani a Boys name or Girls?

My wife and I are expecting are first child (Boy) and we like the name Keani. Can anyone tell me the meaning and if its a boy or girls name. Thanks

Why not Google it?

[pzarquon]

Re: Is Keani a Boys name or Girls?

I'm pretty sure Keani is primarily or most commonly a girl's name, but that certainly doesn't mean it's only a girl's name. As with most Hawaiian names built from basic Hawaiian phrases (ke simply being an article, and ani meaning breeze), it means what it means, and you can apply that to male or female children.

My son has a Hawaiian name that I've only seen elsewhere once, and it was for a woman. I'm pretty sure he won't hold that against me. It has significance to his parents, and that's what counts.

Why not Google it?

Er, because Google is fallible, and especially in the area of given names and meanings, can be polluted by dozens of sites that have no idea what they're talking about? (Google for your own names some time... it can be entertaining.)

Not that we're experts here or anything, but "asking someone who might know" often makes more sense than a random Google search. You would do better, though, to consult more seriously with someone immersed in such things.

[Glen Miyashiro]

Re: Is Keani a Boys name or Girls?

Er, because Google is fallible, and especially in the area of given names and meanings, can be polluted by dozens of sites that have no idea what they're talking about? (Google for your own names some time... it can be entertaining.)

Eep. Apparently there is an adult film star named Keani. Also, several Honolulu newspaper sports listings mentioning people named Keani who are probably men.

[lavagal]

Re: Is Keani a Boys name or Girls?

.Er, because Google is fallible, and especially in the area of given names and meanings, can be polluted by dozens of sites that have no idea what they're talking about? (Google for your own names some time... it can be entertaining.)

Not that we're experts here or anything, but "asking someone who might know" often makes more sense than a random Google search. You would do better, though, to consult more seriously with someone immersed in such things.

well, I did a google for Hawaiian word name meanings with success in the past and figured that would have been a good idea.

[Miulang]

Re: Is Keani a Boys name or Girls?

I don't know what Keani means in Hawaiian, but the name in Tamil (Malay) means "clerk". Keani is also apparently a sci-fi character in some of those goth role-playing games.

Miulang

[kimo55]

Re: Is Keani a Boys name or Girls?

I don't know what Keani means in Hawaiian, but the name in Tamil (Malay) means "clerk". Keani is also apparently a sci-fi character in some of those goth role-playing games.

Miulang

keani could mean
the wave
or
the breeze.
but are they naming da keed cuz o dis, or just cuz it sounds cool?!

what if it meant
da toilet bowl
Would they STILL name da keed dat just cuz it is nice sounding?
without learning the meaning?
Cuz it looks like they don't care what da meaning steh.



reminds me of when a new so called "tiki bar" was ust opened up in da armpit of El lay; da valley. ventura blvd. or victory or sumpin li dat.
They were thinkin of calling it:
tiki Lua
or
The Lua
Thinking this meant
bowl.
cuz the tiki bowl kine big "tiki mug" is a popular vessel for maitai and whatevah on da mainland.
ha. woulda loved it if the place were called
lua.

ended up to be named something as ridiculous...

[Lei K]

Re: Is Keani a Boys name or Girls?

I'm with Kimo on this one. I have a son named Keanu and I can't tell you how many times here in Southern California people say upon hearing his name, "Oh that's a nice sounding name, I almost named my son that." Or there are people I meet that did name their son that as well but have no clue what the name means and they mispronounce it horribly. I'm not sure what's up with this trend of Hawaiian kid names on the mainland but it is a trend. People just picking out any ol name because it's pretty to them, they don't have any connection or reason. Keanu was chosen by me upon going through my Hawaiian family tree, I wanted to use some family names again with my own keiki. Keanu was a great uncle of mine. I also thought the meaning was nice. Hawaiian names to me are very spiritual, they mean so much, and of course it's a part of my history. It's sort of sad to me that my sons will both be surrounded by kids in California (if we don't move back to O'ahu) with these spiritual Hawaiian names that mean nothing to them. Their parents not being connected to da aina in any way. Not having da koko, not having local parents, nothing.

Pzarquon, I remember going through your picture websites and such you have linked to before and I know the name you are talking about. It's very beautiful and I'm sure your son will appreciate it completely. You put thought into the name and you have the lineage and connections. I'm talking about these people who use Hawaiian names "just because" with no thought. It irratates me, maybe it shouldn't, but it does. ps. You have a gorgeous family!

[Glen Miyashiro]

Re: Is Keani a Boys name or Girls?

Yes, names can have spiritual significance, and being a non-Hawaiian living in Hawai'i, I wouldn't presume to give any kid of mine a Hawaiian name. And even if I did, I'd want to pay attention to the meaning.

But...

Isn't that just what we do with non-Hawaiian Western names all the time? I mean, "Glen" is Scottish, and as far as I know I don't have a drop of Scottish blood in me. Does that mean that I, a non-Scot, have no right to use that name? Should I and my family be constrained to only use names from ethnic groups which we are members of?

[er095]

Re: Is Keani a Boys name or Girls?

I never herd of the name. I tought I created it trying to find a name that starts with Kea. I came up with Keani and my wife liked it. I serched baby name books and websites to see if this name exist and if it meant anything. I found nothing on the name. My Brother tought He created my nieces name (Nyasia) until he found out years later there are a few people with that name. So I kept serching websites and books to see if this name exist. Finally I googled it. I found A pornstar , a football player and a few other people with that name, all Hawaian. I found this site and wanted to know what it means and if its a B or G name. There is a reason im looking for a name with KEA. I came up with Keani becouse i like how it sounds. This will be a name I me and my wife will use and hear the rest of our lives, so how it sounds is important to us. I realized this name must be Hawaian, so I would like to know the meaning becouse this is important to us also. If Keani ment toilet bowl ,Kimo I would never use it. If i never found out the name was Hawaian I would of use this name thinking this is a name I created with my own special meaning. Now I need to get this post answered before I consider the name.The name parents give there kids are there buisness.Weather they just like the sound of the name or the name has a special meaning. Next time dont assume . thanks for the replies

[Miulang]

Re: Is Keani a Boys name or Girls?

I never herd of the name. I tought I created it trying to find a name that starts with Kea. I came up with Keani and my wife liked it. I serched baby name books and websites to see if this name exist and if it meant anything. I found nothing on the name. My Brother tought He created my nieces name (Nyasia) until he found out years later there are a few people with that name. So I kept serching websites and books to see if this name exist. Finally I googled it. I found A pornstar , a football player and a few other people with that name, all Hawaian. I found this site and wanted to know what it means and if its a B or G name. There is a reason im looking for a name with KEA. I came up with Keani becouse i like how it sounds. This will be a name I me and my wife will use and hear the rest of our lives, so how it sounds is important to us. I realized this name must be Hawaian, so I would like to know the meaning becouse this is important to us also. If Keani ment toilet bowl ,Kimo I would never use it. If i never found out the name was Hawaian I would of use this name thinking this is a name I created with my own special meaning. Now I need to get this post answered before I consider the name.The name parents give there kids are there buisness.Weather they just like the sound of the name or the name has a special meaning. Next time dont assume . thanks for the replies

It also depends where you are planning to raise the baby. If in Hawai'i, it would probably be a cool first name. If on the mainland, and if Keani is to be the boy's first name, he might run into trouble with some ignorant people. There are all kinds of ways to massacre a name like "Keani" in some parts of the world! ("Is that Keyayknee? Keyaynigh? Keyahnoo?") At least you weren't planning to name him something like "Pomegranate". I don't know if you also realize that people "grow" into their names and that people with some surnames (the ones that sound foreign or that are hard to pronounce) have difficulties advancing in careers in later life because of their names?

Miulang