Piʻilani

Hawaiian

Etymology

piʻi (“to ascend”) +‎ lani (“sky”), literally “ascent to heaven”.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /pi.ʔiˈla.ni/, [pi.ʔiˈlɐ.ni]

Proper noun

Piʻilani

1. (Hawaiian mythology) an ancient chief of Maui
2. a female given name from Hawaiian, of early 20th century usage
3. (less common today) a male given name from Hawaiian

References

• Mary Kawena Pukui - Samuel H. Elbert, Hawaiian Dictionary, University of Hawaii Press 1971, page 396
• Hawaii State Archives: Marriage records Piilani (in the old orthography) occurs in 19th-century marriage records as the only name (mononym) of 10 women and 3 men.