Declining since 1996, #5,608 for boys today.
Popularity of Kawika since 1968
Babies named Kawika per year in U.S. Social Security records. Raw births topped out in 1992, but relative to how few babies were recorded back then, Kawika's real moment was 1979.
Data table (by decade)
| Decade | Boys |
|---|---|
| 1960s | 5 |
| 1970s | 133 |
| 1980s | 261 |
| 1990s | 270 |
| 2000s | 236 |
| 2010s | 212 |
| 2020s | 101 |
Meaning & origin
Kawika, the Hawaiian form of David, has seen limited but steady usage in the United States since its first recorded appearance in 1968. Its popularity peaked in 1979, and it has been falling since 1996. In 2025, the name ranked 5608, with about 1 in 106,755 boys receiving it. The name is most common in California, reflecting its ties to the Hawaiian community there. Kawika remains a distinctive choice that honors Polynesian heritage while connecting to a classic biblical root.
Kawika is the Hawaiian form of the Hebrew name David, which derives from the root 'dwd' meaning 'beloved'. Introduced to Hawaii by Christian missionaries in the 19th century, it has been used as a given name in the islands and the Hawaiian diaspora. The name reflects the adaptation of biblical names into the Hawaiian language with its characteristic phonetic structure.
Where Kawika is most popular
Births per 100,000 boys by state, 2025. The lightest shade means too few recorded births.
Nicknames & variants
Nicknames: Kawi, Wika, K
Sibling names for Kawika
Names that share Kawika's style, for a brother or sister.
