This is my first post, but I”ve been a fan of this site for a while now. I am only TTC (have been for nearly 3 years), but my love of names is the one thing that keeps me going. One could say it”s an obsession, but I like to think of it as a fun pastime.
Anyway, I would love to get everyone”s unfiltered opinion about the name KONA for a girl. My research shows that only 5 baby girls were named Kona in 2010. This number seems extremely low, especially since this name seems to follow a lot of the rules that a lot of parents look for:
*Easy to pronounce/spell
*Place name trend (exotic Kona, [name]Hawaii[/name])
*Uncommon/memorable yet familiar
*Feminine ”a ending
*Cute Ko Ko (Co Co) nn if you want one
Am I missing something? Is this name wearable? What would be your first impression of a Kona? Is it too rare to use (it”s not even listed on Nameberry)?
Personally I like it, but I feel like I might be missing something obvious since it is so unused.
If it makes a difference, DH is from [name]Hawaii[/name] but we don”t live there now. So our baby will be part Hawaiian, but will likely look white. Also, she will have a Hawaiian mn (a family tradition). And, I have never actually been to Kona, so no significance there.
I am not attached to this name by any means, so please don”t sugarcoat your opinions. I want to hear it all, good and bad.
The only Kona I know is a co-worker’s yellow Lab. Although that shouldn’t stop you- my Lab is named [name]Jasper[/name].
While I like the idea of the name, I personally, wouldn’t use it. When I hear “Kona” I hear “cones” as in ice cream cones and [name]Madonna[/name]'s ‘cones’ on her chest in the 80’s. Thats the imagry that I get.
I like the idea of Hawaiian names for you and there are lots of them out there, most are not as easy to spell/pronounce as Kona though. So I see the dilemma. Kona’s not unusable, but I would try to find some others that you may like more that fit the bill.
Good [name]Luck[/name]!
I don’t know, for some reason this just sounds more masculine to me than feminine. Maybe because of [name]Conan[/name]? I don’t know. I had a Hawaiian girl in my class this year and her name was [name]Kiana[/name], which is pretty, even though I’m not a big fan of all the K names…I think if you placed it with a definite feminine middle, it might be both pretty and unusual. I live near a [name]Navy[/name] base, so the Hawaiian reference would be instantly understood.
I actually kinda like it. I’ve only heard it one other time and that was in the book “Fluke” by [name]Christopher[/name] [name]Moore[/name], but it was used for a guy. Could totally see it on a girl though, with the “a” ending and all. I’ve always thought the name [name]Leilani[/name] was gorgeous, and [name]Kai[/name] will likely be our son’s middle name if we ever have one.
well i definitely thought of [name]Hawaii[/name] when i saw it…i think its doable…ppl use other place names like [name]Paris[/name] and [name]Sienna[/name]…Kona’s def more unique…not many hawaiians around is why i suppose…it sounds masculine to me though like Kekoa or Ikaika (my sons middle name, im hawaiian too!) if u like it use it its simple and easy to say and she wont meet any other Kona’s most likely
Suggestions:
Hoku - its not as unique as Kona but not too common, it means star i love it but hubby wont go for it
Tehani - its actually Tahitian and means beautiful…its from the novel [name]Hawaii[/name]
[name]Alohi[/name] - bright
Kealoha - love…more on the masculine side though
Kawena - glowing
Mahina - moon
Mahealani - full moon
[name]Noelani[/name] - mist of heaven
Kehau - dew
'[name]Olina[/name] - joy
Kailani - ocean and sky
Kanani - beautiful
Kamele - song/happy
Yes, you guys are right that -a ending names are popular among boys in [name]Hawaii[/name], so I can see how it might seem masculine. But I saw that one of the meanings of Kona is “lady”, so I like it better for a girl.
k_lyn, I had a feeling someone would mention the dog thing. Most Kona’s probably are dogs, but I feel like a lot of dog names are being used or are on trend right now. Funny about cones…I never thought of that.
nani1984, thanks for the names. A lot of these are beautiful. In fact, Mahealani is a family name. But using a hawaiian first name is not a must for me. The middle name for sure will be Hawaiian, but I won’t have much control over that. It will likely be given near the end of my pregnancy or after birth. Since it will probably be a long name (I am guessing between 5-10 syll), I was hoping to keep the fn short.
Mostly I was just curious to know what people think about Kona, but I don’t think I could ever really use it. I think I would rather see it on someone else’s child. [name]IMO[/name], it seems sweet/cute for a little girl and exotic/unique on a grown woman.
[name]Grace[/name] [name]Park[/name]'s character on [name]Hawaii[/name] Five-0 is Kono, but the first few times they said it I thought they were saying Kona.
I like it though I agree it sounds a touch masculine. I don’t mind that on a girl, though - it gives her license to be a tough chica if she wants to, and it (masculinity in a name, not this specific one) holds a bit of cute irony if she’s a girly-girl.
I always try to get my boyfriend to talk about names, and one time, at the grocery store (I think he was looking at beers) he said he liked the name Kona. I was devastated! To me, it is definitely a name for a dog or a coffee brand. I think it is so outside of my naming style that I probably shouldn’t even be writing this reply because I dislike it so much.
