What does “Hua Nani” mean?

We welcome and appreciate your curiosity about the meaning of our name.

To understand the meaning of “Hua Nani,” you must first know a little bit about the Hawaiian language (‘ōlelo Hawai‘i). The beauty and genius of the Hawaiian language is in its subtleties. Words and phrases often have multiple, layered meanings that can be interpreted in different ways depending on the context. This is especially true for names. A person might share the surface-level meaning of their name with a new acquaintance, whereas a close family member may be a party to many more layers of depth of meaning. 

At one time, Hawaiian was the language spoken on all the Hawaiian islands, and in the 1800s it was the language of the Hawaiian nation’s government in public offices, the courts, the school system, and the legislature. Between 1834 and 1948, Hawaiʻi saw the publication of over 100 different Hawaiian-language newspapers. Native Hawaiian literacy rates were amongst the highest in the world at this time, and Hawaiian was the most widely used language among the general public, including non-Native Hawaiians. However, with the illegal overthrow of the Hawaiian monarchy in 1898 came the suppression of the Hawaiian language. This occurred officially, through laws that required English as the main language of school instruction and as the official language of Hawaiʻi. Language suppression also occurred unofficially, as a result of racism, language shaming, and as Native Hawaiians became a minority in Hawaiʻi, due to steep population decline from European-borne illnesses along with multiple waves of migration from the U.S. continent and elsewhere. 

Significant work has been done to revitalize the Hawaiian language and culture, particularly as a result of a Hawaiian cultural renaissance in the 1970s. In 1978 the state constitution recognized Hawaiian as an official state language, and in 1987, a few public schools began teaching in Hawaiian. Nevertheless, Hawaiian is still considered a critically endangered language today.

As a Native Hawaiian-owned business based in Hawai‘i, it was important to us to adopt a Hawaiian name as a way to perpetuate the vitality of our Hawaiian language and culture. We understand that some people may find the feeling of Hawaiian words in their mouths to be foreign and uncomfortable. We also acknowledge that such discomfort represents a fraction of the anguish felt by Native Hawaiians as a result of the linguistic and cultural erasure that has occurred over the past 100+ years. We understand that some may feel shy about mispronouncing the name, and we appreciate all who make an effort to pronounce and understand it. There are no silent letters in the Hawaiian language so it is pronounced as it is spelled (very like Spanish); you can hear the pronunciation here. 

“Hua Nani” means “beautiful fruit.” It signifies fruitfulness, growth, and potential and speaks to the goal of our practice: “seeding and scaling the next generation of equitable climate solutions.” “Hua Nani” reflects the work we do to help incubate and grow initiatives that contribute to a more just, resilient, and climate-safe future. 

Hua: means fruit, egg, or seed; "to bear fruit" or "the result of your work." It also describes the phase in which the moon is waxing and nearly full. The night of the hua moon is considered sacred to the Hawaiian god of agriculture, and is good luck for planting and fishing. 

Nani: means beautiful, excellent, “a good thing”; to be manifested or known as glorious.