The Aloha State
"The Aloha State" was designated as the offical "popular" nickname for the State of Hawai'i by Joint Resolution 1,30th Territorial Legislature, April 23, 1959.

Sandwich Islands
Captain Cook named the islands he discovered after the Earl of Sandwich, then First Lord of the Admiralty; however, as early as 1818, King Kamehameha 1 is reported to have protested, he said that each island should be called by its own name and the entire group referred to as the "Islands of the King of Hawai'i.
"sandwich Islands" continued to be called unofficially for many years, but its use in official communication gradually became obsolete after 1844.

Capitals
Honolulu has been the capital city of the Hawaiian Islands since February,1845, when King Kamehameha III made it his permanent residence.

 

 Island 
 Nickname
 Color 
 Flower
 O'ahu
 The Gathering Place
 Yellow
 'Ilima(Sida fallax)
 Hawai'i
 The Big Island
 Red
 Lehua(Metrosideros)
 Maui
 The Valley Isle
 Pink
 Lokelani(Small rose)
 Kaua'i
 The Garden Isle
 Purple
 Mokihana(Citrus family)
 Molokai
 The Friendly Isle
 Green
 Kukui(Candlenut tree)
 Lanai
 The pineapple Isle
 Yellow
 Kauna'oa(Native dodder)
 Ni'ihau
 The Distant Isle
 White
 Pupu(Small shells)
 Kaho'olawe
 The Forbidden Isle
 Gray
 Hinahina(heliotrope)

Honolulu
Hono means valley with a bay in front of it and -lulu means sheltered.

Waikiki
Wai means water and -kiki means to spurt, thus it translates as "spurting water"

State Bird
Hawaiian goose (Branta sandvicensis)

State Fish
"The humuhumunukunuku-a-pua'a (Rhinecanthusrectangulus), also known as the rectangular triggerfish.

Back to index