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Home › Baby Names Directory › Hehaka

Hehaka

♂ Boy

Pronounced heh-HAH-kah

Meaning: elk

In 30 seconds: Lakota word for the bull elk — Heȟáka — an animal prized on the Great Plains for its strength, stamina, and bugling call.
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Origin Lakota, Native American
Meaningelk

History & Origin

Hehaka comes from the Lakota word heȟáka, meaning the bull elk. The elk held a respected place in Plains Lakota life and spirituality, admired for its strength and endurance and associated in ceremony with vitality and, for young men, with courtship — the bull's carrying bugle being one of the most striking sounds of the prairie. The word is best known from the name of Heȟáka Sápa (Black Elk), the Oglala Lakota wičháša wakȟáŋ (holy man) whose visions and life were recorded in the classic 1932 book Black Elk Speaks. His name joins heȟáka (elk) with sápa (black). As a given name, Hehaka carries the dignity and quiet power the Lakota attached to the animal.

Did you know? The revered Oglala holy man known in English as Black Elk bore this word in his name: Heȟáka Sápa, literally 'Black Elk,' from heȟáka (elk) and sápa (black).
Black Elk — Wikipedia — Documents Heȟáka Sápa (Black Elk): heȟáka = elk, sápa = black; Oglala Lakota holy manBlack Elk (Hehaka Sapa) — Akta Lakota Museum & Cultural Center — Lakota cultural center account confirming Hehaka Sapa and Black Elk's life

Variations

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Nicknames

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Famous Bearers

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If you like Hehaka…

Mato— Lakota name meaning 'bear,' another powerful, revered Plains animal
Tatanka— Lakota name for the buffalo bull, kindred in strength and cultural weight
Wanbli— Lakota name meaning 'eagle,' from the same sacred-animal naming tradition
Tokala— Lakota/Dakota name meaning 'fox,' another animal name from the same culture

Frequently Asked

What does Hehaka mean?

Hehaka means 'elk' — specifically the bull elk — in Lakota, from the word heȟáka. The elk was admired on the Great Plains for its strength, stamina, and bugling call.

How do you pronounce Hehaka?

heh-HAH-kah — three syllables; the second h represents a guttural sound (ȟ) in Lakota.

What culture is Hehaka from?

Hehaka is a Lakota (Sioux) word and name, best known from the Oglala Lakota holy man Heȟáka Sápa, or Black Elk.

Is Hehaka a boy or girl name?

Hehaka is most often a boy's name, fitting the bull elk and its association with masculine strength in Lakota tradition.

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