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Home › Baby Names Directory › Kawana

Kawana

♀ Girl

Pronounced kuh-WAH-nuh /kəˈwɑ.nə/Medium

Meaning: Kawana is an American coinage in the Lawana/Dewana/-wana family, built from a Ka- prefix and a soft -wana ending. It has no fixed etymological root; the name was made for its warm, flowing sound, so we read it honestly as a coinage.Low

In 30 seconds: Kawana is a coined name in the Lawana sound-family — a Ka- prefix on a -wana ending (said 'kuh-WAH-nuh'). It peaked in the nineteen-seventies.
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Origin LowAmerican (coined)
MeaningKawana is an American coinage in the Lawana/Dewana/-wana family, built from a Ka- prefix and a soft -wana ending. It has no fixed etymological root; the name was made for its warm, flowing sound, so we read it honestly as a coinage.
U.S. rank (2001)#16620 ↘ Falling
2001 U.S. births5 girls (0.00% of U.S. girls)
Peak year1978
Total births (all-time)≈ 960

Popularity in the U.S. · SSA data

peak 197819572001

U.S. births per year (Social Security Administration, 1880–present). Pink marker = peak year.

SSA data updated May 2026. How we source & verify this data.

History & Origin

Kawana is a coined name rather than an inherited one, joining the Ka- prefix to the -wana ending shared by Lawana and Dewana. Names of this shape were prized for their smooth, original sound, and Kawana belongs to that inventive tradition.

It appeared from the late nineteen-fifties, peaked around 1978, and faded by the two-thousands. A Kawana is likely in her forties today; the name reads as a name of its era rather than a reviving choice.

Did you know? Kawana crested around 1978, among the mellifluous -wana coinages — Lawana, Dewana, Shawana — popular in African American naming of the era.
Overall data confidence 40%
References — Kawana — coinage; -wana sound-family; 1970s peak

Variations

LawanaKawannaKwana

Nicknames

WanaKayeNana

Famous Bearers

  • Famous bearers coming soon.

If you like Kawana…

Lawana— a sister name in the same -wana family
Shawana— another rhythmic coined girl's name
Kiana— a same-era Ka-/Ki- flowing name
Lashawna— a similarly popular pick
Kaneshia— a similarly popular pick

Explore names like Kawana

By themecoinedseventiessound-family

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Frequently Asked

What does the name Kawana mean?

Kawana is a coined name in the Lawana family, built for its sound; it has no older root, which we note honestly.

How do you pronounce Kawana?

It's said kuh-WAH-nuh /kəˈwɑ.nə/ — three syllables, stress on the middle.

Is Kawana a boy or girl name?

Kawana is used as a girl's name.

How popular is Kawana?

Kawana was an uncommon coinage that peaked in the late nineteen-seventies and has been rare since.

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