Island of Hawai‘i renamed to simply ‘Hawai‘i’

The recent decision to rename the “Island of Hawai‘i” to simply Hawai‘i could create some confusion, said Hawai‘i County Mayor Kimo Alameda.

The Hawaiʻi Board on Geographic Names, part of the State of Hawai‘i Office of Planning and Sustainable Development, officially voted to change the name during its meeting on Dec. 10.

“We have a state that’s called Hawai‘i,” Alameda said Monday, adding the “Island” in the previous name helped distinguish it from the state. “Now going back to just Hawai‘i could be confusing. Hawai‘i Island is how I would’ve kept it.”

Initial discussions on the name change began in March 2024, when members of the board expressed a desire to discuss the official name of the largest island in the Hawaiian Archipelago.

“Members proposed a review of the name, given that it is the only island in the archipelago whose name includes the phrase ‘Island of,'” according to an explanation posted on the board’s website.

The board wanted more uniformity among the main Hawaiian Islands.

The discussion was officially put on the agenda for the board’s April 2024 meeting. At that time, there were concerns over the lack of notice and many emails and calls were sent to the Office of Planning and Sustainable Development, asking for clarification.

After more than a year of discussion, the board voted four ayes and two abstentions to change the name.

“If it’s just for map purposes, it’s not going to mess up our letterhead,” Alameda said.

“Island of Hawai‘i” will be used as a variant name.

The Hawaiʻi State Board on Geographic Names was created by Act 50 of the 1974 Hawaiʻi State Legislature. The act states that the purpose of the Board is “… to assure uniformity in the use and spelling of the names of geographic features within the State.”