Kainoa is a Hawaiian name that is usually explained as "the namesake", from ka inoa, "the name", given to a child named after a relative; a second reading combines kai, "sea", and noa, "free". It is well established in Hawaii and among Pacific Islander families on the mainland. In the United States Kainoa has stayed between number 1500 and 2050 for 25 years, from number 1772 in 2000 to a peak of number 1563 in 2005 and number 1716 in 2025.