Where does “Kamehameha” come from?

Kamehameha is a Hawaiian name of unknown etymology, derived from Hawaiian ka.

Ancestry of “Kamehameha”, step by step

Kamehameha traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via Hawaiian

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Hawaiianto strike, hit, thrust, dash, hurl; container;...
2Proto-Polynesiantaʻa
3Proto-Austronesiantaqanto hold back; to keep in reserve

via Hawaiian mehameha

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Hawaiianmehamehaloneliness, solitude

Words derived from “Kamehameha

Every word from Proto-Austronesian taqanEvery word from Proto-Polynesian taʻaEvery word from Hawaiian