Hawaii Was Originally Named After the Earl of Sandwich
The name “Hawaii” has its origins in the Proto-Polynesian word “Hawaiki,” which translates to “Place of the Gods” or “Country.” 1778 Captain James Cook arrived at Waimea Bay on Kauai, becoming the first European to encounter the Hawaiian Islands.
Captain Cook initially named the islands “the Sandwich Islands” in honor of the Earl of Sandwich. This name persisted until King Kamehameha I unified the islands under his rule in 1819, establishing the “Kingdom of Hawaii.”
