Expert: Malia - 1/3/2009

Question
When I was born, my mom, a Maui native, told me my name meant "Gift from Heaven".  From every thing I've read, "Ho'onani" means "to beautify".  I would love clarification of the meaning of my first name.  After 43 years, I'm curious.

Answer
Aloha,
Sorry for the late reply.
I just got back from Europe and then found out after a 28 hour trip that my computer had crashed. Your Mom is right, Ho'onani means to beautify.
Nani means beautiful in Hawaiian and Ho'o is always standing in front of an action, in this case making it beautiful.
Hope this helps. Say thank you to your Mom, what a beautiful name to be given.
Malia