Meaning and background
The story behind Kahuna
Kahuna has specific cultural and colloquial senses in the checked English dictionary. Merriam-Webster records a Hawaiian religious practitioner and a broader pre-eminent person or thing, familiar in the expression big kahuna. A household may intend one of those associations when naming a dog, so the actual connection should be identified. The word entry documents English usage rather than establishing a traditional personal-name etymology for every Kahuna.
- Association
- English word with Hawaiian religious-practitioner and pre-eminent-person/thing senses. Source
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Everyday moments“Kahuna, come here!”
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About Kahuna
Recorded as a dog’s name
Kahuna appears in 2 dog licence records in the 2017 New York City dataset.
How to read this count
These records cover New York City and may count the same dog in more than one licence period. They are not a national popularity ranking.
Pronunciation and rhythm
/kəhunə/
US English sound sequence, converted from the CMU dictionary. Stress marks are shown separately.
Stress on the second syllable in the recorded US readings.
View dictionary notation
/kəhunə/ · primary stress on syllable 2K AH0 HH UW1 N AH0
These are US dictionary readings. Personal, regional and other language pronunciations may differ.
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Sources and research notes (2)
- New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene NYC Dog Licensing Dataset — all seven available extract years, retrieved 24 October 2026 — Recorded name spellings in NYC licence-period rows, extract years 2016–2018, 2022–2024 and 2026. Evidence selects one stated year per name. Annual snapshots overlap; never sum them as unique dogs. No national popularity, etymology or owner naming-intent claim.
- Carnegie Mellon University / CMU Sphinx maintainers CMU US English Pronouncing Dictionary — US English dictionary readings; not owner-specific or exhaustive multilingual pronunciation
References support the individual facts shown. A source link does not mean the entire profile has been verified.