Legends of the Islands Names: Funafuti

According to legend Funafuti people originated from Samoa, arriving by canoe. The founding ancestors were Telematua and his two wives Futi (meaning banana) and Tupu (meaning "holy" or "abundant").

The island is named after the wife Futi, while funa is a feminine prefix.

The travellers first settled on Funafala islet before

shifting to Fongafale, where the main village is still situated.

Later, leaving Futi on Funafuti, Telematua, searching for a land of greater fertility and where fresh water was more plentiful, discovered Vaitupu. There he left Tupu and henceforth he divided his time between the two islands.