Chinese people called them t'an-hsiang shan, or Sandalwood Hills, because they were a source of sandalwood during the early nineteenth century.
中國人稱夏威夷群島為檀香山，是因為當地盛產會散發陣陣清香的檀香木。但是，這些昂貴的珍木，早在華人於十九世紀中葉大批遷移到檀香山之前，就已被外國貿易商在四十年內砍伐殆盡，高價售往中國的廣州。