In the Pacific Islands, it is known as "filinganga" in the Northern Marianas; "trongkon-mames" in Guam; "gumorni spanis" in Yap; "kasia kula" or "mohemohe" in Tonga; "marmar" in New Guinea; "ohai" in Hawaii; "tamalini" or "tamaligi" in Samoa; and "vaivai ni vavalangi" or "sirsa" in Fiji. The latter comes from "vaivai" "watery" (in allusion to the tree's "rain") + "vavalagi" "foreign". In some parts of Vanua Levu, Fiji the word "vaivai" is used to describe the lebbeck, because of the sound the seedpods make, and the word "mocemoce" (sleepy, or sleeping) is used for A. saman due to the 'sleepiness' of its leaves.