First Hawaiian Bank
Corporate brand
UnclaimedHawaii's oldest and largest locally headquartered financial institution, serving consumer and commercial customers across Hawaii, Guam, and Saipan.
Last updated August 21, 2026
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Overview
First Hawaiian Bank is a Hawaii-based commercial bank whose origins date to 1858, when Charles Reed Bishop and William A. Aldrich established Bishop & Co. in Honolulu. The institution was created under the laws of the independent Kingdom of Hawaii and became the first successful banking partnership established under those laws. From its initial basement office on Kaahumanu Street, the bank developed into the oldest and largest financial institution headquartered in Hawaii. The bank operates as the principal banking subsidiary of First Hawaiian, Inc. Its network includes branches throughout Hawaii, as well as locations in Guam and Saipan. The institution serves individual consumers, small businesses, middle-market companies, institutions, and high-net-worth clients. Its activities include deposit accounts, consumer and commercial lending, mortgage and other real-estate finance, payment and card services, wealth management, private banking, trust services, and insurance-related offerings. First Hawaiian's history has been shaped by geographic expansion and consolidation. It opened its first branch outside Honolulu in Hilo in 1910, followed by a Kauai location in Waimea in 1911. During the 1920s and 1930s it acquired or combined with several other banking institutions and changed names multiple times. The organization adopted the First Hawaiian Bank name in 1969 after Cooke Trust Company acquired it. It subsequently expanded to Guam, entered consumer finance, and completed a series of acquisitions in Hawaii and the U.S. Pacific region. A major strategic change occurred in 1998, when First Hawaiian merged with Bank of the West. The resulting holding company was renamed BancWest Corporation, while First Hawaiian Bank remained a distinct operating institution. BNP Paribas later acquired full ownership of BancWest and its subsidiaries. First Hawaiian eventually returned to independent public-market ownership: its parent company began trading on NASDAQ on August 4, 2016, in an initial public offering. BNP Paribas reduced its stake in 2018 and sold its remaining interest by January 2019. The brand's market identity is closely associated with local presence, long institutional continuity, and knowledge of Hawaii and the U.S. Pacific territories. Unlike a nationwide retail bank, First Hawaiian concentrates its physical network and relationship-banking model in a relatively limited geographic area. It competes by combining regional scale with services for households, businesses, commercial borrowers, and wealth-management clients. Its headquarters is the First Hawaiian Center in downtown Honolulu, a prominent office tower completed during the bank's period of regional expansion. As a public company, the bank is represented in the market through First Hawaiian, Inc., while the First Hawaiian Bank name remains the customer-facing banking brand.
History
First Hawaiian Bank traces its history to 1858, when Charles Reed Bishop and William A. Aldrich opened Bishop & Co. in Honolulu. Their venture operated from a basement room in Makee & Anthon's Building on Kaahumanu Street and became the first successful banking partnership formed under the laws of the independent Kingdom of Hawaii. The institution began with local commercial and deposit banking and gradually became an important part of the islands' financial infrastructure. In 1895, Samuel M. Damon acquired Bishop & Co. In the early twentieth century the bank expanded beyond Honolulu, opening a Hilo branch in 1910 and a Waimea branch on Kauai in 1911. It incorporated as the Bank of Bishop & Co. in 1919. During the 1920s it acquired the Bank of Honolulu, opened a Kona branch, and established a presence on Lanai. In 1929 it consolidated with First National Bank of Hawaii, First American Savings Bank, Army National Bank of Schofield Barracks, and Baldwin Bank of Maui. The resulting institution adopted the name Bishop First National Bank of Honolulu. Further name changes followed in 1933 and 1956, when the organization became Bishop National Bank of Hawaii at Honolulu and then Bishop National Bank of Hawaii. Cooke Trust Company acquired the bank in 1966. Three years later, in 1969, it adopted the First Hawaiian Bank name. In 1970 the bank opened its first Guam branch in Dededo, marking the beginning of its continuing Pacific-territory presence. The institution expanded its consumer-finance activities in 1975 by acquiring Hawaii Thrift & Loan, which was reorganized as First Hawaiian Creditcorp. During the 1990s it pursued a broader acquisition strategy. It acquired First Interstate Bank of Hawaii in 1991, East West Bank's Hawaii operations in 1992, and Pioneer Federal Savings Bank in 1993. In 1996 it purchased 31 branches in Oregon, Washington, and Idaho from U.S. Bancorp and placed them in a new subsidiary called Pacific One Bank. That year it also acquired ANB Financial Corporation, the owner of American National Bank in central Washington. The expansion period coincided with construction of First Hawaiian Center in Honolulu, which became the bank's headquarters and one of Hawaii's best-known office buildings. Pioneer Federal was merged into the bank in 1997, and First Hawaiian Creditcorp followed in 1998. Also in 1998, First Hawaiian merged with San Francisco-based Bank of the West. The surviving holding company was renamed BancWest Corporation; former First Hawaiian shareholders held 55 percent and Banque Nationale de Paris, the former owner of Bank of the West, held 45 percent. First Hawaiian Bank continued to operate as a separate banking institution. In 2001, the bank acquired Union Bank of California's branch network in Guam and Saipan. In December of that year, BNP Paribas completed its acquisition of BancWest and thereby obtained full ownership of First Hawaiian Bank through the holding-company structure. First Hawaiian and Bank of the West retained separate operating identities. On December 23, 2015, BNP Paribas disclosed that it was considering strategic alternatives for First Hawaiian, including a public offering. The planned separation culminated in the August 4, 2016, NASDAQ debut of First Hawaiian, Inc. BNP Paribas reduced its stake to 33.3 percent in 2018 and sold its remaining interest by January 2019. First Hawaiian Bank now operates as the principal subsidiary of the publicly traded First Hawaiian, Inc., serving customers through a Hawaii-centered network with additional branches in Guam and Saipan.
- 2019
BNP Paribas exits ownership
[1]BNP Paribas sells its remaining stake in First Hawaiian, Inc. after reducing its ownership in 2018.
- 2016
First Hawaiian, Inc. goes public
[1]The parent company begins trading on NASDAQ on August 4, returning the First Hawaiian organization to public ownership.
- 2001
Guam and Saipan network expanded
[1]First Hawaiian acquires Union Bank of California's branch network in Guam and Saipan.
- 1998
Merger with Bank of the West
[1]First Hawaiian merges with Bank of the West, creating BancWest Corporation as the surviving holding company.
- 1996
Pacific One Bank created
[1]First Hawaiian purchases 31 branches in Oregon, Washington, and Idaho from U.S. Bancorp and places them in the Pacific One Bank subsidiary. It also acquires ANB Financial Corporation.
- 1993
Pioneer Federal Savings Bank acquired
[1]First Hawaiian acquires Pioneer Federal Savings Bank, which initially continues as a separate institution.
- 1992
East West Bank Hawaii operations acquired
[1]The bank acquires East West Bank's Honolulu and Maui branches.
- 1991
First Interstate Bank of Hawaii acquired
[1]First Hawaiian expands its Hawaii banking footprint through the acquisition of First Interstate Bank of Hawaii.
- 1975
Hawaii Thrift & Loan acquired
[1]The bank acquires financially troubled Hawaii Thrift & Loan and reorganizes it as First Hawaiian Creditcorp.
- 1970
Entry into Guam
[1]First Hawaiian Bank opens its first Guam branch in Dededo.
Products and positioning
A locally rooted, full-service regional bank emphasizing long operating history, relationship banking, and coverage of Hawaii, Guam, and Saipan.
Retail banking
Consumer banking
Consumer banking services include transaction and savings accounts, time deposits, payment cards, online and mobile banking, and borrowing products for households. The offering is designed for everyday financial management and is delivered through the bank's branch network and digital channels.
Business banking
Commercial banking
Commercial banking serves businesses and institutions with deposit services, working-capital facilities, term loans, commercial real-estate finance, treasury services, and other relationship-based banking products. The bank's regional footprint supports companies operating in Hawaii and the Pacific territories.
Lending
Lending and mortgages
The lending portfolio includes consumer credit, residential mortgages, home-equity products, small-business finance, commercial loans, and real-estate lending. These products support household purchases, refinancing, business investment, and property development.
Wealth management
Wealth management, private banking, and trust
Wealth-related services extend beyond ordinary deposit and lending products to include investment and financial planning, private banking, fiduciary administration, and trust services. They are intended for affluent individuals, families, business owners, and institutions requiring more specialized support.
Insurance
Insurance services
Insurance is part of the bank's broader financial-services offering and complements its deposit, lending, and wealth-management relationships. Specific product details and current distribution arrangements are not established in the supplied reference material.
Brand decisions
2019
Exit of BNP Paribas ownershipStrategyBackground
After the 2016 public offering, BNP Paribas progressively reduced its ownership in the First Hawaiian organization.
Action taken
BNP Paribas reduced its stake to 33.3 percent in 2018 and sold its remaining interest by January 2019.
Aftermath
First Hawaiian Bank continued operating as the principal subsidiary of the publicly traded First Hawaiian, Inc. without BNP Paribas as an owner.
2016
Initial public offeringStrategyBackground
BNP Paribas announced that it was considering strategic alternatives for First Hawaiian, including a public offering.
Action taken
First Hawaiian, Inc. completed an initial public offering and began trading on NASDAQ on August 4, 2016.
Aftermath
The transaction established First Hawaiian, Inc. as a publicly traded parent and ultimately enabled BNP Paribas to reduce and then eliminate its ownership stake.
1998
Merger with Bank of the WestM&ABackground
First Hawaiian pursued a broader regional banking structure during a period of acquisition and geographic expansion.
Action taken
It merged with San Francisco-based Bank of the West. The surviving holding company was renamed BancWest Corporation, while First Hawaiian Bank continued as a separate operating bank.
Aftermath
The transaction created a larger western banking group and brought First Hawaiian into the ownership structure later controlled by BNP Paribas.
Recent events
Reported
First Hawaiian announces CFO resignation[3]
First Hawaiian announced that CFO Ravi Mallela resigned for personal reasons, with his resignation effective Jan. 7.
- Unconfirmed
First Hawaiian Bank waives ATM fees through June 30[4]
First Hawaiian Bank announced that it is waiving ATM fees through June 30, including convenience fees for non-customers withdrawing cash from its Hawaii ATM network.
Sources4 sources
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