In 1998, Guam’s legislature changed Hagåtña back from the name Agana. The change restored the village’s original Chamorro form, written Hagåtña, as the official name of Guam’s capital.
The settlement had long been known as Agana or Agaña in Spanish and English usage. The Chamorro name reflects Guam’s Indigenous language and heritage. “Hagåt” is associated with the word for blood, while the suffix “-ña” has possessive or comparative meanings; the precise interpretation of the full name is debated.
Hagåtña remains Guam’s seat of government even though it is one of the territory’s smallest villages by both area and population. The name change does not apply to neighboring Agana Heights, whose name remains unchanged. This distinction is a common source of confusion: Agana is the former name of the capital, while Agana Heights is a separate nearby village.