It is the ancestral land of Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei and owned by Ngāti Whatua and co-managed by the Auckland Council.

The name Okahu Bay comes from the Māori Ōkahu, meaning "the dwelling place of Kahumatamomoe".

[1] Ōkahu Bay is part of the Ōrākei ancestral land of Ngāti Whātua.

In 1869 a Native Land Court Declaration alienated the land from all but thirteen owners, effectively stripping Ngāti Whātua of the land.

[2] This Auckland Region-related geography article is a stub.