Popular Names in New Zealand
The most popular names in New Zealand in 2025 were Isla, for the second year in a row, and Noah, which stays at Number 1 for the third year running.
Along with Isla, the top girl names include Charlotte, Amelia, Hazel, and Olivia. After Noah, the top boy names were Luca, Oliver, George, and Theodore.
New Zealand's baby name charts have a lot in common with its neighbor Australia, as well as the US and UK, but they also have their own distinctive style. Names in the Top 100 especially popular with Kiwi parents include Indie and Kaia, Niko and Kiwa.
New Zealand has strict rules about what parents can name their children. Names that could be mistaken for a title, such as Princess or Justice, are usually rejected, as are numbers and other names that are judged to have a negative impact, like Rogue.
New Zealand / Aotearoa also publishes the top Māori baby names annually, around the Māori new year (Matariki) in June or July. What counts as a Māori name is determined by the Department of Internal Affairs, in consultation with a group of elders and the Māori language board.
In 2024-25, the most popular Māori girl names were Aroha or Te Aroha (meaning "love"), followed by Maia, Moana, Anahera, Atarangi, Manaia, Rangimarie, Rangi, Marama, and Tui.
The top Māori boy names were Ariki or Te Ariki (meaning "ruler, chief"), followed by Wiremu, Koa, Mikaere, Rangi, Nikau, Rāwiri, Kiwa, Kahurangi, and Manaaki.
Source: SmartStart
For popular names lists from around the world, visit our main Popular Names page. You may also enjoy Nameberry's frequently-updated lists of Popular Girl Names and Popular Boy Names.
Girl Names
Boy Names
Introducing the Nameberry App
- Swipe through thousands of names with your partner
- Names you match on are saved to your shared list
- Get personalized recommendations that learn based on your and your partner's preferences
- Partner with friends and family to find names you all love
- Backed by Nameberry's 20 years of data around name preferences.