A new baby name has taken out the top spot for New Zealand families in 2020.
Isla beat Charlotte and Amelia to debut as the most popular baby name given to girls in 2020 while Oliver remains as the most popular name given to boys for the eighth year in a row.
Nikau and Mia took out the top spots for Māori names after topping the list for several years and Taylor and Darcy were the most evenly split gender-neutral names with a 51/49 percent divide between boys and girls.
And despite Jacindas, Judiths, and Ashleys appearing frequently in the media over the course of 2020, they didn't make the top 10, nor was there an increase in the use of the names.
It's the first time Isla has made it to the top of the list after debuting in the top 100 in 2004.
Charlotte remains in second place while 2019's first place Amelia has dropped to third.
Jack was the second most popular name for boys in 2020 followed by Noah.
A total of 17,749 different first names were given to 58,676 babies in 2020, a little less than 2019 where 18,816 different names were given to 61,018 babies.
2020's Top 10 Girls Names:
- Isla
- Charlotte
- Amelia
- Olivia
- Willow
- Harper
- Ava
- Lily
- Sophie
- Ella
2020's Top 10 Boys Names:
- Oliver
- Jack
- Noah
- Leo
- Lucas
- George
- Charlie
- William
- Thomas
- Hunter
2020's Top 10 Māori Girls Names:
- Mia
- Aria
- Maia
- Amaia
- Kora
- Kaia
- Aroha
- Anahera
- Tiana
- Kaea
2020's Top 10 Māori Boys Names:
- Nikau
- Manaia
- Ari
- Mikaere
- Koa
- Ihaia
- Manaaki
- Te Ariki
- Taika
- Mateo
- Wiremu
The full list of most popular baby names can be found on SmartStart, an online tool for new parents.
There has been debate about whether Mia is a 'Māori name'. DIA has previously said it works with the Māori Language Commission to define what qualifies as a 'Māori name'.
Jeff Mongomery, Registrar-General Births, Deaths and Marriages at the Department of Internal Affairs says registering your baby using SmartStart is an important step, ensuring your child has an official identity and can access their legal rights as they grow up.
"The last thing new parents want to be doing is filling out a raft of forms. SmartStart is a free, fast and efficient way to register your child, receive the $60 a week BestStart payment, get an IRD number and even adjust a Ministry of Social Development benefit. You can complete those tasks anytime, on any device through SmartStart," Montgomery says.
