The most popular Māori baby names for 2023 and 2024 have been unveiled by the Department of Internal Affairs/Te Tari Taiwhenua on Monday in recognition of Matariki, the Māori New Year.
A list of the top Māori baby names for each year has been released annually since 2013, but the department only began publishing the list to coincide with Matariki in 2023.
This past year, 'A' names clearly were a popular choice for both boys/tama and girls/kōtiro, with Ariki/Te Ariki and Aroha/Te Aroha snagging the number one spots respectively. Of the names/ingoa registered with Te Tari Taiwhenua between July 10, 2023 and June 30, 2024, 164 were Aroha/Te Aroha and 111 were Ariki/Te Ariki.
The aforementioned dates for this year's registration period are linked to the Tangaroa lunar calendar and align with the advice provided by the Matariki Advisory Committee.
The origins of each Māori name are thoroughly evaluated by both internal advisors and the kaumātua group Te Atamira Taiwhenua, the department said on Monday. The chosen names are then sent to Te Taura Whiri i te Reo Māori, the Māori Language Commission, for a final review.
The process includes developing an initial list by extracting all the names from the birth registration data that contain vowels limited to I, e, a, o, u (and their long forms); consonants limited to p, t, k, m, n, ng, wh, r, h, w; and end in a vowel.
All names also must either appear in an authoritative Māori dictionary either as a full word, or in the case of compound names (e.g., Hineteuru), the component parts should appear; or, if the name has been written with a macron, it is likely to be intended as a Māori name and should be "tested" against the guidelines.
The list is then discussed with kaumātua, and the recommendations are checked with the Māori Language Commission.
The top Māori names/ingoa for boys/tama, 2023-2024:
- Ariki/Te Ariki, 111
- Wiremu, 86
- Rāwiri, 80
- Mikaere, 65
- Nikau, 63
- Koa, 62
- Manaia, 62
- Manaaki, 59
- Kiwa, 45
- Kaitoa, 45.
The top Māori names/ingoa for girls/kōtiro, 2023-2024:
- Aroha/Te Aroha, 164
- Amaia, 110
- Maia, 103
- Anahera, 85
- Moana, 70
- Manaia, 68
- Ataahua, 54
- Marama, 51
- Atarangi, 41
- Tui, 39.
This year, Māori New Year was officially celebrated on Friday, June 28. In the Māori lunar calendar, the beginning of the new year is marked by the rising of Matariki, the Pleiades star cluster. The rising of the stars signals a time for remembrance, reflection and renewal across Aotearoa, and is celebrated with a series of events and traditions that are rooted in Māori culture.
Matariki was first recognised as a national public holiday in June 2022.
