According to the New Zealand Department of Internal Affairs and the Maori Language Commission (Te Taura Whiri i te Reo Maori), the country’s most popular Maori names during the second half of 2014 and the first half of 2015 were Maia and Nikau.
Here are the top 10 Maori girl names and boy names of 2014/2015:
| Girl Names | Boy Names |
|---|---|
| 1. Maia 2. Manaia 3. Anahera 4. Ana 5. Aroha 6. Kaia 7. Hana 8. Ataahua 9. Tia 10. Kora | 1. Nikau 2. Ari 3. Manaia 4. Wiremu 5. Kauri 6. Mikaere 7. Rawiri 8. Ihaia 9. Kai 10. Manaaki |
The top 10 lists above are fairly different from the Maori baby name rankings of 2013. (I don’t believe a 2014 list was released.)
One confusing difference is the absence of Aria and Ariana. Were they reclassified as non-Maori? Otherwise, Aria and Ariana should have come in first and third on this list, given how popular they’ve been in New Zealand overall lately.
Also confusing is the fact that the rankings don’t refer to corresponding periods of time. The 2013 list covers April 2012 to March 2013, whereas the 2015 list covers July 2014 to June 2015.
Maia and Nikau weren’t among New Zealand’s top ten baby names of 2015, but they did appear in the top 100: Maia was ranked 34th for girls, Nikau 97th for boys.
Source: Most popular Maori baby names in 2015
Image: Adapted from Flag of New Zealand (public domain)
