Top Baby Names in New Zealand - Girls and Boys
Our guide outlines the most popular names for New Zealand baby boys and girls, historical trends, rising names and Māori favourites with data from Department of Internal Affairs' Births, Deaths and Marriages.
Updated 28 December 2025
Summary and Key Findings from 2024 Government Data:
Our guide covers:
Data Source
- Isla is #1 for girls (191 babies), overtaking Charlotte
- Noah is #1 for boys (251 babies), ending Oliver's reign
- 30,984 babies were registered in 2024 (16,664 boys, 14,320 girls)
- 954 unique names registered (491 boys, 463 girls)
- Victorian classics are surging - Theodore, Arthur, Hazel, Violet
- Theo jumped 11 places to #8 - the fastest rising boys' name
- Isabella climbed 10 places to #5 - the biggest girls mover
- Māori names are strong, including Nikau (#45 boys) and Maia (#27 girls)
Our guide covers:
- Top 10 Baby Names 2024
- New Zealand's #1 Baby Names Through History
- Fastest Rising Names (2019 vs 2024)
- Māori and Polynesian Names
- Frequently Asked Questions
Data Source
- All statistics are sourced from the New Zealand Department of Internal Affairs (Births, Deaths and Marriages)
- The data includes names registered 10 or more times per year. Historical data goes back to 1900.
- We anticipate the next update will be in late 2026 or early 2027 (for 2025 data)
Top 10 Baby Names 2024
The most popular names for babies born in New Zealand in 2024, based on birth registrations with the Department of Internal Affairs.
Know This: Noah ends Oliver's dominance - Oliver had been New Zealand's #1 boys name throughout the 2010s. For girls, Isla overtook Charlotte, which had been #1 in 2023. The gap between #1 and #10 is smaller for girls (57 babies) than for boys (99 babies), showing girls' names are more evenly distributed.
Know This: Noah ends Oliver's dominance - Oliver had been New Zealand's #1 boys name throughout the 2010s. For girls, Isla overtook Charlotte, which had been #1 in 2023. The gap between #1 and #10 is smaller for girls (57 babies) than for boys (99 babies), showing girls' names are more evenly distributed.
| Rank | Girls | Count | Boys | Count |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Isla | 191 | Noah | 251 |
| 2 | Amelia | 185 | Oliver | 228 |
| 3 | Charlotte | 173 | Leo | 202 |
| 4 | Lily | 159 | George | 198 |
| 5 | Isabella | 156 | Jack | 198 |
| 6 | Olivia | 154 | Luca | 193 |
| 7 | Hazel | 145 | Theodore | 189 |
| 8 | Harper | 141 | Theo | 161 |
| 9 | Mia | 137 | Elijah | 159 |
| 10 | Mila | 134 | Arthur | 152 |
Top 25 Girls Names 2024
| Rank | Name | Count | 2023 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Isla | 191 | 3 | +2 |
| 2 | Amelia | 185 | 2 | = |
| 3 | Charlotte | 173 | 1 | -2 |
| 4 | Lily | 159 | 7 | +3 |
| 5 | Isabella | 156 | 15 | +10 |
| 6 | Olivia | 154 | 4 | -2 |
| 7 | Hazel | 145 | 10 | +3 |
| 8 | Harper | 141 | 5 | -3 |
| 9 | Mia | 137 | 13 | +4 |
| 10 | Mila | 134 | 11 | +1 |
| 11 | Ava | 129 | 9 | -2 |
| 12 | Ruby | 129 | 6 | -6 |
| 13 | Sophie | 129 | 17 | +4 |
| 14 | Grace | 120 | 14 | = |
| 15 | Chloe | 114 | 16 | +1 |
| 16 | Ella | 114 | 8 | -8 |
| 17 | Aria | 113 | 12 | -5 |
| 18 | Zoe | 109 | 21 | +3 |
| 19 | Willow | 108 | 18 | -1 |
| 20 | Millie | 105 | 23 | +3 |
| 21 | Evelyn | 105 | 20 | -1 |
| 22 | Violet | 103 | 26 | +4 |
| 23 | Sophia | 103 | 24 | +1 |
| 24 | Daisy | 102 | 27 | +3 |
| 25 | Freya | 97 | 22 | -3 |
| 26 | Lucy | 96 | 28 | +2 |
| 27 | Maia | 94 | 30 | +3 |
| 28 | Ivy | 94 | 25 | -3 |
| 29 | Sienna | 92 | 29 | = |
| 30 | Amaia | 92 | 31 | +1 |
| 31 | Emily | 91 | 19 | -12 |
| 32 | Matilda | 89 | 34 | +2 |
| 33 | Olive | 88 | 32 | -1 |
| 34 | Margot | 87 | 38 | +4 |
| 35 | Maeve | 86 | 44 | +9 |
| 36 | Kaia | 85 | 40 | +4 |
| 37 | Ellie | 82 | 33 | -4 |
| 38 | Layla | 81 | 35 | -3 |
| 39 | Billie | 81 | 39 | = |
| 40 | Stella | 81 | 37 | -3 |
| 41 | Frankie | 80 | 41 | = |
| 42 | Sadie | 79 | 43 | +1 |
| 43 | Sofia | 78 | 36 | -7 |
| 44 | Georgia | 78 | 42 | -2 |
| 45 | Elsie | 75 | 46 | +1 |
| 46 | Aurora | 74 | 48 | +2 |
| 47 | Poppy | 72 | 45 | -2 |
| 48 | Riley | 72 | 50 | +2 |
| 49 | Penelope | 72 | 47 | -2 |
| 50 | Luna | 71 | 49 | -1 |
Top 25 Boys Names 2024
| Rank | Name | Count | 2023 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Noah | 251 | 1 | = |
| 2 | Oliver | 228 | 2 | = |
| 3 | Leo | 202 | 5 | +2 |
| 4 | George | 198 | 7 | +3 |
| 5 | Jack | 198 | 4 | -1 |
| 6 | Luca | 193 | 3 | -3 |
| 7 | Theodore | 189 | 6 | -1 |
| 8 | Theo | 161 | 19 | +11 |
| 9 | Elijah | 159 | 13 | +4 |
| 10 | Arthur | 152 | 11 | +1 |
| 11 | Charlie | 149 | 8 | -3 |
| 12 | James | 143 | 10 | -2 |
| 13 | Lucas | 138 | 9 | -4 |
| 14 | Henry | 137 | 12 | -2 |
| 15 | Arlo | 132 | 14 | -1 |
| 16 | Hudson | 132 | 16 | = |
| 17 | William | 132 | 17 | = |
| 18 | Archie | 131 | 15 | -3 |
| 19 | Lachlan | 121 | 23 | +4 |
| 20 | Cooper | 116 | 21 | +1 |
| 21 | Ezra | 114 | 22 | +1 |
| 22 | Finn | 114 | 24 | +2 |
| 23 | Liam | 114 | 20 | -3 |
| 24 | Thomas | 113 | 18 | -6 |
| 25 | Levi | 108 | 25 | = |
| 26 | Hugo | 107 | 26 | = |
| 27 | Oscar | 107 | 27 | = |
| 28 | Ethan | 106 | 28 | = |
| 29 | Hunter | 105 | 30 | +1 |
| 30 | Max | 103 | 29 | -1 |
| 31 | Carter | 99 | 34 | +3 |
| 32 | Louie | 98 | 35 | +3 |
| 33 | Mason | 97 | 32 | -1 |
| 34 | Felix | 94 | 33 | -1 |
| 35 | Asher | 93 | 31 | -4 |
| 36 | Austin | 88 | 40 | +4 |
| 37 | Daniel | 87 | 36 | -1 |
| 38 | Archer | 87 | 38 | = |
| 39 | Beau | 85 | 37 | -2 |
| 40 | Benjamin | 85 | 41 | +1 |
| 41 | Luke | 85 | 39 | -2 |
| 42 | Alexander | 82 | 42 | = |
| 43 | Luka | 79 | 46 | +3 |
| 44 | Roman | 79 | 48 | +4 |
| 45 | Jasper | 78 | 43 | -2 |
| 46 | Riley | 77 | 44 | -2 |
| 47 | Elias | 77 | 50 | +3 |
| 48 | Joseph | 75 | 45 | -3 |
| 49 | Harvey | 72 | 47 | -2 |
| 50 | Louis | 72 | 49 | -1 |
New Zealand's #1 Baby Names Through History
How the most popular names have changed over 125 years. Data from the Department of Internal Affairs goes back to 1900.
Know This: John dominated boys' names for an incredible 50 years (1910s-1950s). Margaret had a similar 30-year reign for girls (1920s-1940s). Today's top names are given to far fewer babies - there were 13,518 Johns in the 1940s but only 251 Noahs in 2024. Parents now have a much wider variety of names to choose from.
Total = combined registrations for that decade, sourced from DIA, 1900-2024
Know This: John dominated boys' names for an incredible 50 years (1910s-1950s). Margaret had a similar 30-year reign for girls (1920s-1940s). Today's top names are given to far fewer babies - there were 13,518 Johns in the 1940s but only 251 Noahs in 2024. Parents now have a much wider variety of names to choose from.
Total = combined registrations for that decade, sourced from DIA, 1900-2024
| Decade | Girls #1 | Total | Boys #1 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1900s | Mary | 4,705 | William | 8,593 |
| 1910s | Mary | 5,198 | John | 9,250 |
| 1920s | Margaret | 5,392 | John | 9,378 |
| 1930s | Margaret | 7,336 | John | 8,983 |
| 1940s | Margaret | 7,433 | John | 13,518 |
| 1950s | Susan | 7,240 | John | 13,142 |
| 1960s | Karen | 6,310 | David | 12,837 |
| 1970s | Lisa | 4,977 | Michael | 8,430 |
| 1980s | Sarah | 6,788 | Michael | 7,451 |
| 1990s | Jessica | 5,034 | Joshua | 6,284 |
| 2000s | Sophie | 3,152 | Jack | 4,736 |
| 2010s | Olivia | 2,705 | Oliver | 3,201 |
| 2020s | Isla | 1,073 | Oliver | 1,374 |
Fastest Rising Names (2019 vs 2024)
Names that have climbed significantly in popularity over the past five years.
Girls and Boys - Biggest Movers
Girls — Biggest Movers (2019 → 2024)
| Name | 2019 Rank | 2024 Rank | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Maeve | #140 | #35 | +105 |
| Kaia | #130 | #36 | +94 |
| Daisy | #95 | #24 | +71 |
| Margot | #104 | #34 | +70 |
| Amaia | #78 | #30 | +48 |
Boys — Biggest Movers (2019 → 2024)
| Name | 2019 Rank | 2024 Rank | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elias | #133 | #47 | +86 |
| Luka | #80 | #43 | +37 |
| Theo | #43 | #8 | +35 |
| Ezra | #52 | #21 | +31 |
| Arthur | #35 | #10 | +25 |
Popular Māori and Polynesian Names
Te reo Māori names continue to feature prominently in New Zealand birth registrations. Please note that some names like Aria and Maia have multiple cultural origins. Manaia, as an example, is also used for both boys and girls.
| Name | Gender | 2024 Count |
|---|---|---|
| Aria | Girls | 113 |
| Maia | Girls | 94 |
| Kaia | Girls | 85 |
| Koa | Boys | 48 |
| Kai | Boys | 47 |
| Nikau | Boys | 45 |
| Kiwa | Boys | 39 |
| Manaia | Girls | 37 |
| Manaia | Boys | 26 |
| Taika | Boys | 25 |
| Kahurangi | Boys | 23 |
| Wiremu | Boys | 22 |
| Aroha | Girls | 21 |
| Tui | Girls | 12 |
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the most popular baby name in New Zealand?
For 2024, Noah is #1 for boys (251 babies), and Isla is #1 for girls (191 babies). Noah took the top spot from Oliver, while Isla overtook Charlotte.
How many babies are born in New Zealand each year?
According to name registration data, approximately 31,000 babies had their names registered in 2024 (16,664 boys, 14,320 girls). Note that the total birth rate is higher - this data only includes registrations with names that appear 10+ times.
What names are trending up?
Victorian-era classics are making a strong comeback: Theodore, Arthur, Hazel, and Violet have all climbed significantly. Theo jumped 11 places in one year. For girls, Maeve, Kaia, and Margot are rising fast. Biblical names like Elijah and Ezra are also trending.
What names are declining?
Per the government's latest statistics:
- Emily has dropped significantly (174 to 91 in five years)
- Ruby, Charlotte, and Olivia are all declining from their peaks.
- For boys, Liam has fallen from #1 in 2010 to #23 in 2024.
- Thomas has also dropped out of the top 20.
Are unique names becoming more common?
Yes. In the 1940s, 13,518 boys were named John (the #1 name). In 2024, only 251 boys were named Noah. Parents are choosing from a much wider pool of names - 954 unique names were registered in 2024, compared to far fewer in previous decades. This means your child is less likely to share their name with classmates.
