It seems Kiwis opted for more traditional names when it came to their 2023 babies.

Revealed: Top Kiwi baby names of 2023

Lifestyle

Author: Megan Watts,
Publish Date: Wed, 10 Jan 2024, 1:03PM

“What’s in a name?”, wrote Shakespeare nearly 430 years ago - and here we are still trying to get to the bottom of it.

Choosing a name for your child is arguably one of the most stressful and painful deliberations you can make while eagerly awaiting the arrival of your bundle of joy.

A seemingly impossible task, choosing an old-fashioned name might sign your kid up for a job in accountancy, a home in the suburbs and a life filled with an assortment of brown ties and vanilla-flavoured icecream, while a “quirky” name could see your child bullied, branded as “not like the others” and covered in various piercings and tattoos by the time they are 16.

You really can’t win.

And in a shocking turn of events, research by Business Insider has determined that people’s names can actually affect their success and spending habits, as well as determine whether they are more likely to get suspended from school or not.

What’s in a name, you ask? Your child’s future, it seems.

Choosing a name for your child is arguably one of the most stressful and painful deliberations you can make while eagerly awaiting the arrival of your bundle of joy. Photo / Getty Images

With this in mind, Te Tari Taiwhenua Department of Internal Affairs has announced the release of the annual list of the most popular baby names in New Zealand for 2023 and the monikers Kiwis are giving their kids to succeed and thrive.

Topping the charts for 2023 and capturing the hearts of parents across Aotearoa, Noah and Charlotte emerged as the most popular choices.

Close behind were Oliver, Luca, Amelia and Isla, as well as Jack, Leo, Theodore, Olivia, Harper and Willow.

As in 2022, the top Māori names will be released around the time of Matariki.

New Zealand’s Registrar-General of Births, Deaths and Marriages, Russell Burnard, says that while it’s a great responsibility, naming a child is also the “greatest gift” we can give our kin.

“Naming a child is one of the greatest gifts any parent can give, and we know that much time and thought is given to this important milestone” Burnard says.

So, what names are still going strong since 2022 and which ones have been kicked to the curb?

In 2023, Noah overtook Oliver as the most popular name, ending its 10-year reign at the top of the name charts.

What’s more, the top five in 2023 consists of the same boys’ names as last year, proving that we’re hedging our bets on these monikers for smooth sailing.

When it came to the girls, Mila and Lily were booted from the top five with Olivia and Harper rising in the ranks, and Isla fell from first spot to third.

Charlotte, Amelia and Isla have been battling it out in the top three for the last five years, clearly affirming themselves as Kiwi favourites in the baby game.

Naming a child is one of the greatest gifts any parent can give, and we know that much time and thought is given to this important milestone. Photo / 123rf