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Revealed: Top Kiwi baby names of 2023

Author
Megan Watts,
Publish Date
Wed, 10 Jan 2024, 1:03pm
It seems Kiwis opted for more traditional names when it came to their 2023 babies.
It seems Kiwis opted for more traditional names when it came to their 2023 babies.

Revealed: Top Kiwi baby names of 2023

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 ImagesChoosing 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 / 123rfNaming 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 

Top boys’ names 2023 

  1. Noah 
  2. Oliver 
  3. Luca 
  4. Jack 
  5. Leo 
  6. Theodore 
  7. George 
  8. Henry 
  9. Charlie 
  10. Hudson 
  11. Arthur 
  12. Arlo 
  13. Elijah 
  14. William 
  15. James 
  16. Lucas 
  17. Liam 
  18. Thomas 
  19. Theo 
  20. Oscar 
  21. Cooper 
  22. Beau 
  23. Hugo 
  24. Ethan 
  25. Ezra 
  26. Mason 
  27. Archie 
  28. Levi 
  29. Max 
  30. Carter 
  31. Felix 
  32. Finn 
  33. Alexander 
  34. Lachlan 
  35. Asher 
  36. Hunter 
  37. Louie 
  38. Luke 
  39. Benjamin 
  40. Harry 
  41. Jackson 
  42. Archer 
  43. Micah 
  44. Riley 
  45. Caleb 
  46. Isaac 
  47. Louis 
  48. Austin 
  49. Luka 
  50. Samuel 
  51. Jordan 
  52. Sebastian 
  53. Daniel 
  54. Ezekiel 
  55. Eli 
  56. Jasper 
  57. Ryan 
  58. Blake 
  59. Harvey 
  60. Harrison 
  61. Nikau 
  62. Grayson 
  63. Roman 
  64. Zion 
  65. Toby 
  66. Jacob 
  67. Joshua 
  68. Tommy 
  69. Joseph 
  70. Nathan 
  71. Spencer 
  72. Bodhi 
  73. Edward 
  74. Miles 
  75. Oakley 
  76. Ryder 
  77. Jayden 
  78. Malakai 
  79. Logan 
  80. Elias 
  81. Gabriel 
  82. River 
  83. Angus 
  84. Lincoln 
  85. Nico 
  86. Billy 
  87. Ari 
  88. Enzo 
  89. Adam 
  90. Freddie 
  91. Harley 
  92. Myles 
  93. Atlas 
  94. Isaiah 
  95. Leon 
  96. Niko 
  97. Zorawar 
  98. Braxton 
  99. Matthew 
  100. Aiden 

Top girls’ names 2023 

  1. Charlotte 
  2. Amelia 
  3. Isla 
  4. Olivia 
  5. Harper 
  6. Willow 
  7. Lily 
  8. Ava 
  9. Ella 
  10. Hazel 
  11. Mila 
  12. Evelyn 
  13. Mia 
  14. Sophie 
  15. Isabella 
  16. Aria 
  17. Ruby 
  18. Grace 
  19. Millie 
  20. Florence 
  21. Lucy 
  22. Ivy 
  23. Chloe 
  24. Zoe 1 
  25. Maeve 
  26. Daisy 
  27. Matilda 
  28. Sadie 
  29. Sophia 
  30. Emily 
  31. Freya 
  32. Luna 
  33. Olive 
  34. Georgia 
  35. Maia 
  36. Poppy 
  37. Frankie 
  38. Violet 
  39. Mackenzie 
  40. Ellie 
  41. Riley 
  42. Aurora 
  43. Bella 
  44. Madison 
  45. Penelope 
  46. Kaia 
  47. Zara 
  48. Billie 
  49. Quinn 
  50. Layla 
  51. Amaia 
  52. Eleanor 
  53. Sienna 
  54. Bonnie 
  55. Isabelle 
  56. Phoebe 
  57. Abigail 
  58. Eden 
  59. Emilia 
  60. Eva 
  61. Sofia 
  62. Stella 
  63. Delilah 
  64. Aaliyah 
  65. Scarlett 
  66. Kiara 
  67. Emma 
  68. Alice 
  69. Molly 
  70. Thea 
  71. Indie 
  72. Maya 
  73. Ayla 
  74. Elsie 
  75. Evie 
  76. Margot 
  77. Hannah 
  78. Ada 
  79. Esther 
  80. Harlow 
  81. Maddison 
  82. Cleo 
  83. Harriet 
  84. Manaia 
  85. Elizabeth 
  86. Iris 
  87. Summer 
  88. Arabella 
  89. Maisie 
  90. Amber 
  91. Tilly 
  92. Addison 
  93. Rehmat 
  94. Zoey 
  95. Eliana 
  96. Marley 
  97. Skylar 
  98. Faith 
  99. Clara 
  100. Piper 

Top boys’ names since records began in 1848 

  1. John
  2. William
  3. James
  4. David
  5. Robert
  6. Michael
  7. Peter
  8. Thomas
  9. George
  10. Richard

Top girls’ names since records began in 1848 

  1. Mary
  2. Margaret
  3. Elizabeth
  4. Sarah
  5. Patricia
  6. Catherine
  7. Susan
  8. Helen
  9. Emma
  10. Alice

Information gathered by SmartStart 

 

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