Former Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern gave her daughter the middle name Te Aroha in 2018 to reflect the love and support she received during her pregnancy, particularly from iwi who gifted her names. It also honoured Mt Te Aroha in Waikato, near where she grew up.

Such care matters because Māori naming practices are often tied to family history, tūpuna, whenua, significant events (such as World War II), and may even change across a lifetime to mark achievements.

So choosing a name in te reo isn’t always as simple as picking a word you like.

What are the dos and don’ts of naming?

While thousands of English words have been translated into te reo Māori and could be used as names, parents should research a word’s meanings, Taiuru says.

About 10 years ago, he asked Huggies to remove a list of Māori baby names from its website because some were culturally offensive. He’s since been building a list himself.

“A lot of Māori words have multiple meanings. We’ve seen that through the media in recent years where people have used the brand’s name [in te reo] meaning one thing, but it’s also meant as something quite derogatory as well.”

Views on particular words can vary across communities, so Taiuru recommends seeking multiple opinions and understanding the history of your local area. Cultural consultants can also provide advice. Many Māori names are gender-neutral.

Parents from religions with texts officially translated into te reo Māori may consider names from those texts, Taiuru says. Be aware that some common Māori names are shortened forms of deities.

“Increasingly we learn about names like Papatūānuku and Ranginui and Tāne Mahuta. Yes, they’re names, but people should be aware that they’re actually names of Māori deities, so they’re religious names and it’s highly offensive if you use those names. Most Māori people would not use those names either.”

It’s also inappropriate to use other people’s family names, marae names, iwi or hapū names, or geographic place names, because these are sacred to whānau, hapū, marae and iwi, Taiuru says.

What are the most common names in te reo Māori?

Recent Internal Affairs data shows Maia/Māia/Te Māia is the most popular name for kōtiro (girls), while Ariki/ Āriki/ Te Ariki/ te Ariki/ TeAriki/ Te-Ariki remains the top name for tama (boys).

Rounding out the top five names for kōtiro are:

For tama:

But I’m not Māori — is it okay?

While there’s no overall consensus, Taiuru’s view is that “nobody owns culture”, and as long as people are respectful, considerate and not appropriating, using a Māori name is fine. He likens it to the many people he’s met from various walks of life who want to show their appreciation by getting a kirituhi Māori tattoo design.

“The Māori language is an official language of New Zealand. A lot of us fought to have it normalised and we’re still fighting to normalise it.

“I guess that for many of us who were part of that movement, we celebrate the fact that non-Māori want to use Māori names when they’ve been chosen appropriately.”

Do I need to worry about mispronunciation?

Taiuru spent nearly two decades being called by his English second name before insisting people use Karaitiana. When he had children, he honoured his whakapapa by giving them Māori names.

“It wasn’t an easy transition [to ask people to say Karaitiana]. There’s still a bit of stigma now. I’ve seen it with my own children as well, who all have Māori names, multiple syllables.”

Te Herenga Waka/Victoria University of Wellington kaupapa Māori researcher Awanui Te Huia told RNZ’s Afternoons that the popularity of Māori names reflects a “symbolic shift towards biculturalism”.

She notes that popular names tend to have two or three syllables, unlike many whakapapa names with five or six. “It’s still about how palatable the Māori name is to general society.”

I’ve already named my child — what now?

Parents who gift a Māori name — especially of their own accord — have a responsibility to manaaki their child to ensure they can “carry” the name, Te Huia says.

“Whether it’s a whakapapa name or a noun, does that child have a community that’s going to be embracing of that type of name? Does that child have an understanding of the historical context in which that name was born from? And can they understand that this is a privilege to have a Māori name in the context of colonialism?

“We understand that there’s still a lot of historical trauma that exists with Māori taking on Māori names. So we do need to have those conversations about what has happened in the past so that those harms aren’t glossed over.”