Bay of Plenty Times
  • Bay of Plenty Times home
  • Latest news
  • Business
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Property
  • Sport
  • Video
  • Death notices
  • Classifieds

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • On The Up
  • Business
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Property
    • All Property
    • Residential property listings
  • Rural
    • All Rural
    • Dairy farming
    • Sheep & beef farming
    • Horticulture
    • Animal health
    • Rural business
    • Rural life
    • Rural technology
  • Sport

Locations

  • Coromandel & Hauraki
  • Katikati
  • Tauranga
  • Mount Maunganui
  • Pāpāmoa
  • Te Puke
  • Whakatāne
  • Rotorua

Media

  • Video
  • Photo galleries
  • Today's Paper - E-Editions
  • Photo sales
  • Classifieds

Weather

  • Thames
  • Tauranga
  • Whakatāne
  • Rotorua

NZME Network

  • Advertise with NZME
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • BusinessDesk
  • Newstalk ZB
  • What the Actual
  • Sunlive
  • ZM
  • The Hits
  • Coast
  • Radio Hauraki
  • The Alternative Commentary Collective
  • Gold
  • Flava
  • iHeart Radio
  • Hokonui
  • Radio Wanaka
  • iHeartCountry New Zealand
  • Restaurant Hub
  • NZME Events

SubscribeSign In
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Home / Bay of Plenty Times

And 2019's most popular baby names were ...

Bay of Plenty Times
6 Jan, 2020 04:12 AM3 mins to read

Subscribe to listen

Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen.
Already a subscriber?  Sign in here

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌
Save

    Share this article

New Zealand's most popular names of 2019 for boys and girls have just been revealed. Photo / 123RF

New Zealand's most popular names of 2019 for boys and girls have just been revealed. Photo / 123RF

Expect to see a lot more little Amelias toddling around our playgrounds, with the classic name proving the most popular among baby girls in 2019.

While Amelia edged out Charlotte, 2018's favourite, Oliver topped the list for boys for the seventh time.

Nikau and Mia were the most popular Māori names, followed by Mikaere and Aria.

While Amelia has been in the top 10 since 2011, Charlotte and Olivia have swapped first and second place many times over that period.

Charlotte topped the list in 2013, 2014, 2017 and 2018, and was ranked second most popular this year. Isla came in third. Noah was the second most popular name for boys and Leo the third.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Willow and Mila were new entries in the girls' top 10, while Sophie and Ruby made a re-appearance, as did Thomas and Charlie in the boys' top 10 list.

Nikau remains number one for the most popular Māori boy's name, having topped the list for the past few years.

It was the second year Mia topped the list for girls' names.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Taika and Rawiri entered the top 10 Māori boys' names, and Tui and Ataahua made it into the top 10 Māori girls' names for the first time since records began.

Registrar-General Births, Deaths and Marriages, Jeff Montgomery, said an increasing popularity of Māori names worldwide was also exciting to see.

"Our names are an important part of our identity, our culture, and often, our heritage," he said.

"People of all different beliefs and cultures recognise that the naming of a child is powerful and significant. It's great to see more Māori names being registered."

A total of 18,816 different first names were given to 61,018 babies in 2019. In 2018 there were 13,668 different first names for 59,302 babies.

Montgomery encouraged parents to use the SmartStart tool to register their babies.

"The last thing new parents want to be doing is filling out a raft of forms - SmartStart is a free, fast, and efficient way to register your child, receive the $60 a week BestStart payment, obtain an IRD number, and even adjust a Ministry of Social Development benefit.

"You can complete those tasks anytime, on any device."

2019's most popular baby names (by count)

GIRLS

1. Amelia (255)
2. Charlotte (248)
3. Isla (232)
4. Olivia (225)
5. Ruby (206)
6. Sophie (190)
7. Harper (188)
8. Mila (187)
9. Willow (186)
10. Ava (185)

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

BOYS

1. Oliver (335)
2. Noah (297)
3. Leo (257)
4. Jack (251)
5. Lucas (247)
6. George (232)
7= James (210)
7= William (210)
8. Thomas (202)
9. Charlie (192)

Save

    Share this article

Latest from Bay of Plenty Times

Bay of Plenty Times

Traffic delays: Truck breakdown and SH29A crash

13 May 09:29 PM
Bay of Plenty Times

‘Addicted to spending’: Ratepayers fight ‘wicked’ 12% rates rise

13 May 07:08 PM
Bay of Plenty Times

Coromandel baches for under $1m - entry-level holiday homes dropping in price

13 May 06:31 PM

One tiny baby’s fight to survive

sponsored
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Latest from Bay of Plenty Times

Traffic delays: Truck breakdown and SH29A crash

Traffic delays: Truck breakdown and SH29A crash

13 May 09:29 PM

Emergency services are at the scene of a crash on SH29A, near Maungatapu.

‘Addicted to spending’: Ratepayers fight ‘wicked’ 12% rates rise

‘Addicted to spending’: Ratepayers fight ‘wicked’ 12% rates rise

13 May 07:08 PM
Coromandel baches for under $1m - entry-level holiday homes dropping in price

Coromandel baches for under $1m - entry-level holiday homes dropping in price

13 May 06:31 PM
Another protected bird euthanised after found with injury

Another protected bird euthanised after found with injury

13 May 01:28 AM
Connected workers are safer workers 
sponsored

Connected workers are safer workers 

NZ Herald
  • About NZ Herald
  • Meet the journalists
  • Newsletters
  • Classifieds
  • Help & support
  • Contact us
  • House rules
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Competition terms & conditions
  • Our use of AI
Subscriber Services
  • Bay of Plenty Times e-edition
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Subscribe to the Bay of Plenty Times
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • The Northern Advocate
  • Waikato Herald
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • Hawke's Bay Today
  • Whanganui Chronicle
  • Viva
  • NZ Listener
  • What the Actual
  • Newstalk ZB
  • BusinessDesk
  • OneRoof
  • Driven CarGuide
  • iHeart Radio
  • Restaurant Hub
NZME
  • About NZME
  • NZME careers
  • Advertise with NZME
  • Digital self-service advertising
  • Book your classified ad
  • Photo sales
  • NZME Events
  • © Copyright 2025 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP