A north Canterbury stream's highly offensive name could soon be history.
The New Zealand Geographic Board is looking to rename N***** Stream, which flows south from Mt Turnbull in the foothills of Southern Alps.
The board had proposed to rename it Steelhead Stream, but that name was rejected after public consultation.
Several submissions had noted trout in the stream were not of the sea-running steelhead trout variety, which meant one of the reasons for calling it Steelhead Stream was not valid.
The board is now proposing a new name - Pukio Stream.
Te Aka Maori-English dictionary describes Pukio as a type of sedge - called "n*****head" by early English colonists - which grows in swampy areas around New Zealand.
Submissions in support of the name, or suggestions for a different name, can be mailed to the board or submitted to the Land Information New Zealand website by August 26.