"The right thing to do is to give proper recognition to Maori and English place names.''
The map was created by researchers at Te Punaha Matatini, a centre of research hosted by the University of Auckland, as well as Dragonfly Data Science.
The aim is to further the Maori language in today's society by creating technology similar to that seen with Apple's Siri.
A spokesman for Te Taura Whiri i te Reo Maori - The Maori Language Commission - said a lot of work had recently been done by the people of Ngai Tahu, based in Te Waipounamu (South Island), to maintain Maori names for places, rivers and lakes in the south.
Referring to the map, the spokesman said: "We think [the] resource is great not only for te reo Maori but for understanding our history and the bicultural naming of our land."