Every baby born at Mater Mothers' Hospital is special, but none of them has a name as unique as this 'little princess'.
Parewahawaha Hinareia Tupulua Teataahia Appleby Kawana-Lambert Ikitau had the longest name of any of the 1,700 babies cared for in the Neonatal Critical Care Unit (NCCU) at Mater Mothers' Hospital in South Brisbane last year.
First-time mum Hinepukohurangi Kawana-Lambert and her partner Penaia Ikitau, both 21, said they gave the choice of their daughter's first name to her grandparents, who plumped for Parewahawaha.
"My parents didn't tell me her name until I was six months' pregnant, but when I heard it for the first time I fell in love with it," said Ms Kawana-Lambert, who is of Māori decent.
Parewahawaha is named after seven generations of women from her grandmother's family.
Her second name, Hinareia, means Cinderella.
"Her name is very unique in my culture," Ms Kawana-Lambert, from Brassall in Ipswich, said.
"My mum calls her a little princess, so the Cinderella part of her name is very fitting.
"She is also named after Ranginui Parewahawaha Leonard, a New Zealand weaver, farmer and respected elder who died in1984 aged 112."
Mater compiles an annual list of all the baby names recorded in its NCCU. The most popular names for girls in 2024 were Charlotte, Olivia and Amelia, with Theodore, Oliver and Henry topping the chart for boys.
Parewahawaha had nurses "stumbling" over her first name after she was born on 18 February last year.
"All the nurses and other parents we met while she was in hospital found her name hard to pronounce," Ms Kawana-Lambert said.
"Although no one could pronounce her name, they would highly admire it.
"They had never seen a baby name so long and asked if I could shorten her name so they could pronounce it.
"So, I gave them Pare, and still not many could say those four letters!
"I am proud of everyone for even wanting to pronounce her full first name during the one month she was in hospital."
Ms Kawana-Lambert said that although Parewahawaha was born at 38 weeks, she had stopped growing at around seven months' gestation.
"The doctors did what they could to keep her safe in my tummy for as long as they could," Ms Kawana-Lambert said.
Tests after Parewahawaha's birth revealed she has a rare condition – Pierre Robin syndrome – which leaves babies with a small lower jaw, breathing difficulties and often a cleft palate.
"As a young first-time mum, our journey has been tough but rewarding, especially seeing Parewahawaha finally smile and laugh – it makes it all worth it in the end," she said.
"She has a cleft palate and had some issues with her breathing, but she is thriving now thanks to the care we received at Mater.
"Our baby girl is strong, resilient, and adventurous.
"For now she is doing well, but until we have further medical appointments, we won't know what the future holds."
Mater Director of Neonatology Dr Pita Birch said staff were often intrigued by the names the unit's babies were given.
"It's really nice to hear the meaning behind a lot of the unusual names," Dr Birch said.
"We have had a few babies named after plants, gems, seasons and months, and so much more.
"Interestingly, we also had around 280 babies who were discharged without a name!"
Top 5 NCCU names for girls
- Charlotte
- Olivia
- Grace
- Amelia
- Violet
Top 5 NCCU names for boys
- Theodore
- Oliver
- Henry
- Noah
- Archie
