- Hon Brooke van Velden
Minister of Internal Affairs Brooke van Velden is pleased to announce the annual list of New Zealand's most popular baby names for 2024.
"For the second consecutive year, Noah has claimed the top spot for boys with 250 babies sharing the name, while Isla has returned to the most popular girls' name after narrowly missing out in 2023, with 190 baby Isla's. This marks the third time in five years that Isla has topped the list for girls, and the fourth year Noah has appeared in the top two," says Ms van Velden.
Last year the Department of Internal Affairs [Department] registered 59,199 births with a total of 19,404 unique names.
"There was a bit of regional difference last year with Jack being the most popular boy's name in the South Island, topping the charts in Canterbury, Otago, and Southland. Noah, however, led in the North Island, being the top name in Auckland, Waikato, Taranaki, and Northland regions. For girls, the most popular names were more varied across regions. Charlotte, Isla, Amelia, Lily, Harper, Aria, and Ella all earned top honours in different parts of the country.
"It's also interesting to see the popularity of the first names of the coalition leaders with Prime Minister Christopher Luxon having his first name chosen for 24 newborns. Deputy Prime Minister Winston Peters was more exclusive, with fewer than five babies being named Winston while Minister David Seymour shared his first name with 62 babies last year. My name, Brooke, was given to 14 baby girls.
"Registering your baby in New Zealand is an important first step in ensuring that they have an official identity, allowing them to access their legal rights as they grow up. SmartStart, a platform hosted by the Department of Internal Affairs, is a quick and free way to do this. It also has guidance for families about their children's first years, including information about what services and assistance may be available to families."
The Department recommend registering your baby within the first two months of birth.
To view the top baby names from 2024 and previous years, dating back to 1954, visit the SmartStart website: https://smartstart.services.govt.nz/news/baby-names
