Māori names
55 names from the Māori naming tradition, each with its meaning, origin, pronunciation and how it is seen around the world.
- AnaheraGirlThe Māori name for "angel", adapted from the English word.
- AnaruBoyThe Māori version of Andrew, following standard Māori phonetic and spelling conventions.
- ArikiBoyAriki signifies a chief or leader in Māori culture, derived from the Māori vocabulary for social rank.
- ArohaUnisexAroha represents love and compassion in Māori, embodying deep affection and care in all relationships.
- ĀtaahuaGirlĀtaahua means beautiful in Māori, expressing aesthetic appreciation and attractiveness.
- AtarangiGirlAtarangi combines two Māori words: ata (morning) and rangi (sky), literally depicting the dawn sky.
- AtawhaiGirlAtawhai signifies kindness and compassion in Māori, representing caring and generous qualities.
- ĀwhinaGirlĀwhina means help and support in Māori, representing the idea of providing assistance and encouragement.
- HemiBoyHemi is the Māori form of James, derived from the Biblical Hebrew name.
- HēnareBoyHēnare is the Māori version of Henry, adapted to fit Māori language and pronunciation patterns.
- HineGirlA direct Māori word for a young woman or female child.
- HohepaBoyThe Māori adaptation of Joseph, keeping the English name's phonetic structure within te reo Māori conventions.
- HoneBoyA Māori form of John, adapted to Māori phonetic conventions.
- HuhanaGirlThe Māori version of Susan, adjusted to suit Māori language phonetics.
- HuiaUnisexNamed after an extinct New Zealand bird, the huia, once valued by Māori for its striking feathers.
- KahurangiUnisexDerived from the Māori term for a type of jade or greenstone found in New Zealand, literally meaning 'sky blue'.
- KaitoaBoyA Māori word meaning 'warrior' or 'fighter'.
- KatarainaGirlThe Māori adaptation of Katherine, shaped to fit Māori phonetic patterns.
- KauriBoyNamed after the kauri tree, a large native conifer of Aotearoa New Zealand.
- KiriGirlA Māori word meaning the outer covering or bark of a tree or the skin of a fruit.
- KiritapuGirlFrom Māori kiri (skin) and tapu (sacred): literally "sacred skin", signifying virginity or unmarried status.
- KiwaUnisexFrom Māori kiwa, "dark".
- Koa (Māori)UnisexFrom Māori: "happy" or "joyful".
- MaataGirlThe Māori adaptation of the name Martha, borrowed and naturalised into Māori naming conventions.
- ManaakiBoyFrom Māori manaaki: "to care for, to support, to show hospitality and generosity".
- ManaiaUnisexNamed after the manaia, a spiritual figure in Māori tradition: a creature depicted as a human body with the head of a…
- MaramaUnisexMāori for "moon", and by extension "month".
- MereGirlMary, as Māori speakers say it; the same spelling is also used in Fiji.
- MikaereBoyThe Māori adaptation of the biblical name Michael, naturalised into Māori pronunciation and spelling.
- NgahuiaGirlA compound Māori name joining the plural marker with the huia, a now-extinct native New Zealand bird: "the huias".
- NgaioGirlFrom Māori: the name of a small native New Zealand tree (family Myrtaceae), also known as the mousehole tree.
- NgaireGirlPossibly derived from Ngaere, a place name in the Waikato region of New Zealand meaning "wetland" or "marshy place" in…
- NīkauBoyFrom Māori: the name of a native New Zealand palm tree (Rhopalostylis sapida), the only native palm species in the…
- NikoraUnisexThe Māori adaptation of Nicholas (meaning "victory of the people") or Nicole (meaning "victory of the people").
- PaoraBoyThe Māori form of Paul, from Latin meaning "small" or "humble".
- PatarikiBoyThe Māori adaptation of Patrick, from Latin meaning "of noble birth".
- PeteraBoyThe Māori form of Peter, from Greek meaning "stone" or "rock".
- PiripiBoyThe Māori form of Philip, from Greek meaning "lover of horses".
- RangiBoyFrom Māori rangi, "sky".
- RangimārieGirlFrom Māori rāngi "sky" and mārie "peaceful, calm, serene".
- RāwiriBoyThe Māori form of David, from Hebrew meaning "beloved".
- RoimataGirlFrom Māori roi "eye" and mata "eye", combining to mean "teardrop".
- RuihaGirlThe Māori form of Louisa, from Germanic roots meaning "famous warrior".
- TamaBoyFrom Māori tama, meaning "son" or "boy".
- TamatiBoyFrom Greek Thomas: "twin".
- TāneBoyFrom Māori tāne, "man".
- Te ArikiBoyFrom te (the) and ariki (chief): "the chief".
- Te RangiBoyFrom te (the) and rangi (sky): "the sky".
- TimotiBoyFrom Greek Timothy: "honouring God".
- TipeneBoyFrom Greek Stephen: "crowned".
- ToaBoyMeans "warrior" in Māori.
- Tui (Māori)GirlThe name of a native New Zealand songbird with a distinctive appearance.
- WaimarieGirlFrom wai (water, precious) and marie (calm, peaceful): "good luck" or "blessed fortune".
- WhetūUnisexMeans "star" in Māori.
- WiremuBoyFrom Germanic William: "resolute protector" or "strong-willed warrior".