Charlotte and Oliver were New Zealand's top baby names in 2021

NZ Herald

10 Jan, 2022 02:08 AM3 mins to read

The Department of Internal Affairs has released the top baby names in Aotearoa in 2021. Photo / 123rf

Charlotte was the top name for baby girls born in 2021 in New Zealand while Oliver was the top name for boys in the same period.

The top boy name has held that spot since 2013 but Charlotte has just reached the top spot, after two years in second place.

Isla and Amelia came second and third as the top baby names for girls, while Noah and Jack were second and third for boys.

As far as gender-neutral names, Manaia comes in as the most evenly-split gender-neutral name, with a 50/50 split for boys and girls, with Quinn not far behind it.

Mia was the top Māori name for baby girls in 2021 while Nikau took the top spot for Māori names for baby boys.

In 2021, 56,013 births were registered in Aotearoa, with a total of 16,790 different first names.

The figures show a slow decline in births from the previous two years. A total of 17,749 different first names were given to 58,676 babies born in 2020. In 2019, there were 18,816 different first names given to 61,018 babies.

The list has been released by Department of Internal Affairs, which also showed that, in 2021, 99 per cent of babies born in Aotearoa were registered using SmartStart, the online tool for new parents.

"SmartStart makes it easy for parents to find out all the things that need to be done when a baby is born, starting with registering the birth", says Registrar-General Births, Deaths and Marriages Jeff Montgomery.

"Registering your newborn makes sure they have an official identity from birth, so they can access their legal rights as they grow up."

Here are the top 10 baby names in Aotearoa in 2021: