Top baby names in Northland for 2023 unveiled

News Director·Northern Advocate·

10 Jan, 2024 05:28 AM2 mins to read

Northland bucks the trend when it comes to some favourite baby names. Photo / 123rf

Northland has gone out on a limb when it comes to the country’s most popular baby names for boys last year.

Te Tari Taiwhenua Department of Internal Affairs has revealed the chart-topping names for children born in 2023 nationwide are Noah and Charlotte.

While Northland followed suit when it came to girls’ names, it bucked the trend for boys - as Leo was most sought after.

Eleven Leos were born in the region last year, followed closely by nine Jacks and nine Nikaus. The top three boy names nationally were Noah, Oliver, and Luca.

Noah overtook Oliver as the most popular boys’ name, ending its 10-year reign at the top of the name charts.

It seems Northlanders don’t mind the country’s taste when it comes to names for girls. Charlotte, Amelia and Isla were the top picks nationwide. In Northland, Charlotte remained the favourite but with Lily in second place, followed by Isla.

Isla was the front-running name in 2022. Charlotte, Amelia and Isla have been battling it out in the top three for the last five years, clearly affirming themselves as Kiwi favourites in the baby game.

As in 2022, the top Māori names will be released around the time of Matariki.

New Zealand’s Registrar-General of Births, Deaths and Marriages, Russell Burnard, said that while it’s a great responsibility, naming a child is also the “greatest gift” we can give our kin.

“Naming a child is one of the greatest gifts any parent can give, and we know that much time and thought is given to this important milestone,” Burnard said.

A total of 18,666 different first names were given to a total of 57,889 babies that were registered in 2023. In 2022 there were 59,711 births registered in New Zealand with a total of 18,041 different first names.