For some Māori names the official spellings gained macrons. Whanganui examples include Ōhingaiti, Waitōtara, Ōhura and Kawhātau.
The macrons make the meaning of the names clear and also help with pronunciation.
Māori place names, like all place names, have stories behind them, Haanen said. Ensuring their correct spelling keeps those stories alive.
For example, many of the river names in the southwest of Te-Ika-a-Māui North Island relate to the overland journey of the ancestor Haunui-a-Nanaia. Turakina River is the river he "felled a tree to cross", Rangitīkei River he "strode across" and Waimeha Stream is where "the waters disappeared into sands".
"Knowing the story behind a name gives it special meaning within the community. When place name proposals are made, having the story is a key criterion in the board's considerations," Haanen said.
Whanganui has had its own brushes with the board.
In 2012 it decided both Whanganui and Wanganui are official names for the town. Then in 2015, it determined Whanganui was the only official name for the district.
In 2013 it decided the North Island had Te Ika-a-Māui as an official alternative name, and the South Island had Te Waipounamu.
The board welcomes feedback on its decisions, which can be given by emailing NZGBenquiries@linz.govt.nz.
The place names it has made official are listed on its website, which has a link to an online map where the locations are marked.
For many of the names there are more than one location. Waitōtara, for example, is used in nine New Zealand places, and Matarawa in three.
